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
Isn’t this wonderful? A vintage memo pad that also holds your wallhung telephone (Although I am confused at how the telephone actually still would work with the receive off the hook…) $28 over at moddities.etsy.com.
I just got off the phone with George from New York Metals – purveyors of the stainless steel edging to true to 40s 50s and 60s kitchen countertops. The recent question on the table has been: How to bend my preferred “Snap-On Molding” (in photo above) for rounded edges – be they quarter-round cubbies or [...]
The most popular laminate design in mid century America? Boomerang Formica? Nope, guess again. According to materials expert Grace Jeffers, the most popular design was actually linen. You know what I’m talking about — that kind of tight-to-medium-weave with nubblies stuff. I had it both my bathrooms with vanities. In pistachio green = absolutely iconic. [...]
Following up on Monday’s exciting post about the Arpa USA palette of solid-color laminates, let’s take a look at how to use this material to recreate this 1959 Ma Bell kitchen. It would be oh-so-easy! Elements include: Laminate cabinetry using Arpa’s “Jardin” colorway. Cabinet pulls: Rejuvenation’s new midcentury “sharp arch”, in satin chrome Countertops are [...]
Where to find speckled gold laminate? Also called “lame” (with an accent on the “e”, as in “lam-ae.”) A typical reader question, like this one: Hello – I really hope you can help me. I have been searching for weeks with no luck. I have an old trailer from the 50′s and need to replace [...]
ALAS: DISCONTINUED! The website says that these are for “contract” jobs — that is, interior designers working on commercial projects. But hey, if you really like these retro laminate choices, go after Nevamar and get them! Remember: The only way to do these…is to pair them with authentic steel countertop and backsplash edging available from [...]
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LaGardo Tackett — 1958 ‘egghead’ condom holder is just one witty chapter in an amazing career 
Chrome over-the-door hanger holder 
Mystery kitchen holder thingie — what is it? 
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Thanks for featuring my memo pad/phone caddy! Actually, you only hang the receiver on the hook when you answer the phone and the call is for someone else, or you have to “put the phone down” for a moment. A nifty idea, I think!
Cheers,
Shannon
Ah, Shannon, that makes sense! And troy – your powers of deduction are much better than mine, to be sure!
Using my skills of deduction, I suspect that you’d use this to hold the receiver when you otherwise need to put it down without hanging up. For instance, to check to see if you have 2 cups of flour for your neighbor to borrow. Or to go and look out the front window to see if Tommy is still playing with Billy, even though Tommy’s mom told him to be home an hour ago.
Of course neither of these would happen today, as you’d merely fire up your gas guzzler and head down to the SUPER-MART and buy the flour yourself. And Tommy would clearly have his own cell phone, but the chances that he’d be anywhere but in front of his Wii are slim to none.
What a blast from the past! My Mom had one of those on the kitchen wall at home when I was a kid!
Hey Troy…that would happen at my house! Including the rotary phone part
Moddities informs me that this sold immediately after it was posted here on RetroRenovation.com. Lucky buyer!
Thank you for listing that, Pam. I will enjoy it as it hangs on my wall next to my original rotary dial wall phone : )
This is probably the 3rd time I had to get the item you were listing here – 1st time from Etsy! Thank you for keeping your eyes peeled and sharing with the masses!!
~Amy
Glad you like it, Amy
I was helping my mom clean yesterday and came across this exact item in its original box. I asked her what she wanted me to do with it, and she asked if I could find out how much it is worth. She has no sentimental attachment to it (even though she still has the rotary phone). I’m very pleased to see it listed here. I’ll let her know how much it is valued (dollar-wise and by vintage phone enthusiasts).