Update, Monday, May 31: We have a winner — congratulations, Robin L. — who has been notified and is whoopdedoo happy. 
Watch for another contest – different question – same prize – a “Love The House You’re In” custom collage made by our collage artist laureate Mel Kolstad – in June.
Amy was the first winner of a “Love The House You’re In” custom collage made by our collage artist laureate Mel. That’s Amy’s wonderful house… and Amy’s husband’s vintage truck… all interpreted by Mel. This is such a fun contest — let’s do it again. To enter this month:
- Leave a comment on this post answering the question: What year was your house was built? If you like, I’d love to hear about what era/style you are decorating it in… but this is not required.
- And, subscribe to my newsletter. Yes, this helps me build my newsletter list… I send ‘em out max twice per week.
Please read all the rules here before entering. I’ll pick a reader next Monday morning.
Win a “Love the House You’re In” custom collage of you and your house 
Entries closed on this month’s “Love the House You’re In” collage 
We have our winners in our “Love The House You’re In” collage contest 
Become a fan
It was a fun contest and I’m happy for your generosity to do it again! I was wondering who won and it’s fun anticipating the look of the collage…like a little visual present.
My house was built in 1950, a 750sf Ranch.
Decorating style? you mean if I ever get done? LOL … vintage/retro/antique/artistic … hardly anything ‘new’ and mostly thrifted or free.
We just bought a 1958 home typical of Florida’s central east coast, a concrete block bunker that was renovated about five years ago. We’re trying to revive the ’50s look, and love all your tips! Keep them coming.
Hi there! Our house was custom built in ’68. We have a bit of an eclectic/transitional/retro/ vintage vibe going on. I try not to use anything I don’t like (which doesn’t leave a lot out since I like quite a bit!) I really just try to “listen” to the house which tells me quite bit, actually, when I am paying attention. Thanks for the great website. It gives me loads of ideas!
Hi…Thank you very much for this contest & the RetroRenovation website. Couldn’t be without it. We own a 1957 ranch house, & I am incorporating decorating schemes & renovation ideas from the 1950′s, 1960′s, & 1970′s, as I love all 3 decades. I would say our house lives in about the year 1973, as houses of that time would still have “leftovers” from the 1950′s & 1960′s. My house & I are both loving it (hubby too after he looks beyond the four walls).
Love the collage! It’s really a loving way to snapshot a well loved home.
We live in a 1964 tri-level that can’t commit to any one era! We’ve retained the original PINK bathroom and knotty pine den, while updating the kitchen and turning a second story screened porch into a real room. Decorated in family antiques, hand me downs and vintage finds – it’s a comfortable home where the decades blend and the contents tell wonderful stories.
While we once toyed with the idea of moving or relocating – learning to love the house we are in has given us more happiness than searching for it elsewhere.
Hi! Great contest! Thanks
There are conflicting stories about our house. When we bought the house 3 years ago, I looked at the closing paperwork and the earliest date I could find was 1948. However, the lovely elderly couple next door (who have been living there since 1954) said that they watched our house being built in 1956. So it’s a mystery. But I don’t care because it’s a lovely little golden brick ranch house and it’s our home. We have an original PINK bathroom! It was painted over with the ugliest beige flat pant when we bought the house (HORROR!) and we scraped a bit of the paint off to see what the color was underneath and when the pink showed thru, I literally squealed with joy. It’s back to it’s original glory now.
1957 for main house. plus a “wing” from the early 1960s. Bought lots of the original furniture with the house, plus a player piano and organ. Decor has heavy 1950s flavor, plus some bright colors that feel 1960s and plenty of whimsical touches. Love your blog.
Our house was built in 1960, we’ve lived here for almost 11 years now. The exterior is a mix of cedar siding and Roman brick facade on the front and all of the bedrooms have the long, narrow windows set high up (affectionately referred to as ‘prison windows’ by us). I wish we had the original kitchen cabinets (likely birch), but one of the previous owners had them refaced in cheap oak. ::sigh::
We are in the process of decorating with mid century furniture as we can acquire it off of Craigslist. Unfortunately, mid century is very popular here in the PNW and most of it is located in metro areas that are quite a distance from us so redecorating has been a bit slow (i.e., we either can’t afford a lot of the pieces listed or they are snapped up before we can get out to see/buy them!). We have found some great pieces though and they really fit with the house!
My house is a 1963 Ranch. It has a lot of Prairie Style elements to it (deep horizontal grout in the exterior bricks), so the dining room is prairie style. The rest of the house is really vinatge eclectic–most of my antiques are from about 1900-1960. And yes, I have a pink bathroom with floral detail tile! My white tile bathroom is painted purple, so I always ask people if they would rather go to the pink or purple bathroom.
Our house was built around 1920 and has been in my family since 1959. It has many original details from the 20′s but the front part had some fire damage (by a kid building a gasoline powered rocket in the garage) and was rebuilt in the mid 50′s. The last extensive remodeling was done in the kitchen and bathroom in the early 1960′s, and an additional bathroom was added in the 1980′s. We are working on bringing what we can back to the 1920′s in a farmhouse feel, but we’ll keep most of the updates from the 60′s, this blog has convinced me that our pink bathroom and 60′s kitchen are worth keeping. So that means the 1970′s linoleum and shag carpet are going. Some day when we are done with it, we’re just hoping for a simple home that fits our needs.
I live in a 1956 split level. When we first moved in it had been very done over in a variety of eras! But over the past 7 years we’ve slowly begun to evolve (or devolve) into mid-century modern. With the exception of the nearly finished pink bathroom! That one is going to remain our little time capsule.
We have a 1956 custom ranch built by a Navy seabee, so everything is over the top quality…including the industrial sized whole house fan, fantastic original radiant heat, and walkout basement! We are staying true to the era of the house when it comes to decorating. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our home and think of ourselves as stewards of it!
Our house is a 1968 ranch. It’s got a lot of mid-century lines like the huge windows along the back and a vaulted ceiling in the dining room, complete with beams.
Our style is a mix of mid-century modern and modern (by way of IKEA), with some antique touches thrown in like my grandmother’s old sewing machine. Like one of the previous posters, mid-century decor is hard to find here in Texas, but we jump on it when we can!
Our house was built in 1960. We are decoarting in a Mid-century style. Some modern, some not. Just depends on what I come across. Our newest purchase is a shoulder mount 8 point deer. Haha.
We own a 1949 Bungalow. It is 820 sqft and contains it’s original kitchen and hardwood floors. We have some vintage pieces of furniture but for the most part the style is just classic, traditional furniture with 40′ and 50′s art and knick-knacks. Fiestaware in the kitchen, pink bathroom, book and record shelves.
Our house was built in 1996 and a room added in 2000. We have a comfy mid-century vibe with lots of thrifted and early attic furniture. I have attempted to create the 50′s-60′s feel with fabrics on the furniture and windows.
I just found your website while researching Aladdin homes. We have an Aladdin bungalow built in 1921. I’d be interested in knowing more about your home and possible sites to visit to see if I can find our house.
Best,
Bonnie
Bonnie: Check out this post… it should help you find your house: http://retrorenovation.com/2009/06/12/46-years-of-aladdin-home-catalogs/
Our house is a 1961 ranch that we bought from the bank last year. It’s small, 1053 sq. feet. It was a total disaster when we got it. My decorating style is kind of electic, but leans towards the 50′s. Love your website!!
Craig, my mobile home, was constructed in 1977 – the era of mobile home paneling on every wall, a round circular gold kitchen, and harvest toilet/tub in my second bath. Both bathrooms have their original cultured marble vanity tops with gold speckle swirls. The dining room has the requisite built in hutch with photo finish wood grain!
Alas, the 70′s just aren’t my favorite years of decorating for the most part, so Craig is soon-to-be-gutted and will be a mix of 20′s to 40′s mostly, as well as some earlier influences, and some later ones from the 50′s and 60′s. A true mish-mash hodge-podge of everything I love.
If I ever had to narrow myself to just one distinct design style (horrors!), it would definitely be the Art Deco era, 20′s and 30′s.
Thanks for sponsoring another contest Pam, this is always so much fun!
Our 1960 ranch house is 1480sft. We were very lucky in that it had not been updated prior to our purchase and we were able to keep the pink bathroom!, kitchen formica, wood paneling, vaulted ceiling with wood beams in the living room and funky exterior accents.
I would have to say our design is 50-60s mid mod with a few great thrift store and craigslist finds.
Ours is a split level, built in 1956. It is definitely mid century modest, with 1200 square feet.
I love modern – but it is hard to find mid-century pieces that we can afford! Someday, I hope to restore the kitchen to it’s original baby blue glory. Meanwhile, we enjoy our pink and blue bathrooms!
Our house was built in 1879 and was fully renovated in the late 50s. We’re working on an ecclectic style… reviving the victorian charm, maintaining bits of the 50s quirkiness, and bringing in some of our own modern aesthetic.
Yay! Another chance to win!
Our house is a 1956 model and we’re trying to stay pretty true to the 50′s era with some 60′s thrown in.
Yes, Kelly, Mel & I will do this monthly – would rather see LTHYI collages with real reader houses than with ephemera ones!
Hello!
I am moving into a 1932 craftsmen late next month. My decorating style would best be described as hoarding. Anything vintage is mine. I love it all, from turn of the century to early 70′s.
hahahahahaha, that’s my style too!
Hi Pam,
I just bought a 1948 post war bungalow, 748 sq ft. I am only the 3rd owner and purchased it from my grandmother who lived there for 30+ years. It has a lot of the original details still like the pink bathroom (love it and am trying to find a way to return it to its original glamour), original stove, and of course plastic tiles in both the kitchen and bathrooms. I am being very intentional in my design decisions and am working very hard to mix the original late 40′s and early 50′s style in with special pieces that were my Grandmothers and feel like the “belong” in the home with my own pieces collected from my travels. I was born and raised in southern Cali and am working on mixing the open feeling of those homes with a strong retro style Asian inspiration that I love.
I also have an 8 yr old son who is very active and all boy so I am trying to protect both the home and him as much as possible so that we can all 3 live in harmony.
Keep doing what you are doing, I love reading your website and have gotten lots of ideas, tips, & inspiration here. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
Traci
Congratulations, Amy!
I live in a 1956 ranch that had little done to it over the years, except all the doors were cut high for the berber carpet we immediately pulled out when we moved in. My husband would say my decorating style could be described as chaotic, but I do try hard to edit. We are gradually acquiring lots of older furnishings from the sixties and really love that transitional look.
Thanks, Jane! I think the collage turned out really nice. Mel did such a nice job!
I know who ever wins this next contest will enjoy their collage as much as I do mine.
It’s also fun to read all the entries and see how other members decorate their MidModHomes!
Congrats Amy! Love your collage – house, truck, and everything!
Thanks, Tami! We take the truck out for a spin sometimes to get ice cream!
our house was built in 1984. I have removed most of the 80′s from the interior. I am not decorating it in any specific era, however, I do like to add some vintage pieces. I want a house to look like it has evolved over time.
I live in a 1962 split level that’s had two major additions. The first was in the 1970′s, and it enclosed the garage and made it into a family room. The second was done in the 1990′s. This addition added a large dining room and pantry off the kitchen.
One of the bathrooms had lavendar tile in the bathroom, and it’s still there even though we had to replace the floor tile. This bath also has shower doors with swans. We put pink tile and floral wallpaper in our powder room, and we love it.
When we moved in the house had copper appliances and gold flecked countertops. Unfortunately, they had to be replaced.
My decorating style could probably best be described as eclectic. We have everything from antique buffets to new upholstery, but mostly I’d say we have an early seventies style.
Our brick Cape Cod was built in 1952, and we have lived in and loved it just over four years.
My husband and I lived in a Victorian for 16 years, and drove by our current house at least a dozen times a week—it’s on a rather busy corner. I often thought, “What a cute little house!” It has four giant maple trees towering over it, and the Cape Cod style appealed to me.
When we decided to downsize, coincidentally (?) a “For Sale” sign popped up in the yard of this house. It was love at first sight. Turquoise bathroom on the main floor, pink bathroom upstairs. Aquamarine kitchen with matching countertops and a gorgeous vintage stove—what more could a girl want?
Our decorating style is mostly Traditional, influenced by the floor plan and Colonial Revival details in the house. It’s definitely “mid-century modest,” not “mid-century modern.” I let the house speak to me—this is a style I had not lived with before. We kept several antiques/old furniture, and my passion is for anything exotic—Asian, Turkish, Moroccan, etc. So I guess you’d call it Traditional/Eclectic.
Sold our ornate Victorian dining room suite on Craigslist, and (also on Craigslist) found mid-century “traditional revival” pieces (sideboard, breakfront, secretary). I never used to like these classic pieces, but after living here a year or two, I could feel the house begging for them. And I have learned to love them.
In the kitchen and bathrooms we celebrate the retro vibe. My aquamarine kitchen is my favorite room in the house.
Now I’ve written way too much! LOVE Retro-Renovation and check in daily. I’ve told local realtors about it so they can direct clients there when they consider or buy a mid-century home—hopefully before they tear out their pink bathroom!
Andrea: ” coincidentally (?) ” … that says it! i loved your story! keep writing as much as you want, anytime. and thanks for sending retro love to your local real estate agents
I downsized seriously by buying this house, too. The last place was a new build and three times the size of this one.
I use the same sorts of things in my little house that you do to decorate…Lots of vintage asian pieces and shaker style antiques. The house is sort of “plain” and reminds me of colonial America. I kept all my Pumpkin Pine pieces because they go so well with the color of the floors, and match the original paneling in the sun room/ laundry room.
Thanks for sharing about your house! I really enjoyed reading your post!
Our house was built in 1959, I at first did not truly appreciate all of the retro touches but now I am so glad we did not have enough money to redo everything and I absolutely love my home! I have tried to stick to vintage style, it just works so well!
We live in and love our 1957 redwood ranch. It is simple and sweet with a few fun characteristics thrown in (the rotiseree built into the stone fireplace!). We definitely celebrate the danish modern feel of the house and do what we can to showcase that style. Since most of what we find doesn’t cost a ton of cash, we enjoy switching things out when something more appealing shows up! We are currently retro renovating the bathroom and then next up is the kitchen (an entire 1956 kitchen awaits in our garage!) My goal is to turn it back exactly as it was when it was built. (Although tearing out all the sheetrock to re-expose the mahogany paneling sounds terrifying – but I just may do it! We KNOW it is under there!) Thanks for all the fun, Pam!!
We live in a 1955 ranch that has had many rounds of renovations over the years–I feel like an architectural detective trying to figure out the original floor plan, hardwood floor stain, kitchen layout, etc. Part of the fun for me is trying to guess the previous owners’ plans and hopes for our home. Our decorating style is traditional, heavily influenced by the gift of some wonderful furnishings from my grandparents, who moved into their own 1957 ranch and lived there for over 50 years.
Our house is a classic 1954 ranch style–and you could call the design style vintage modern with a healthy dose of mid century influence (but more warmth than those ‘unhappy hipsters’). The house took some unfortunate turns in the 1970s, but we’re working on it (was there ever pink tile in the original bathroom? I may never know thanks to hefty slabs of beige cultured marble). But, I love it–I love it more every day
We moved into our 1956 split level this past December and absolutely love it. Our current furniture is a combination of Calif bungalow/shabby chic, but as I replace & redo I’m trying to incorporate a little MC Modern into the mix. The kitchen needs a little work, but I definitely want to go more in the direction of restoring rather than “updating”.
My home was built in 1952. I don’t know what style to call it so if you know, please illuminate me! It’s 2400 sq. ft.–1200 upstairs and 1200 downstairs, looks like a ranch/ rambler but it is 2 full floors with a daylight basement. It’s had 5 owners over its life, and I know 4 of them–amazing! Recently, one of the daughters of the original owners dug up some photos of it from 1953 and 1954, and I’m so pleased to see that I am restoring it to what it was like originally. Owners 3, 4, and 5 had followed many trends of their decades, as was evidenced by the scraping of paint and removal of wallpaper. But, I’m a 1954 baby and I loved the homes I grew up in, so I’m going back to that look. My decor is traditional, and okay–I admit it–I bought new furniture. Classic styles from Ethan Allen–I’d never owned new furniture before, and it was a gift to myself. I retro my house in other ways–renovated my bathrooms and kitchen to June Cleaver status with classic ceramic and mosaic tiles. When I have another $20,000 or so to throw around, I really want the retro look kitchen appliances featured on the RR website–so DREAMY!! I’m fortunate to have linens and collectibles from my parents or thrift store finds that speak to my own mid-century origins and tastes, and every day I wake up to a light-filled haven of my own creation.
What I am really proud of is my garden. I took what was essentially a gravel parking strip, large enough to park 8 cars and transformed it into a peaceful haven that includes a flagstone patio and native NW plants. Everyone that comes to my home feels the love, happiness and peace I continue to strive for. My home is the family gathering place, and that ain’t no small thing–with 6 siblings, their spouses and children, the CHILDRENS’ children–well, all in all a normal family get-together is around 25 – 30 people and everyone has a corner or chair or place to cozy into.
From the first days in this house, I felt it pleading with me to banish the latest ‘decorating’ disasters and return it to its original beauty, and I have tried to do just that. It wasn’t about adding, but taking away to reveal the original design.
We’ve lived in our 1964 wing colonial for 20 years and love it. It is decorated in 70s country style sort of slimming down to eclectic these days.
If we buy the Space Coast 1963 ranch house we are looking at, I’ll be back for ideas. It is all original and full of real wood paneling, maybe too much even for me. It even has 60s furniture that is for sale with the house.
Our 1800 sqft ranch was built in 1950. It has an addition on the back that we think was added sometime in the 1960s. Our decor is a mix of modern with some mid century pieces that I have been picking up at auctions, estate sales, and garage sales. I am having a blast decorating our new home!
I am closing on a 1953, 1000 square foot ranch in 2 days. Though my furnishings are eclectic/antique, I hope to change the fixtures to match the period of the house. I must say, I am getting a lot of good ideas from this site!!
I havea 65 ranch on about an acre with trees/woods next door. It’s white with black shutters. I have hardwood floors thoughout and a lovely, knotty pine basement w/bar. my fireplace takes up 1/2 of the living room wall, and I have the wood beams as well. my style is 1940-early 1960. I have a blue bathroom (original tiles/woodwork).
I also have a 68 dodge coronet in the garage-
This is a really neat contest!
We bought our house a little over a year ago from the original owner’s son. His dad built it in 1957. It seems as though he was quite the perfectionist (he was a professor of industrial studies at the local university), and the house is very well made. I guess it’s what you’d call a 1&1/2 story house. It has a very unique, atomic look which is what we fell for the minute we pulled into the driveway for the first time. So far we’ve decorated little by little and have lots more to do. Our interior style leans toward the late 50′s or early 60′s with a few 70′s pieces thrown in here and there. Our biggest accomplishment so far was painting the kitchen pink to match my Frigidaire Custom Imperial double oven and adding classic black Armstrong tile. We’re in love with the house, which sets on almost two acres, and we’re hoping to tackle the yard and landscaping this Summer. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us!
Our house is a single level brick ranch, 1150 sq. ft., 3 BR 1.5 BA, built in 1963, the year I was born. The irony is that the last house my parents owned was built in 1923, the year my mother was born! I like to do a mix of modern and retro. Luckily, DH is on board. We do not have a pink bathroom, but I’ve decorated it in a retro/beach theme. However, we do have knotty pine paneling that had already been painted hideous putty/cream color when DH bought the house. We repainted it white and have a white and blue kitchen, including a beach blue Big Chill fridge that just arrived a few weeks ago. Essentially, we like fun and are not afraid of color. Our neighborhood is fairly large with 1400 homes built throughout the 1960′s, and you can easily find a house with untouched knotty pine and/or a pink bathroom.
1921: one and 3/4 story craftsman bungalow; still wearing its original cedar shingles.
We are the third owners and the house was graded condemnable when we bought it.
My house was built in 1954 … has the most unusual green/brown/black spotted linoleum in the kitchen/dining room. I recently moved back into this house (my parents were the original owners). Not much has changed …the back den was added on in the late 1970s, so it still has the dark brown paneling and orange/brown shag carpet. And did I mention I have not one, but TWO pink tiled bathrooms?
I decorate in the garage sale/Salvation Army/Goodwill mod/eames era look. My house is a bit disjointed with all the color – but I dress like this too, so feel like my house is a perfect fit. Maybe that’s why I had to move back!
1964 Split Level. The front door and the kitchen are original (kitchen has brown appliances and turquoise countertops).
I am the new proud owner of a fabulous 1,500 sq. ft. 1960 typical south Florida ranch home. We just purchased the home in March and have been VERY busy bees ever since. We are only the 2nd owners. The house was a true time capsule. The last updates had been made in 1968. The elderly couple who owned it originally sold it to us because I said that I was going to keep it just like it was… but with a few updates in color and style. The house has terrazzo flooring everywhere that had been covered in gold sculpted carpet for the past 42 years. We had to remove ( grind off ) over 600 nails that held down the carpeting tack strips. The kitchen had one layer of glued down vinyl flooring that had to be removed, and it took two weeks of grinding and polishing by professionals to complete the project … the end result was well worth all of the work. The floors are now incredible looking! We have also replaced and fixed all of the broken original jealousy windows with vintage parts so that it would look just like it did in 1960. The house is a work in progress ( and not all of my friends share my vision ) … BUT I LOVE IT!!! This simple little house really is my pride and joy.
Hello, I just purchased a ranch house built (and with onlyone previous owner) in 1966 in Amherst, MA. While I have always been a big, big color person (red, organge, yellow palette), I am having some kind of color conversion experience as I go about decorating this home. I am tending toward the neutrals with pops of color. I am not sure what happened to me in this thing called “middle age,” but maybe its color-hormone related. In any case, I promise to save and never get destroy my all pink tile bathroom. Having removed the shag carpets I have lovely red oak hardwood floors and have had all walls painted oyster white. I am in the process of unloading my red couches, distinctly not mid century in design, and scouting the field for mid-century or Danish modern sectional couch in neutral tones. Doing all of this on a relatively teeney weeny budget, so it will be slow going. I will keep you informed! Diana
My house was built as a small ranch in 1954. In 1962 they added two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs to make it into a cape. At first the upstairs was a “grandfather” apartment for the father of one of the owners. After he died the homeowners moved upstairs. We’re lucky, they were a meticulous couple and kept the house in fabulous shape–and they didn’t smoke, either.
Hi!. We live in a mid-century modern house in Silver Spring, Md. designed by Charles Goodman and built in 1951. The house and the four others on our street were added to the National Historic Record in 2004. They feature open floor plans, floor-to-ceiling windows along the two back walls, and a large center of the house fireplace. It is two floors and three bedrooms and about 1,600 sq. ft. We love it, and have decorated it with mid-century furnishings by Eames, Bertoia, etc. Charles Goodman is best known for building the Hollin Hills development in Alexandria, Va.
Ours is a 1957, 1100 sq ft two bedroom ranch, with pink/black bathroom, kitchen with original Thermador cooktop and wall oven, with turquoise floors and yellow countertops, birch cabinets. Currently we have the eclectic thing going on, found/donated or thrifted furniture accumulated from years of apartment living. In small steps we are trying to find a balance between 50s/modern and comfortable.
My ranch-style home was built in 1959. First thing I did after purchase was remove the carpet and refinish the beautiful oak floors! The house had been a rental for years, and the kitchen was a disaster! I have removed a wall that separated the kitchen and dining areas to make the kitchen larger and open up the space, and have updated the kitchen with new cabinets, energy star appliances, and ceramic floor. The bathroom is all original salmon pink and black ceramic tile which I have decorated with black & white polka dot shower curtain, sink skirt, and window coverings…on the walls I have framed Mack Sennett’s bathing beauties…it’s totally adorable…I get raves about it from all who visit! As for the rest of the house, I have a mix of antiques & vintage with contemporary furnishings throughout my home, a very tasteful blend!