Comments on: Meet Courtney

By: anita

anita — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:06:17 +0000

So nice to read this and find out I’m not alone. It took me so many years of return visits to the same places (a particular booth in an antique mall, a section of a certain store, etc) to figure out that it wasn’t one particular styleI was so drawn to, but it was almost anything 40s, 50s or 60s! So then I spent years trying to do exactly what was spelled out for a particular look, but it’s just too frustrating…. so now, finally, I’ve come to peace with the understanding that I can have all 3 decades, and all the various styles of the decades in my one house, all at the same time if I want to! I’m currently going through a tiki and vintage oriental stage, bamboo, surfboards, grasscloth; and at the same time I’m experiencing boomerangs and atomic star-type patterns. So I made some pinch pleat drapes out of retro atomic barkcloth for my kitchen window with the goal of them making me smile every time I come down the stairs, and they work. Look 25′ to the left and it is the tiki surfboard area. I love it. Mix it up everyone, don’t play by all the rules and enjoy the stuff that makes you smile. My new 1962 stereo console lives directly underneath the very kitchy wall pic of diamondhead. I’ll never be happy with just one style of MCM, and I don’t even try anymore.

By: Kitschy Kimberly

Kitschy Kimberly — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:00:15 +0000

Oh Courtney, I am green with envy. I long to be near L.A. in all it’s retro lovelyness. I have pledged to myself that I’ll move there one of these days, sooner rather than later hopefully. My two great loves are mid c and classic Hollywood so there truly is no place more divine imo.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:33:34 +0000

PS: this is my cat’s second appearance on Retro Renovation. I’m impressed, but she’s acting very nonchalant about it.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:19:26 +0000

Thankee, F1! Renters have a different kind of retro radar, and I promise you that doorbells have never/ever been on mine. The roommate doesn’t care one way or the other, he wants a little button that goes ding dong, but I’ll let y’all know if I find something spectacular.

Pam, you’re so sweet to do this post! I think what we learned here today is that I am a tremendous windbag. Love your wanderlusting waitress fantasy. Reminded me of “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, a favorite Kris Kristofferson movie (speaking of sex on the blog) (and vintage).

By: Femme1

Femme1 — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:51:46 +0000

Courtney, you are a treasure! You’re postings are great and you’ve got a nice turn of phrase, I must say. And I agree with your attitude about the whole precious design sense of many MCM enthusiasts. I like keepin’ it real.

I might be able to help you with the doorbell. For the past year or so, I’ve been searching for a replacement cover for our 1959 Nutone longbell door chimes, and so far, no go. But there are usually a few good choices on evilBay. As a matter of fact, I’ve bought several, and haven’t decided on which to install; I’ll have to take out the old coverless box with the two long chimes, but apparently you can sell these for parts for a good chunk of change. And I still keep looking—I’ve become addicted to the doorbell search! To find them I search on “vintage door chime,” “vintage door bell,” or “vintage Nutone” (that’ll bring in a lot of other stuff, but it’s fun to look at anyway). If you search on just “doorbell” or “door bell” you’ll get a ton of icky new stuff. Try “longbell” once in a while and occasionally you’ll find something.

A great place to see what is the good stuff is on the fantastic website http://www.knockdoorbells.com/ . It’s rather pricey for me, but there is a ton of good info there.

You’ll have fun in your new place, I’m sure.