Hi Pam, I was just trolling craigslist here in the DC area and ran across this amazing pink bathroom vanity. Woo! — Uncle Atom
Woo, indeed. Thank you, Uncle Atom. Update: listing gone. Sold?
Fun pink laminate vanity
Posted by: • January 12, 2010
Maribeth’s house and Retro Renovation spotlighted in the Knoxville News
Posted by: • January 11, 2010
Remember Maribeth and her Brady Bunch kitchen? After I featured her renovation in November, I asked her if I could pitch the story to her local newspaper. Maribeth was game, and it turns out, so was the Knoxville News. Reporter Allison Rupp and I talked for more than an hour, then she went out to visit Maribeth and her family and their home. Meanwhile, photographer Saul Young looks like he had a blast with the photographs. The result: A great story about a 70s retro renovation with a fabulous photo gallery to boot. And — did you know that HGTV is in Knoxville? I bet they will see this, too, including mention of the pink Cinderella bathtub. Thanks, again, Maribeth, for opening up your home to the world all in the cause of preserving and cherishing our mid mod heritage. Thanks, too, to Allison and Saul for treating this story with such empathy and respect. Readers — if you would like to see your completed projects featured in your local newspaper, contact me and we’ll see if we can make it happen. 
Photo: Courtesy the Knoxville News / Saul Young.
Alexandra Lee and “what yaya likes”
Posted by: • January 10, 2010
Every two weeks or so, I search flickr for new photos of pink bathrooms to invite to the Save The Pink Bathrooms group. That’s how I first *met* Alexandra Lee. She had taken some gorgeous photos of her parents’ pink bathroom, and it turns out, she had many other photos that I would describe as “luminous” in a way that respects the light and all the objects that surround us. Alexandra works in the fashion world, has a background in architecture, and has a new blog, what yaya likes. And even though she seems to be describing her home style as “California Country,” I thought we could learn some wonderful things from her (plus ogle her gorgeous images.) So I asked her to answer some questions. Heck yeah there is more →
Mint-in-box 1960 Progress Lighting from Rejuvenation
Posted by: • January 9, 2010
Here is a hot tip for anyone doing a major project: Rejuvenation also sells antique lighting, and I noticed on their website yesterday that they have a good-sized stash of circa-1960 lighting from Progress Manufacturing, unused and in its original boxes. And — there are multiples available. Note: Even though it’s unused MIB, Rejuvenation says they rewire this lighting – another good reminder for all of us to rewire anything we find and use vintage. Last but not least — 33 vintage copper-plated cabinet pulls with atomic backplates also are in their antique hardware section — a wonderful number — a gorgeous design — snap ‘em up, someone!
My love is bigger than a Honda, honey, it’s bigger that a Subaru
Posted by: • January 8, 2010
MY SINCERE THANKS to all the readers who helped Retro Renovation capture 4th place in Apartment Therapy’s contest to name the favorite home-design blog of 2009. A little over a week ago, it was a nail-biting finish to get into the finals. Were we in 7th – out? Or 6th – in? Woah. You kept voting right up to the last-minute and pushed us into the top 6 out of more than 600 blogs listed. Then this week, you kept the pedal to the mid-century metal and brought home more than 400 votes and 4th place. That’s a fantastic finish — and wonderful visibility for mid-century *modern* and *modest* alike. Hmmm. Why do I have a feeling it’s gonna be a good year? Congratulations to the Homies winner, Remodelista, and to the other finalists, who clearly are having a blast sharing their passion, as well. To help us celebrate: My main man, and hardest-working guy in rock ‘n roll, circa 1985. Oh my. xoxo
Welcome, Mel, our collage artist laureate
Posted by: • January 7, 2010
During the Apartment Therapy home design blog contest, a number of readers repeated our Retro Renovation tagline in their comments. This gave me an idea: I engaged Mel Kolstad, who I met on flickr, to create a series of “Love The House You’re In” collages for the blog — and here’s our first one. Mel, I forgot to ask you what year this house is from. I’ll guess mid-40s (this house has a very international-moderne feel to me), but I also bet the car-lovers in our community will be able to date it precisely by the convertible. To tell you more about our new collage artist laureate: Mel is a collage/mixed media artist who currently lives in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Heck yeah there is more →
Mid-century “Early American” street sign
Posted by: • January 7, 2010
You know I do love my Royal Barry Wills’ houses. This one has a wishing well, a cupola with a cricket, a knotty pine den and Early American kitchen wallpaper. But best of all: the sweetest ever vintage street sign. Will the list of things I find to covet never ever end? Good job on the real estate agent who included this photo in the listing.
An outhouse named “Sally”
Posted by: • January 6, 2010
A ways back, we had a little chat about outhouses, and how prior to the post-WWII boom, lots of folks still did not have indoor plumbing. Well, Sara wrote in to let us know that at the heritage family home in Pennsylvania, they still maintain and use their two-seater, the beloved “Sally”. Sara writes: Heck yeah there is more →
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