Comments on: Was my 50s fireplace originally painted - or unpainted? Spokane Chris ponders. http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/05/was-my-50s-fireplace-originally-painted-or-unpainted-spokane-chris-ponders/ A place for your postwar 40s 50s and 60s style kitchens, bathrooms and mid century modern home aesthetic. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:59:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Hendrick Kipp http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/05/was-my-50s-fireplace-originally-painted-or-unpainted-spokane-chris-ponders/comment-page-1/#comment-22251 Hendrick Kipp Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:53:44 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=4148#comment-22251 My parents home in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (North Shore Coast area) was custom designed and built in 1952. The brick fireplace was at least 10-12 feet wide, and was always white brick. I was 6 at the time and remember it well. They also added a Ben Franklin firelace/stove in the bonus room, and had that brick painted white also, sometime early '60's. Natural brick outside and painte brick inside seems to be fairly common in the States. The '50's modern style was the impetus to this design, IMHO. My parents home in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (North Shore Coast area) was custom designed and built in 1952. The brick fireplace was at least 10-12 feet wide, and was always white brick. I was 6 at the time and remember it well. They also added a Ben Franklin firelace/stove in the bonus room, and had that brick painted white also, sometime early ’60’s. Natural brick outside and painte brick inside seems to be fairly common in the States. The ’50’s modern style was the impetus to this design, IMHO.

]]> By: SusieQ http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/05/was-my-50s-fireplace-originally-painted-or-unpainted-spokane-chris-ponders/comment-page-1/#comment-13595 SusieQ Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:55:38 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=4148#comment-13595 Hi Chris,I'm not an authority in your area of the country but I can tell you about my mom and our 1950's brick ranch house in Arlington,Va. The house was built in 1955 and we had a natural brick fireplace as did everyone in our neighborhood.My mom was into decorating and actually became an interior designer later in life.She was always trying new things in our house and she was the first in our area to paint both our walls and our fireplace white in 1960.It caused quit a stir at the time!What I would suggest is to ask around amongst any old timers or original owners to see who the builder was and what was done back then,They would surely have a story to tell as to whether it was a neighborhood trend or a forward thinking builder trying to be very contemporary.Best of luck in your search for authenticity! Hi Chris,I’m not an authority in your area of the country but I can tell you about my mom and our 1950’s brick ranch house in Arlington,Va. The house was built in 1955 and we had a natural brick fireplace as did everyone in our neighborhood.My mom was into decorating and actually became an interior designer later in life.She was always trying new things in our house and she was the first in our area to paint both our walls and our fireplace white in 1960.It caused quit a stir at the time!What I would suggest is to ask around amongst any old timers or original owners to see who the builder was and what was done back then,They would surely have a story to tell as to whether it was a neighborhood trend or a forward thinking builder trying to be very contemporary.Best of luck in your search for authenticity!

]]> By: benevola http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/05/was-my-50s-fireplace-originally-painted-or-unpainted-spokane-chris-ponders/comment-page-1/#comment-13583 benevola Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:56:00 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=4148#comment-13583 I live in the South Seattle area in a 1953 rambler and my fireplace is almost identical to Spokane Chris' fireplace. Right down to the shiny white paint. I've been pondering stripping the paint off of my fireplace to see what is hiding underneath. The area in front of it is made up of terra cotta tiles and is very pretty next to the darkish hardwoods of the floor. How funny to see another painted 50s fireplace! My house also has a raised brick flower box underneath the front windows. It's maybe 8 feet long by 2 feet deep and 2 feet high. It has also been painted white. What are the odds that it will be made from the same brick as the fireplace? The chimney was rebuilt after the earthquake we had up here in February of 2001, and we did not move into the house until October of 2001 so I don't know what it looked like originally. I live in the South Seattle area in a 1953 rambler and my fireplace is almost identical to Spokane Chris’ fireplace. Right down to the shiny white paint.

I’ve been pondering stripping the paint off of my fireplace to see what is hiding underneath. The area in front of it is made up of terra cotta tiles and is very pretty next to the darkish hardwoods of the floor. How funny to see another painted 50s fireplace!

My house also has a raised brick flower box underneath the front windows. It’s maybe 8 feet long by 2 feet deep and 2 feet high. It has also been painted white. What are the odds that it will be made from the same brick as the fireplace?

The chimney was rebuilt after the earthquake we had up here in February of 2001, and we did not move into the house until October of 2001 so I don’t know what it looked like originally.

]]> By: Femme1 http://retrorenovation.com/2008/09/05/was-my-50s-fireplace-originally-painted-or-unpainted-spokane-chris-ponders/comment-page-1/#comment-13581 Femme1 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:13:47 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=4148#comment-13581 There is one very distinctive house in my neighborhood that is built of these roman bricks (I never knew what they were called). However, they are of a uniform sandy tan color and the effect is a very modern look. Those horizontal lines is part of what shouts "mid-century" to me. There is one very distinctive house in my neighborhood that is built of these roman bricks (I never knew what they were called). However, they are of a uniform sandy tan color and the effect is a very modern look. Those horizontal lines is part of what shouts “mid-century” to me.

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