Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style
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postwar homes – “modern” and “modest” alike.
I'm Pam Kueber, your mid mod mad guide. Read more
Retro Renovation readers are sending in all kinds of wonderful stories about their vintage treasures…it’s amazing, how these little objects can trigger such memories, such gratitude. Only one day left to enter… we’ll then continue to publish all the entries, then vote on our two winners. Prizes! Fame! See the rules here.
How should Mandi decorate her 1956 bathroom with its peach and salmon tile? She has asked for our ideas. Wow, this is a wonderful color that we don’t see it all that often. To get started – you know what I will recommend: some vintage wallpaper – and there are some beautiful choices available. Mandi also shows us some photos of her vintage kitchen, which is in great shape. And very Florida: Terrazzo floors — in the living room and bathroom. Wow! Heck yeah there is more →
Paperboy Steve submits this entry to the Found Objects Found Art contest. Heck yeah there is more →
A look at 1968 – yes, the era of avocado green, harvest gold and other very distinctive designs. I have to say, I really am growing to adore 60s and 70s kitchens, bathrooms and interiors. These people were having a lot of creative fun. Imagine owning a 1971 split level and outfitting it with a red and black rumpus room… bedrooms with multicolored shag carpet…a Nutone intercom throughout, a Drexel Mediterranean dining room set. Hey! That was my house in 1971! A triumph. Cut to the chase: 70s decor is back – big time. Avocado Oak ad: Georgia Pacific.
Isn’t this Moenique bathtub/shower faucet terrific? Those are “persian” tiles behind – very popular in ’68, as far as I can see. Ad: Moen.
In the kitchen, it’s Andy Warhol pop colors all the way. That’s wallpaper on the fridge. This kitchen is so well done. Ad: Armstrong.
Those panels lining the tub and shower are Formica laminate. I don’t think the stuff turned out to be very waterproof. Pretty, though. And I really like the mirror and framed print arrangement above the sinks. Tip: Look for unusually-shaped mirrors like this – they can work in so many possible spaces. Ad: Formica.
I really have a hard time believing that many women put wallpaper on the front of their appliances. But, it certainly is an idea…. Ad: Frigidaire.
I adore this style of wallpaper. The gold, green, orange colonial motif – just makes me so happy. And this is a wonderful Frigidaire. I am quite partial to side-by-side refrigerators. They are particularly good when space is tight. Note, they are not as energy efficient as fridge-on-top styles, I believe. Ad: Tappan.
Rachel enters the Found Objects Found Art contest, with some memories of grandmother’s kitchen…. Heck yeah there is more →
What are hot collectibles in 2009? Mitzi Swisher of Vintage Goodness reports from the front lines of etsy, ebay and Columbus, Ohio (one of my proclaimed retro-epicenters.) Are you into mid century and danish modern *anything*…made in japan ceramics…vintage coats and purses…lingerie…costume jewelry… pulp romances? Read on for Mitzi’s advice, along with an interview with one of our favorite, longtime readers. Heck yeah there is more →
Susan aka Kitty Mommy’s entry in the Found Objects Found Art contest. My goodness, the previous owners really were named Mr. & Mrs. Mess; I thought you’d been kidding about that, Susan! Heck yeah there is more →
A vintage Magic Chef range used only 28 times since 1955… a pristine pink bathroom… and more “frozen in time” features in this amazing time capsule house in St. Louis…The owners only ever lived downstairs! Thanks to Meredith and her connections for spotting it and sending it right in. Real estate agent Christopher Thiemet reports that the original listing agent interviewed had advised the sellers to gut-and-renovate-ala-2009 before selling the house. He saw the gem this was and advised otherwise. Thank heavens they listened. Christopher sold the house faster than the speed of light and before it was officially listed – to a buyer who bought the whole thing kit, kaboodle, furniture – and clothes hanging in the closets. Hurray.
Read on for the story – and be sure to see even more photos at Christopher’s excellent website here.
I am also reminded of this post – another family whose virtually unused kitchen was put in a museum. Heck yeah there is more →
What’s more over-the-top than a wagon wheel light? A wagon wheel light with antlers, of course. However, presuming that wagon wheel lights were one of the original “put a bulb in it” lighting ideas…it’s actually Reasonable to think that the cow-town saloon owners also would add antler bones and the like as decorative, trophy accents. The historical precedent for this mid-century revival is [...]
Three consistently desirable accessories for many owners of mid century homes are pole lamps … room dividers … and display shelves. Well, clever reader Carin recently spotted — and nabbed — this interesting thingamabob that combines all three. It’s a room divider that installs like an adjustable, floor-to-ceiling pole lamp … It features working lights in one of the [...]
Wow, this may be the rarest vintage steel kitchen we’ve seen yet: A Youngstown Servi-Center, which was originally posted on real estate agent and reader Sarah Snodgrass’ blog, At Home in Brookside, Kansas City. That’s Sarah –> … I always like me a smiling face on the blog. Anyway, this Servi-Center IMMEDIATELY caught my eye because [...]
What an amazing find. 52 PostnBeam contributes an incredible amount of work on behalf of other Retro Renovators who are searching out vintage steel kitchen cabinets, by posting scores of craigslist leads from around the country on our steel kitchen cabinet Forum every week. In her miraculous searches, she often comes across other amazing finds. [...]
Golly be — it’s not a “GE Patio Cart”, it’s a “GE Partio Cart.” Just as 52PostnBeam pointed out this amazing combination barbeque-rotisserie-oven-stovetop-prep surface-umbrella-on-wheels for sale on our Forum a while back, she also recently pointed to another one of these wonderful oddities — woddities — for sale out west and realized and pointed out [...]
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