I want SF Troy to come over to my house and reorganize all my collections. He’s moved into a new house — a vintage Eichler, ooh la la. I’ll have another post that tells and shows all, but meanwhile, here’s a sneak peek at his collections and how he’s displayed them all, just four months into the new space. Whimsy! Color! Massing! Yup, this boy knows how to do it, all right.
Welcome, frends. 15 great photos in all.
Note globes. Are those Masketeers birdies? Note Monsterosa Deliciosa.
Nice.
Please explain, Troy. From airports?
Sunscreen Bob and Suntan Bob in their kitchen habitat. Troy – how is it that the vacation platters are ‘nested’ behind the backsplash? Did you put in a new countertop and design it that way? What is the countertop? Glad to see you kept the original cabinets and gas rangetop. I recently learned that the world will not stop revolving on its axis (or whatever) if we do not all have Viking Ranges.
What the? Photos of noodles in the half bath. Okay. See? Put three, six or nine of ANYTHING together and you have an artful statement. Troy, how long did it take you to get these tic-tac-toe organized just right? When you place your collections do you stress out just like the rest of most of humanity, or do you “see it” immediately. If the latter, do not answer the question or I might have to hate you.
Umm, why do I think that this photo will launch a run of macrame owl sales on etsy.com for the next year solid? I know I wanna. However, and you know I rarely say this sort of thing: That horse head pillow scares me. Too godfather. But yowza, that rug!
1972 New York City subway maps make it clear just how pretty our lives can be through the magic of design.
The PBN dog collection’s new home. (Here they were…
A goodly dose granny ranch is essential no matter how mid-century modern you get. Cozy comfy crocheted afghans, my favorite.
My oh my oh my oh my. I want to marry you, Troy. Alas, we live on separate coasts and oh yeah, there’s that thing about the fact I’m already married, and quite happily actually. Next time.
Troy on the move. Thank you, Troy, for sharing. I will be coming back to you with some questions, and readers, there are lots more photos, for another post. Thanks for giving me this scoop! xoxo
Note to readers: Also be sure to see this post on Troy’s collection of vintage airline bags.
Viewing tip: Click on first image, it will enlarge, and you can progress through the complete slide show from there.
Polished concrete floors for Troy’s Eichler house — new radiant heating system, too 
Original Eichler paint colors for your ranch or contemporary home 
Retro house plants – ideas from Troy 
Become a fan
*Sigh* What a fun place to live!!
And this gives me an excuse to link to this:
MACRAME DISASTER – don’t try this at home
http://www.catenema.com/macrame.html
Bwahahaha! I loved this. Back in the 70′s, I made beautiful macrame plant hangers and wooden plant shelves hung with macrame cords. I don’t know what ever happened to them. They must have ended up with one of the siblings when I went in the Air Force.
Had to laugh when I saw the scary horse heads. I used to have some like them! The pattern was published in the newspaper and my mother send off for it and made them for me for Christmas. Just one of many very weird things she has given me, and I admit I was a horse loving child at the time. I entered a bike-decorating contest once by attaching one of them to the handlebars…and I won a new bike. Of course, I was the only one who showed up for the contest…
I had a horse head too, but my mother attached it to a broomstick so I could ride it. That made it a little less scary. I think ! ? !
I love what Troy has done here. I can’t wait for the next installment!
Fabulous. *drools*
I can’t believe people get their homes together in four months. It’s going to take me years. Beautiful home, Troy. Love the Big Boys.
Oh my, what fun. It is fascinating what a person decides to collect, isn’t it? When put all together as these are, it is wonderful to behold.
Just have to add — you think the last picture shows chaos? To me that was one clean, well organized car trunk.
The wall of ties was oh so very clever! If there was a Fabulous 50′s HGTV show (and there should be), Troy would definitely be the host!
I have quite a few of the same collections! What is that saying about great minds thinking alike…?
Your house, aside from all of the good stuff in it, is amazing.
Well, that makes my PBN collection looking weak. Oh, well. Mine is all landscapes, and is still pretty cool, if sparse.
When I lived in the Bay Area I considered collection vacation platters; now I know why I couldn’t find very many.
Elizabeth Mary, I was thinking the same thing about the trunk. That’s chaos?
~squeal~ Fab!
I thought of them as Vampire Bob waiting to get still-hamburger eating Bob, but either way, love those two by the stove!
WOW! Looks amazing – and all in only 4 months??!! The macrame owl collection is wonderful!
Wow … what a great home. So good to see an older kitchen in tact. My thought with my 1961 kitchen was, “What will a NEW kitchen do that this kitchen WON’T do?” Also … the paneling; I’ve got LOTS of that. It’s so warm and cozy. Great job with your collections.
Great job, Troy! I also just moved, have a very similar tie collection that I wasn’t sure what to do with, and a big blank wall that needs some non-framed art. Now it can all come together. Thanks for the idea! Geez, I heart this website.
Okay, I was loving all the pix until the necktie display… and then I got a little fearful that Troy may have a touch of OCD.
Seriously though — gorgeous display techniques.
…Maggie
We live in an Eichler home in Thousand Oaks, and love it of course! I absolutely adore what Troy has done with their living room, it is so so cozy and inviting. Just makes me want to curl up on that fab mid-century couch with a fire in the fireplace and read a good book with several of those granny afghans over me! I seriously have gotten some design ideas for our Eichler den from his livingroom. He is also SO right about if you group any number of similar themed items together, you have an instant statement. I love it! Just like the owner of Lotusland up in Montecito did with en-masse gardening, where she would plant like-kind plants en-masse, love it! Thanks Troy for your inspiration! Love it!
How marvelous to own an Eichler! Lovely job of putting it all together. The collections are just grand; always fun to see what other people collect and how they arrange it.
I retract saying ‘chaos’. How about: Troy on the move.
Great house, but I do have a question. Living room posters, top row, third from the left–what is he doing? I’m trying to figure out if he is climbing stairs on his hands and knees or if he’s dancing the “jerk”.
Thanks for all the comments! I’m *really* enjoying being a part of this great community. Pam, you rock! I’ll try to answer all your questions soon… until then:
@Maggie – Yes, a touch of OCD, but you’ll be happy to know I’m resisting the urge to arrange the ties by color and pattern.
@Frank – The little man is doing the Madrid Metro “mind the gap” dance.
The Owls!! The Ties…oh my, I love them!
For those of you envious about the macrame owls, I have a macramed white poodle circa early 1970s. I never thought of it as being valuable!!
Nice. I like the dog paint by number sets. My niece is in vet college, and I’ve started doing the paint by number sets with her (since high school)…I plan to have them all framed for when she opens her office someday.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Love everything — congrats on your home, Troy!
The macrame owls took me back to my college days in the 70′s. After making several, I moved on to macrame curtains. …and used them for several years. ..I thought they were fabulous at the time.
Maggie, it took until the tie pic. to give you an OCD clue? LOL…I’m just jealous, not only of the quick time span but also of how neat and tidy! If I had 1/10 of the organizational skills exhibited here!
Great place Troy, thanks for sharing!!
Troy, truly you are meant to be in this house and have those posessions…everything just looks so inviting! Do tell, in the horse-heads room, is the flooring terrazo tile? Thank you for sharing your photos; yet another breath-taking inspiration from the RR site!
Great job Troy. I think we can always learn by seeing how others like yourself do things.
This is phenominal.. just love everything you have done
You know those owls used to scare me as as kid, but then I only had the ONE in our shared bedroom. The flock is a HOOT (yeah ok bad pun, but I liked it)
Wonder what the tie collection’s point was? Most of his collections were dual purpose, they looked great & DID something! Very cool!
Pam, you’re already married….I’ll marry Troy and live happily ever after in that awesome home. Troy, you really should be hosting a Fabulous 50s show on tv, like Janice said….you’ve got a gift!
I noticed your dog paintings and wonder if any of them were painted by Edwin Megargee?? He was my beau’s step grandfather and was quite a well known dog painter of that era. We went to an art opening 5 years ago at a NYC gallery and I was surprised at how popular dog paintings are….and pricey. The ones from the 50s were the best, of course!!
Love this home. I so wish we had more of these homes in Denver! I love your style!
I love the tie display! I need to know what the ties are hanging on? I would love to have something like that above my husband’s bureau.
Hi Carolyn, hope this reply finds its way to you – apologies for the delay. I made the tie rack with a piece of lattice. It’s about 2″ wide by 3/16″ thick (standard stuff you get at the hardware store). On both ends of the piece of lattice (about 12″ in from each end) I drilled two holes, one above the other, each about 1/4″ in from the edge. I then used long screws to attach the lattice to the wall through the holes I drilled, with a 1/2″ spacer between the wall and the lattice to “float” the lattice off the wall. Ready for tie hanging! I can email you photos of the construction if you’d like. Enjoy!
WOW – Troy – I love the tie display idea. I felt like running out to Home Depot the moment I saw the picture of yours. It’s something that could be constantly changing with additions and subtractions. Owning tacky ties is no longer a fashion mistake, but a decorating distinction. Thanks so much (any creative inspirations involving boxer shorts? )
Wonderful owls!!
you have managed to keep your collections from cluttering and detracting from that CLEAN look that i love with MCM. I am inspired to declutter and organize a little better after seeing your beautiful results.
allmost forgot, i see some of Aunt Joyces ducks over your fireplace, or were they geese?
MY fave thing is that orange flokati — LOVE IT! Where’d you get it, Sensei Troy?
Dude–you’re killing me! Love the noodles in the bathroom.
Beautiful job!
Thanks for sharing these pics! Troy has managed to honor the mid-century modern style while putting a very personal spin on it. I aspire to find that balance!
(On a side note, the zigzag aqua and brown afghan is exactly like the one my mom crocheted in the ’70′s…that picture brought back fond memories of it on our davenport when I was a kid.)
Well now I know what to do with all those ties I don’t wear.