There is just something so… likeable… about the ubiquitous maple and birch kitchen cabinets that filled American homes for– how long? — from 1935 (or earlier) through to 1970 or so? These cabinets are both warm — and durable. They are also classic, mid-century unpretentious: They say “I’m vintage… I’m original” – but not in a flashy way that may wear you out over time. I *know* the desire is strong to want to repaint these wood cabinets when you first move in. Hey, I did it once, in the very first home I owned, a 1938 mid-century modest. But as shown in Donna’s kitchen today, if these cabinets are still in good shape — they can be gleeming lovelies. With some modest updates — in this case, a new checkerboard lineoleum floor — this kitchen is ready to do its cheerful duty for another couple of decades. Read on for Donna’s story…and some more great photos of this sweetheart kitchen. Heck yeah there is more →
A 1965 kitchen updated with red checkerboard linoleum floor tile
Where to find vintage bathroom tile? Follow Jason and Nicky on their epic trip to the West Virginia motherlode & Foamhenge, too!
Remember the story about the thousands of pieces of new-old-stock vintage tile uncovered in storage building and marshalled for sale in West Virginia? The weekend after I ran the story, Readers Jason and Nicky jumped in their car and drove 7 hours to check it out. They scored some fabulous vintage tile for their two bathrooms and foyer — a side trip to Foamhenge — and sent us photos and their story. You have to admit: These stories are the bomb! Heck yeah there is more →
Our 1951 midcentury modest man cave
That’s my boy Astro asleep in our basement family room — I captured him in this awkward and hilarious pose yesterday morning, so here’s a glimpse into our “man cave.” We don’t have knotty pine, but there is cherry wood panelling original to 1951, when our coolonial was built. Heck yeah there is more →
Greatest hits: The 50 most popular stories about renovating a 40s, 50s, 60s or 70s house
Measuring the popularity of stories on the blog is a very inexact science. What makes for “popular?” The number of comments? The number of views? The amount of time readers actually spend reading the story? And how do I adjust these for growing readership? Heck. For this first scannola, I’ll make it easy, and spotlight the top-50, most-clicked-on stories since 2007. What lures you in? Paint colors. Vintage drainboard sinks. Bathroom tile. Vintage wallpaper. Curb appeal. Oh – and Nora and her time capsule house 
.
The posts with the most views, by category:
Readers’ Houses & Time Capsules:
- Cullen Meyer: Crown Prince of Kitsch, 40 photos
- Gorgeous gray and turquoise 1956 time capsule kitchen
- Nora’s time capsule house
- Eartha Kitsch’s knotty pine kitchen — respectfully retained and revived
- 1948 Streamline Moderne time capsule house, Portland, Oregon
- Linoleum floors and countertops brighten up Dave & Frances’ 1938 kitchen
Retro Paint Colors:
- Sherwin Williams Suburban Modern paint colors
- 20 historic paint color collections
- Original Eichler paint colors for your ranch or contemporary home
- 1950s and 60s paint colors — from Sears’ classic Harmony House collection
- California Paints introduces “the most authentic historic color collection ever created” including 55 mid-century colors
- 46 new historic paint colors for Arts & Crafts bungalows
For Kitchen Renovations:
- Vintage 40s and 50s kitchen drainboard sinks
- 30 patterns for vinyl floor tiles from the 1950s
- Boomerang laminate — Three manufacturers, 14 designs available
- 10 ideas for cheery 40s or 50s kitchen curtains
- Retro flooring: Awesome vintage designs from Armstrong circa 1963
- Boomerang laminate from Formica
- Vintage 1950s style stoves from Big Chill
- 16 vintage Kohler kitchens — and two mid-century kitchen sinks still offered today
- 15 cafe curtain designs and ideas
- Steel Kitchen Cabinets – History, Design and FAQ
- Vintage Youngstown metal kitchen cabinets – a picture perfect 1950s kitchen
For Bathroom Renovations:
- World of Tile — the single most important discovery on Retro Renovation yet
- 47 colors of tile from B&W tile
- 12 recessed porcelain ceramic soap dishes, TP holders, towel bars
- Octagon and dot floor tiles in 13 color combinations
- “Save the Pink Bathrooms!”: TV makeovers that make us oh so blue
- 60 colors of mosaic floor tile for a mid-century bathroom
- 88 mosaic tile patterns for your retro bathroom
- Scenes from 22 blue midcentury bathrooms
- Toilet seats in 94 colors – for your retro bathroom
Vintage-style Wallpaper and Accessories:
- My vintage wallpaper collection from the 50s, 60s and 70s
- 33 affordable vintage-style wallpapers for your bedroom, bathroom, foyer and more
- 21 ideas for your 1940s ranch, bungalow or cape – 40s kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms and more
- Vintage pink poodle wallpaper… and pink checkerboard teapot wallpaper, too!
Other Rooms:
- 28 places to shop for an affordable midcentury style sofa
- Dave makes midcentury style wall panels for his living room for $250
- Put a Bulb In It: 24 upcycled pendant lights made from thrifty finds
- Couches for 1940s, 1950s and 1960s living rooms — upload your photos
- How to make a Christmas wreath out of vintage ornaments
- Six tips for using pinch pleat draperies
Improving Curb Appeal:
- 17 ideas to add curb appeal to your 40s, 50s or 60s house
- Improve your home’s curb appeal with shutters
- Mid-century modern landscaping: The first in a special series
- Paint your garage door, 50s retro renovation style
Mid-century Architecture, History, and This ‘n That:
- We’re featured in the New York Times today
- “Ranch homes” – their history and distinguishing characteristics
- The best 50s ranch house design so far
- Make your own Kodachrome slide lamp shade
- Mid-century modern sofas, chairs and accessories from Gus Modern
- 20 interiors from 1952: The end of the 1940s
- More wacky and wonderful bedrooms from the Madonna Inn
- Where to buy authentic pink flamingo lawn ornaments designed by Don Featherstone
Readers, do you remember the exact first story
you ever found and read on Retro Renovation?
What were you looking for, that brought you here?
42 vintage medicine cabinets from Miami-Carey circa 1955
Am I right: Were vintage medicine cabinets made in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s so much more interesting — not to mention, heavier-duty — than today? I recently picked up this catalog showcasing mid-century medicine cabinets, and I count 42 different variations. 42! Plus, check out the towel bars, soap dishes and other chromium, aka chrome-plated accessories. I scan, therefore I am, and I’ve scanned all 34 pages…
A vintage toilet seat designed just for men, from Olsonite
Reader Chris gets major snaps for finding this vintage toilet seat designed just for men. Note, that while I find this beyond-fascinating — and it would likely make my top-10 wild and wacky retro items ever, if I bothered to rank – I do not approve at all. Why? Heck yeah there is more →
Does Fume Free Easy-Off Oven Cleaner work? I test it on my non-self-cleaning oven
I love my 1959 vintage GE Pushbutton oven dearly, but I do not love that it lacks the modern ”self-cleaning” feature. Which means that, haha, I must clean it myself every six months whether it needs it or not. And this week, it needed it bad, because there was so much built-up crud that Queenie (I just now named her) started setting off the smoke alarm when we tried to cook. DH was at the grocery store the next day and while there, picked up one spray can of Fume Free Easy-Off and, in case that didn’t work, a can of the caffeinated variety. Yesterday, I tried the Fume Free. Here is my glamorama-pama report. Heck yeah there is more →
Kersten and James create a retro blue bathroom for their 1957 ranch home
Kersten and James are gold-star Retro Renovators: With determination, imagination and good spirits to survive more than their fair share of speed bumps, they transformed the blah bathroom in their 1957 modern ranch house… into a blue, midcentury delight. Read on for Kersten’s story – which includes lots of salvage finds, help from another Retro Renovation reader, troubles with floor tile grout, wallpaper that fell right off the wall the first time around – but a happy ending. Heck yeah there is more →
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