Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style
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home design inspiration… thrifty finds… and a generous
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postwar homes – “modern” and “modest” alike.
I'm Pam Kueber, your mid mod mad guide. Read more
David asked the other day: “We’re planning our basement finishing project and looking at VCT tiling options in the basement. Does anyone know where to find design ideas for Vinyl tiles? I’m seeing a lot for ceramic, but not many for VCT.” You ask, I deliver: Here are scans from 1950s Armstrong and Kentile catalogs. Heck yeah there is more →
Nate writes:
Hi, We just bought an old house, and under a carpet in one of the bedrooms was a “something” — I am not sure what its real name is… It is 6 feet by 8 or 9 feet, and is a fantastic picture / mural. Looks like it is on masonite or some other fiber type board. The “rug” is not attached at all — we can pick it up and move it. It is not gummy at all, seems like just fiberboard, maybe 1/8 of an inch thick. The house was built back around 1900 as a schoolhouse, then sold, dismantled, moved and rebuilt maybe around 1935. The family we bought it from had it since the mid 50′s… I would like to … see if anyone knows anything about it. Thanks! Heck yeah there is more →
Vintage linen tablecloths from Parisian Prints and other makers, mint in their original packaging, in fabulous retro colors. Is there anything better? This ebay seller has 10 sets, each consisting of three linen tablecloths, all from one estate. These generally fit smaller tables, the cloths are 52 x 52 and 52 x 70, for the most part. But if you have the need — the price is right, buy ‘em now, all three for $9.99 plus shipping.
Jeff recently reminded us that random multi-color slate flooring is a wonderful choice for a mid-century home. To be sure, I see this floor all the time in homes I visit from the 40s 50s 60s and 70s. It’s usually in porches, breezeways, or foyers — spots that require a very durable, waterproof flooring material. Heck yeah there is more →
My friend Therese found these vintage glasses at a local junk store. They came in a basket with a handle with space for each glass and on the side, spaces for your napkins and silver. Like, you would keep these handy to tote to the patio. Aren’t they magical?
Just about the time Rebecca asked me for some suggestions for renovating her 1964 Ann Arbor kitchen, I ran across these mod 60s 70s style cabinets online. These doors have a baked-on thermofoil finish, which enables durable, high-gloss colors. 
The orange looks very pleasing indeed … the “olive” by any other name would be called “avocado”… and their red looks pretty authentic 60s 70s. In fact, neighbors of mine — who updated their kitchen in the mid-60s in a very high fashion, high-end style — have red cabinets just like this. I declare this style and these colors: Smokin’ hot! Heck yeah there is more →
Graham made this wonderful time-lapse video (turn up the volume, there is music, too) of his and Natalie’s exciting Saturday night. Don’t we all identify? Feathering the nest is the best, though. Check in on Graham and Natalie’s projects anytime over at their blog, The Chadwell Chronicles. Thank you, Graham, for the video, and as you can see, I also used your wedding “save the date” photo from two years ago — too cute.
When I drove an hour+ east to meet Astro, I of course had to plan some retro recon in fresh territory. And dog-whisperer Denise was totally game to take me to some of her favorite thrifting spots. That’s her at one of our vintage shop-stops, where we discovered the we share the ability (err: need) to spend two solid hours in a 15′ x 15′ room full of vintage clothing scouring every last square inch for buried treasure. Yes, we found some loot. 
Heck yeah there is more →
Here is the latest wonderful oddity — “woddity” — to go into our archive: The Fiesta sink by American Standard. I have seen reference to it as early as 1966. Click on through for some additional, great colors, sculpted round designs (!) and strange lever thingy.
I have a confession to make: All these years, I have not really been reading all my vintage marketing materials much — I have been looking at the pictures and kind of scanning text. I have soaked up a lotta, for sure, but now, I have started going back and reading… trying to pick up [...]
This crane tile design is so similar to several others in Bungalow Bill’s 1955 Indiana Mosaic Tile Company book — it must be part of this manufacturer’s repertoire. This actual installation is in Sacramento, and comes courtesy of flickr friend sylphbranching. (Click the photo to get to her complete photostream.) Thank you sb! Related posts: [...]
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 [...]
Another recessed fixture aimed to torture Speedway Ron. Or, bankrupt him! Image: vintage GE.
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