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Alice’s cinderella bathtub

Posted by: • January 6, 2009

alices-pink-tub

Sleeping Bee Alice has a little pink tub in her gorgeous house, of course.

Happy New Year Pam! I’ve attached a photo of my pink little lady’s tub…it’s very cute and quite the conversation piece! :) ….

Best regards, Alice

If you like this also be sure to see:

88 mosaic tile patterns for your retro bathroom

Posted by: • January 5, 2009

Reader bsmet sent me this great link from Dal-tile showing 88 different mosaic wall and floor tile patterns. To enlarge here, click on the thumbnail here… then at the next window, click one more time.

I consider a tiled wall and tub/shower to be pretty essential in midcentury bathrooms. For the floor, you could also use VCT or linoleum. But be careful, any standing water will rot through the floor and sub-floor over time… so tile is better if the bathroom gets heavy use. And, the beauty part about retro-styled bathrooms is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a great effect with tile. Use basic 1×1, 2×2 and especially 4×4 (or 4-1/4 x 4×1/4) tiles, add a little pattern zing – as suggested in these 88 options – and you a retro renovation bathroom that’s timeless, functional and appealing. Thanks, bsmet – this is a great resource!

How to revive laminate countertops?

Posted by: • January 5, 2009

wilsonkitchen-new

countertop-magic

A reader wrote to ask how to bring the luster back to her vintage laminate countertops. Paste wax, maybe? To get the answer, I turned to expert Grace Jeffers. She is the writer, design historian and materials expert responsible for restoration of the Ralph Sr. and Sunny Wilson House – including its gorgeous Mondrian-style kitchen, above. Grace wrote back pronto:

Do use them with COUNTERTOP MAGIC.  DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT USE WAX. Plastics do not like wax, they like oil. In the Wilson house I used almonst an entire can of countertop magic for each 4 x 8 panel. Let it soak overnight and then polish with a clean cloth in the a.m.

Grace Jeffers

Readers, I actually bought some of this stuff — and my DH, the cleaner of the house — really likes it. We use the liquid spray, not the aerosol. We bought it from Amazon, as we could not find it locally:

Thanks, Grace! And reader – oopsy, I lost your email, thanks for your question!

Retro renovation resolutions – 2009

Posted by: • January 1, 2009

modern-living-at-its-best0301

Happy New Year, everyone!

Resolutions:

  1. Improve the navigation/design of the blog – to make it easier for readers to find all the recommendations, inspiration and learnings.
  2. Diligently add to and refine resource-recommendations to help everyone with their projects.
  3. Promote pinch-pleat draperies (2008, continued).
  4. Promote wallpaper (2008, continued).
  5. Promote closed toilet lids.
  6. Save some pink bathrooms et.al.
  7. Maybe, possibly, create an American job or two by helping to sell more Dishmasters.

How about you?

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