I’m crazy for cupolas. If you are looking to improve the curb appeal of your mid century house — colonial, cape cod or ranch — this is an architectural feature that you should consider. Heck yeah there is more →
Cupolas — a classic architectural feature for a mid century house
Posted by: • December 6, 2010
Dovecotes in storybook ranch houses
Posted by: • December 5, 2010
I am super fascinated by the archaic features and fixtures of midcentury houses…. Things that have been superseded by something more modern, or which simply faded from fashion. Quick! We better get them on the blog fast, so’s we don’t forget them. Stuff like hudee rings, and push-button plumbing, and appliance centers, and today: Dovecotes in storybook ranches. No, these are not “birdhouses”. The are: Dovecotes. Vestigial ones, that is. Heck yeah there is more →
The Whac-A-Mole Life
Posted by: • December 4, 2010
Lately, it seems I have a “Whac-A-Mole” life. Like everyone else, I bet. You know, the list that never ends. Get one thing done and blink your eyes and two things pop up in its place? It’s all good, though, and hey, it’s retro: Whac-A-Mole was invented in 1971. You can still get these machines today and home versions are available. At left: Whac-A-Mole SE Special Edition “just like the commercial version yadda yadda yadda,” $4,275, made in the U.S.A. 
By the way, I am awesome at Whac-A-Mole and also at that one where you shoot the water in the clown’s mouth to blow up the balloon. You don’t want to mess with me, we Kuebers play for blood. WHAC!
The history of laminate countertops
Posted by: • December 3, 2010
One of the things I *think* I have learned about both interior and exterior design over the years, is that major shifts in visible consumer trends are often, or even usually, connected to advances in technology. For example, the tsunami of steel kitchen cabinets across America came after the industrial build up during WWII. Afterward, all that steel needed to go somewhere. It is all very fascinating to me to understand the “why” in why something was popular… so, I was very interested to hear from new reader Laura, who pointed me to a good article about the history of laminated surfaces. Why did everyone (pretty much) in the 1950s have a Formica, or Consoweld, or Textolite countertop? Why is laminate textured and metalized today? Read on… Heck yeah there is more →
900 pieces of vintage Weslock mid century kitchen cabinet pulls
Posted by: • December 2, 2010
Over on the Retro Renovation Facebook Fan Page, Michael posted this fabulous find:
I just bought a couple cartons of new-old-stock mid-century hardware from an estate sale. I’m going to use some of the knobs/plates on my closet doors and kitchen cupboards, but since there are over 900 pieces I’m going to have to sell the rest. What’s the best site for selling this type of thing? eBay? Somewhere else? Thanks!
Wow! I’ve never seen vintage kitchen cabinet hardware quite like this before. I told him “ebay.” He says he’ll send the link when all this NOS deliciousness is available for purchase. Thanks, Michael!
1964 ranch house in Tennessee with fabulous oval porch columns
Posted by: • December 2, 2010
Kim gets snaps for spotting this gorgeous time capsule — a 5,000 s.f., 1964 ranch house in Tennessee. It sits on 200 acres. Quite nicely, if you ask me. Heck yeah there is more →
Mod vinyl sheet flooring from Tarkett
Posted by: • December 1, 2010
Uh uh uh uh, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive, uh uh uh uh stayin’ aliiiiiiiive! Tarkett took this photo just for our site, don’t you agree? I’ve been on a flooring-discovery binge lately … I start down a path and find more, more, more. Reader Brian pointed this floor out — It’s called Hecto/Red Orange, and it’s one of a large-ish number of vinyl sheet flooring design available from Tarkett, each with a contemporary-mod design. Heck yeah there is more →
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