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Garth and Martha have pro’s soda blast and electrostatically paint their vintage Crosley steel kitchen cabinets

Posted by: • May 13, 2009

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READERS GARTH AND MARTHA from Dallas recently went through the process of having their vintage Crosley metal kitchen cabinets repainted. In this post, Garth recounts the saga. And like most major retro renovation projects – it is indeed a saga…. It includes a drive from Dallas to Ohio and back to get the cabinets…schlepping to nearly half a dozen places to understand the best approach…and doing a lot of the moving and prep work. One thing that’s immediately clear about this kitchen, is that it’s not an exacting “period” re-creation. Garth and Martha have taken very vintage style cabinets and reworked them into a contemporary design — note the stainless steel counters, backsplash and appliances — and yowza, I want an orange Marmoleum floor! Not to mention is that a huge chocolate mousse cake in the corner? A wonderful kitchen, a beautiful job — that really suits the house. Garth and Martha, thanks so much for sharing your experience!

Heck yeah there is more →

A 1964 blue bathroom with built-in Hall-Mack, NuTone, Textolite & more

Posted by: • May 12, 2009

vintage-bathroom-laundry-chute-and-recessed-scaleTHE 1964 SPLIT-LEVEL TIME CAPSULE first shown yesterday also had two great bathrooms. The full bath upstairs is a beautiful robin’s egg blue, all 4×4″ field tiles, with cheerful flowery liner tiles. There is a separate bathtub and the shower. The shower door is a true classic, and notice the terrazzo floor pan, the light, and the tile on the diagonal on the ceiling.

And there’s more: A laundry chute built into a storage cubby… and the fold-down Hall-Mack scale holder below. The laminate countertop on the dual vanity is surely GE Textolite, from the “Twilight” series . And, the owner’s daughter told me that the Nutone exhaust fan/light also had a built-humidistat that turned the fan on and off automatically when the room became too humid. Finally, there was a hidden door to the master suite, along with a door to the hall. This might have been the best bathroom ever in this history of the retro-universe. Again – not pretentious, but so well considered and well built. Click through for the slide show – 15 images in all. Heck yeah there is more →

Vintage countertop laminate from GE Textolite

Posted by: • May 12, 2009

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How is this one, Retro Renovation readers? I recently scored a full box of est. 1960-65 era GE Textolite laminate samples, absolute mint condition unused. This is the first bunch — the others aren’t so over-the-top FABULOUS, but still are great gauges of what to look for. OMG. What else do I need to say. We can all eat our hearts out, together, on this one. This post originally ran on Jan. 4, 2008

1964 split level time capsule – great midcentury mailbox and kitchen

Posted by: • May 11, 2009

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THE ESTATE SALE ON FRIDAY was a jackpot — the 1964, single-owner split level house was in gorgeous condition. What I really liked about it was that it was a very middle class, unpretentious house – but it had features that were clearly chosen for their high quality and craftsmanship. It was timeless in the true sense that everything about the house can endure. Oh lordy, I hope that the new owners understand what they have in hand! Today, two slide shows: The first of an awesome midcentury mailbox, recessed into the roman marble brick of the exterior. I know lots of readers will be so envious of this feature, I’ve never seen anything like it yet. And second, a fabulous time capsule kitchen — it includes two-tone cabinetry, a great little breakfast counter with original stools, and yellow GE appliances with gorgeous design features. One of my new favorites ever — like this house. 27 photos in all. Heck yeah there is more →

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Posted by: • May 11, 2009

Hi Readers, be sure to see the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for the site, which I have added, and are always available via the links at the footer of the site. Anyone who actively participates – by commenting, posting or sending information – needs to be sure to read these. As the site continues to grow, I continue making all kinds of improvements. Hope you like them.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mama Bird

Posted by: • May 10, 2009

mama-birdHAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to my wonderful mother Fran. These days I am also obsessed with vintage collage, and sent her this little card, my first completed work. My mom has always encouraged me in all my endeavors. She and her mother, my grandmother Cecilia, always taught me that I could do anything, be anyone, that I wanted, if I worked hard enough. Thank you, Mom, I love you.

Vintage 1941 Montgomery Ward metal kitchen cabinets

Posted by: • May 9, 2009

vintage-1941-montgomery-ward-kitchenVINTAGE EYE CANDY today — a complete catalog of steel kitchen cabinets from Montgomery Ward, circa 1941. You can see from this brochure, how much simpler kitchens were in the pre-war era. Of course, we were still in recovery from the Great Depression. Even a kitchen like this — which would seem so basic today — would have been immensely luxurious in 1941. Heck yeah there is more →

Kate Spade handbag ala vintage Enid Collins

Posted by: • May 8, 2009

kate-spade-enid-collins-handbagI have never been one for expensive handbags, but I could make an exception for this Kate Spade number that is totally mimicking vintage Enid Collins. At $375, it features: bejeweled flower pattern on linen with boarskin embossed trim, 14-karat light gold plated hardware, and custom woven turquoise noel jacquard lining.  From ebay, here are Enid Collins originals… They are less luxe, but still so absolutely undeniably fabulous and very collectible. Added benefit, much less expensive so you still have some dollar bills left to tuck inside:

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