It looks like all the vintage bargello needlepoint pillows are getting bid on these days, I trust I have created a run on them. In this little carousel, I’m also quite thrilled about the latch hook rug kit to make a Christmas reindeer toilet seat cover and toilet rug. I had to think hard about listing that one, I really want it for myself, but life is too nuts right now, I’ll let one of you all have it. 
Disclosure: Retro Renovation is a member of the ebay partner network and receives a small commission on any item you bid on and buy when you click into ebay from here (a great way to support the blog. Many thanks.)
Vintage Vera, Tammis Keefe & more mint-in-box madness
Posted by: • February 28, 2010
Loudmouth Golf pants and retro clothing for men and women
Posted by: • February 27, 2010
The Norwegian Olympic Curling Team seems to have made Loudmouth golfwear a super phenom fashion trend. Yet another arena (haha) where we are seeing retro power its way to the top of our collective consciousness. This particular Loudmouth Golf pant style — named “hot dog”, at left — absolutely positively reminds me of hip hugger bell bottoms I wore circa 1971. They were excellent. Loudmouth Golf has lots of great styles, it’s really a hoot, but I chose this particular design because it matches my new blog look. Hot diggety dog! Welcome to v.3. of RetroRenovation.com. Buy Loud Mouth pants and other gear for men and women both here. And thanks to On Larch Lane for the tip.
Pink kitchen. 1965. Cory.
Posted by: • February 26, 2010
Hi Pam,I’ve been lurking on your website for several months now, re-awakening my fondness for the things I remember from growing up in the 60′s. I recently started a Facebook page for the subdivision I grew up in, located in South St. Louis County, Missouri… the houses were actually pretty architecturally boring, 864 sq. foot ranch boxes, but all had the typical 50′s fixtures since they were built in the mid-50′s. Heck yeah there is more →
A slide show of 73 pink kitchens
Posted by: • February 26, 2010
Do any longtime readers remember the time I featured 70 pink kitchens during a weeklong spree? There is getting to be so much on the blog… in my upcoming update you’ll get improved navigation to make it easier to get at all the juicy retro bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, exteriors… all of it.
1962 GE time capsule kitchen – for sale
Posted by: • February 24, 2010
Nathan recently purchased a 1962 time capsule home. He truly appreciates the beauty and history in this blonde wood kitchen full of pristine, museum-quality appliances not to mention a fabulous pink porcelain drainboard sink. But, he is himself a craftsman and furniture maker, and has his own creative vision for a mid-century inspired kitchen of his dreams. So, now he is trying to find the right buyer for this mint, unused 1962 kitchen including a pink General Electric combination wall mount refrigerator, a pink GE automatic electric built-In oven, a pink GE cooktop, a pink GE dishwasher, and a pink cast iron double bowl sink. Heck yeah there is more →
A knotty pine kitchen — respectfully retained and revived
Posted by: • February 23, 2010
A recent surge of animosity on some other blogs aimed at knotty pine kitchens has been upsetting my karmic balance. However, the retro decorating gods have made it all better (for now) by delivering flickr friend Eartha Kitsch, who just last week finished freshening up the knotty pine kitchen in her 1956 new-old house. Today, she shares her secret to reviving the cabinets, tells about her stove quest, and shares lots of photos. That’s her with DH (dear husband).
EK writes:
Hey Pam,
Thanks for asking about the fancying up of the knotty pine kitchen in our 1956 ranch. : ) Heck yeah there is more →
Hotpoint kitchens from 1961
Posted by: • February 22, 2010
We continue our 1961 Hotpoint kitchen mini-series starting with the calendar couple for May. I think it is rare to see an older couple in a kitchen ad. No one seems to want to market to oldies, and I now am having to get used to putting myself in that category. Gramma and Gramps have one bitchin’ kitchen, though. I really love the acrylic panels above the wall cabinets. I also find the wall cabinets themselves interestingly done: They are not 30″ high like most kitchens, they appear to be only 15″ high. If you can afford to give up the space, this arrangement certainly opens up the kitchen more. Finally, if you go over to the 1960s gallery and look at this image enlarged, notice the 4″ tiles. They are all kind of “marbelized”, like with a Roman feel, which we’ve talked about before. I am not sure how I feel about this particular look, but the designers get credit for pushing the envelope.
Here are Gramma and Gramps’ son and daughter-in-law. This seems to be a tiki kitchen. Those are seashell cabinet pulls, and there is an aquarium built into the kitchen island. Yowza. Today, with the prevalance of bamboo cabinets, you could go even further down this tiki path, haha. These vintage images provide great ideas that we might not otherwise be exposed to today via mainstream design media. Like: Yellow + lime + light wood cabinetry. I like it. Precautionary Pam warns, however, that in addition to ensuring you learn about all the safety and environmental issues related to your vintage house: Don’t waterski while smoking a pipe.
This is a Retro Renovation classique image. Is there a party going on elsewhere in the house, or just here? Lovely lovely color combo: Pink and orange against ivory with black. This kitchen has a two-color Mondrian feel… I love the repetition of the orange above the sink… Again, very high wall cabinet placement. A key consideration in the use of color in any room is to use it to keep your eye “dancing around” in an entertained yet not overwhelmed way. Kind of: lively but balanced. This room has it, although that couple, I’m not so sure of.
Flocked wallpaper & more MIB treasures
Posted by: • February 22, 2010
From a Nutone chrome ceiling fan, mint-in-box… to enough flocked wallpaper to do a small foyer… to a vintage who’s in the doghouse plaque, I am quite proud of this little ebay set. Disclosure: Retro Renovation is a member of the ebay partner network and receives a small commission on any item you bid on and buy when you click into ebay from here (a great way to support the blog. Many thanks.)
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