Another time capsule saved. More new Retro Renovation friends. Guy writes:
Hi Pam,
Hello -First, let me thank you for your site. I just closed on a 1960s “time capsule” house and I was so glad to find that there are others who like that kind of thing! The 1960s decor is why my wife and I bought the house, then EVERYONE (relatives, inspectors and electricians) mentioned how the house would be great once it was updated. We started wondering if keeping the house “as is” was a good idea. Then we found your site and realized WE WEREN’T ALONE! Thanks!!
The house has vintage wallpaper (including a patriotic themed paper with George Washington and such), a turquoise stove, a built in planter (with fake plants that are at least 30 years old… probably older), an unusal tiki-type plastic small mural, a blue and a pink bathroom.
The house was also in fantastic shape (other than a little peeling on the wallpaper seams and some loose edges on the linoleum floor.) Attached are some of the photos I took yesterday (electricians were updating the aluminum wiring and adding outdoor outlets… some things MUST be updated!)
Click on first thumbnail to launch slide show; look for the arrows below each image to move forward or back.
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I responded right away to Guy’s note, of course, asking for photos and more of the “back story.” I always like to hear what the real estate agent said! Guy responded:
We were searching for a house and in passing my real estate agent mentioned how “crazy” the wallpaper was in a house she had seen earlier that day. As soon as she mentioned the patriotic wallpaper and the turquoise stove we knew that we would buy that house.
We bought the house from an older gentleman who said he had kept everything pretty much the same as when he bought it in 1981. Built in 1964 he said the house had had 6 previous owners and they were mostly short term employees of a nearby company.
I think these two factors kept this house from being updated and looking like every other house in town.
What we like about retro houses is that every room has a different feel. The colors and patterns just bring a house to life.
The house is located in Central NJ.
I look forward to reading anything you post! And thanks again for all your hard work on retrorenovation.com.
Thank you, Guy, and Rosanna, for saving some of these wonderful features. Sounds like your house found the right owners and that you two are all set to have fun.
see my links in the sidebar ----->>>>>
On a serious note: Your vintage floor tiles may not be “linoleum” — I’m guessing they are some form of vinyl — and old vinyl flooring can contain asbestos. Be sure to consult with a pro so you know what you are dealing with and can make informed decisions about how to handle it. And while I’m in Precautionary Pam mode, this is a good time to remind all owners of vintage homes to study up on things like asbestos, lead paint, electrical wiring, even safety glass in windows and shower doors, etc. There are some links on my sidebar — from the EPA and like — to get you started with some online research. That said: Connect with some professionals who can help keep you on the right track.
Oh boy, how I love that black and white wallpaper! and look at that stove! How nice that Rosanna and Gus appreciated what others wanted to dismiss.
oh, and, LOVE the car!
Congratulations to Gus & Rosanne! Your house has a warmth that newer houses lack. The photos definitely convey it! I love the planter and the turquoise stove!!! I grew up in a house with built in planters and the same fake plants and white pebbles! My mother also had bamboo convered pendents above her planters and fancy bottles of colored water on the toilet tank!
Get yourselves ready for a fun, frustrating, & rewarding adventure as you care for your retro abode….I hope you’ll become regular readers of Retro Renovation like the rest of us!! btw, in this day of sustainability and awareness I wish realtors would have a mandatory continuing education course on retro appreciation.
Yes: Sustainability! The first steps: “Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Due, Do Without!”
Great idea Cindy! We actually are moving in this week, but we already have been scouring the internet, thrift shops and the like to find retro items for the house.
” fancy bottles of colored water on the toilet tank” sounds like it would look very nice!
Re: Colored Bottles of Water-
I was there for those!
In the late 1950′s, the Schenley Distilleries began marketing Gin and Vodka in “gift decanters”. Soon Calvert and Seagrams followed.
Somehow all these bottles….nice-but a far cry from Waterford; started appearing on millions of toilets across the USA. A little food coloring and water created a “hip Fashion statement”…..Something akin to Pam’s earlier post about the black wire chicken basket on a coffee table. These bottles crossed all social and economic classes and they were FREE with the weekly booze purchase! I am sure Betty Draper and all her neighbors have them.
Eventually they got dusty….and like spring tension pole lamps….disappeared as quickly as they appeared.
Ever notice: “Wow…the Salvation Army Store and these tag sales sure got alot of pressed decanters…..” Now you know why.
Hah, i have several sets of these and a hilarious promotional schwepps ice bucket (with a fake english coat of arms) decorating my basement right now.
Hi Gus and Rosanne,
Congratulations on buying your new home. Welcome to the world of Retro Renovation. It’s probably OK to replace the plastic plants with fresh ones!! hehe
John
John,
I was considering changing the plants… the actually look much more “real” in person that the photo suggests. Still, I am amazed at how wonderful the new fake plants look when I looked around a local craft store. I was thinking about possibly putting in a fake palm tree with Hawaiian flowers.
Regardless, I am DEFINITELY decorating the plant at Christmas time!
Too cool! Does the stove work? You found a real treasure! Congratulations!
The stove is in perfect working order. I hope it lasts many more years. When it does go I will probably buy some of those brand new “retro styled” turquoise appliances.
The kitchen also has a brand new white fridge and a black dishwasher. I am not sure if I should change one to match the other. It’s a shame they don’t stock turquoise products at the local appliance store
I think you might be able to repaint the fridge (not sure how cheesy it would look…) and get a new panel for the d/w (laminate cut to size?)
That stove is fabulous!!!!
Congratulations on your purchase. I hope you enjoy it for many years to come. The stove is fantastic as are the built-in planters. P.S. my mom has the same wall paper (black and white) in her bathroom but in blue and white!
I love the exuberance displayed in the decorating. Someone had some fun with this place. I hope you all have some fun with it too. Congratulations on finding your home, and on finding retro renovation!
Congrats Guy and Rosanna!! I hope you have many years of happiness in your “new” home! The pink Bathroom is beautiful! Yes and that turquoise stove! Maybe you could find a vintage turquoise fridge to match. Oh, and the colored bottles of water…my mom had blown glass swans filled with colored water that she changed frequently! It was a process, tipping the swan upside down to fill the head and neck! LOL Please show us more pix and also a pic of the outside of the house itself!!! Best of luck!!
Those bathrooms are SO….DARN….CUTE. The pink wallpaper is just about perfect. What a great house!
I love the wrought iron fixtures in the bathroom and all the wod detail in the entry hall is beautiful. Cool stuff!
Wow, awesome house, with great details. I LOVE the plant!!! I LOVE the bathroooms!!!! I really LOVE your stove!!!!
So, in the interest of you getting your wish – not sure how far Long Isl NY is from Central NJ, but I’d pay shipping to get this fridge – it is on Craigslist right now, take a look -
http://longisland.craigslist.org/app/1737966988.html
Congratulations Guy & Rosanna – I’m sure there is a special place upstairs that we are all guaranteed in Retro Heaven, for recognizing and preserving the integrity of time capsules, pink bathrooms, and the like.
I remember that fridge…I think its a Coldspot.
Ohhhh it IS. We have a white one at work that finally died, i’ve been inspecting it when i go past the loading dock (where it’s parked) trying to see if the handles are removable.
So how much of a loser am I knowing that it is a Coldspot?
My previous posts today sound as if I am writing from an assisted living complex!
I have these rings of “information debris” circling my head, like the Rings of Saturn.
LOL – Gavin, you are the best kind of loser there is! Be proud! Having retro details and information debris floating in your head make you infinitely more interesting than most other losers, haha.
Maybe we should have a “name this item” or “name this brand” jeopardy contest
I’m pretty sure you won’t be alone in your information debris/ability to answer.
When I was researching toilets (new ones) for my bathroom reno’s I was so obsessed I could name pretty much any brand/model by sight. Fortunately, that special power has faded.
You should grab that fridge! They are repairable or you can ‘update’ them with new compressors to run on the new refrigerant.
The awesome appliance repair guy we use picked up a turqoise fridge someone didn’t want, stopped to get gas and a guy offered him $1000 for it right then and there. I’ve got him looking for me. And don’t be scared of old fridges; the new compressors are meant to last 5 years so people will buy new fridges. Not too energy efficient to make disposable appliances in my opinion. GREAT house!!!!! How fun to decorate around the wallpaper. I have an old Doubleday Decorating book and there’s a chapter on “black and white plus one color”. Have fun changing the accent color in that bathroom! And no worries, we’re here for moral support whenever well meaning relatives turn up their noses at your style.
That fridge is AWESOME!! I got very excited when I opened that link…soooo cool. Gus and Roseanne — YOU.MUST.GET.NOW! LOL
What a fantastic house! I love all of the original details, Guy and Rosanna, I am glad that you do too! I love the planter and the stove and the wallpaper….also, the tile and fixtures and medicine cabinets in the bathrooms. (We have that same blue toilet and if you need a blue toilet seat to match, Lowe’s has them in the store and online in that exact color for less than $20.00.) I’m so glad to know that the details in the house will be loved and retained. I wish you many happy years there!
Thanks! I was planning on replacing all the seats when we move in. I was hoping I could find a perfect match!
Oops – well it looks like that refrigerator was posted on May 12 – but you never know, maybe it is still available.
If not, that is one of my BIG pet peeves with Craigslist – people who don’t delete their ads once the item is sold.
Great refrigerator! Does anyone know if it’s dangerous to have an older fridge? I seem to remember hearing something about not wanting a fridge with frion (sp.)
Gus, I think the issue with freon is that that if it leaks from your fridge and then into the atmosphere it contributes to the ozone hole. I think that you cannot buy it anymore. But there must be replacements… On this issue, look online and/or consult an expert such an appliance repair place.
If I remember correctly..
The problem with freon refrigerators is that most of these units are manual defrost. I never minded defrosting…but lots of folks went at it with a paint scraper-gouging the thin metal of the freezer wall- the freon was released, the freezer unit died and was followed sometime later by the owner and the ozone layer.
Here’s the EPA page on vintage refrigerators including some discussion of freon – don’t mess with this stuff yourself, they say: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/608/disposal/household.html
LOL LOL LOL…good chuckle I got over here with that one, Gavin. Geez, you’ve got a plethora of good information in that head of yours AND a sense of humor!! Beautious!
There are now places that can retrofit your vintage refrigerator with modern refrigerants… Reality is though, most of the older refrigerators will last years and years (and already have). My first house had a 50′s pink Frigidaire refrigerator, and it was still working fine when the house was sold in 1992 – so forty years or so.
I see on Craigslist lots of still working 50′s fridges, so now they are about 60 years old. They just don’t build them like they used to!
Tami, I edited your comment. Readers, it is not wise to give advice about safety and environmental issues. That is why I point readers to experts. Also, I really believe: Each person needs to do their own homework on this stuff.
Not a problem Pam – it was just my personal view, I know that we should all be wary when it comes to safety.
woah, that is a cute fridge! may 12 is not that long ago!
Oh what a jewel! congratulations guys, now just get a pair or motel chairs and enjoy the new house!
Fabulous home, Guy and Rosanna! You scored! I love the bathrooms and the colonial divider/details as well as that totally scrumptious stove. Congratulations and happy home-owning!
I love all the wallpaper and love, love, love the stove!!!
One of the most unusual things in this house is a plastic mural (for lack of better words) that is framed into the side of the built in shelving unit (in one of the above photos.)
I have never seen anything like it before in anyone’s house. Here is another picture of it:
http://a.yfrog.com/img231/6876/1001173u.jpg
Has anyone else seen one of these? What are they called? It has a very 70′s Hawaii feel to it, I think.
BTW, look closely… that shelving unit has slots for LPs on the top shelf.
“Tiki” … but I have no idea about this piece. Wild.
Guy…when describing it- I would call it a “Tiki inspired panel INSERT”.
Have a great life in your new home.
Take care when setting things down near the sides of the stove so you don’t accidentally turn the burners on. We did that a lot with a similar design – the buttons turned on at the slightest touch. Stupid design.
That planter is insanely kitchy cool. And I love that B&W wallpaper with the black wrought iron towel/soap holders. I almost expect a fake suit of armor in the corner and red glass candles on the counter.
Tut…I disagree.
I love the push buttons and think that they are especially suited to homes with children.
Another thing I like about them is that each burner switch is alongside each burner-God knows how many times I have cranked the wrong burner (cluster design) on HIGH with no pan on the element….
Wow, FUN! I think all the period touches are whimsical and will really make your house stand out when people come to visit. Some visitors just won’t “get it,” but that’s ok. The planter is too much. I think you could have a lot of fun with it. Enjoy your house and best of luck with it.
Love those bathrooms! And the stove… to die for!
Love that stove!
I say if you love the look of the house, that’s your choice! Have fun and enjoy it!
you are amongst friends here at this site! if you’re looking for furnishings, check out retro stores & antique fairs/stores.
I do love your house – welcome to the neighborhood
We had that patriotic wallpaper growing up! It was in a brother’s bedroom. It was popular during the bicentennial lead-up, so early to mid-70′s.
Very cool you have both a blue and a pink bathroom, and they’re both awesome. I’ve seen that matching blue toilet seat at Lowe’s, too.
Just one thing to say about this cool-a-rama house–JACKPOT!!!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for not tearing this house up to “renovate”! I’ve seen thousands of homes as a real estate professional and the newer ones just seem to lack an element I can only describe as “heart”. They all look alike, they’re all overbuilt, they are not at all interesting, and current tastes in furnishings are in many cases just appalling. I’m excited to see your patriotic wallpaper as we have this in my fiance’s home, a 19th century Victorian with a c.1970 update. He also has a pastel yellow bathroom from the same era that we plan to fluff but not tear out. Your house is a gem!
My 1970′s bicentenial waste paper basket, I had as a kid in my bedroom, is still in use – and would be perfect for you patriotic room (along with the eagle motif lamps -in storage) Also, my parents first fridge, a 1957 International Harvester (bought for their newly built house at the time) .. is still in use in their basement, and incidentally is the same model in Monica’s apartment on the TV show “Friends”
Congratulations on your new home! That patriotic wallpaper is amazing. The whole thing is so perfectly vintage. You should consider having a local location scout check out your house to see if it would be suitable for film or production shoots.
From the last photo, I’m guessing you are Walt Disney World fans, or at least recent visitors, which gives you bonus points in my book.
Good catch Amy! That’s a picture from Disney’s Sci Fi Dine In Theater.
For those that have never been it’s a fun drive in movie themed restaurant. Even more of interest to readers of this site would be Disney’s Prime Time Cafe:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/50s-prime-time-cafe/
Don’t you dare touch those vintage fabulous faux plants!