Amy Mescia, the founder of Oscar & Izzy Tiles, is such a creative cutie that you know her house must have a story, too. Yup: She and her husband Dario live in a 1920s Philadelphia rowhouse, which vintage kitchen and pink-and-blue bathroom — and it’s retro perfection. This is one talented couple — Dario also is an accomplished photographer — so you bet the photos are inspiring. Click on through for 16 images and Amy’s story about their own colorful, vintage-inspired brand of young house love –> Heck yeah there is more →
“Don’t be afraid of color. Promise me,” says Amy — 16 photos from her 1920s row house
Posted by: • October 18, 2011
Fabulous retro tiles from Oscar & Izzy
Posted by: • October 17, 2011
Amy Mescia, founder and director of Oscar & Izzy tiles
A few years ago I saw my first bathtub and shower surround tiled in with a “crazy quilt” of all different tiles, and it was love at first site. If you love color and pattern, heck, going crazy quilt means can have it all. Designer Amy Mescia — with her new company Oscar & Izzy – now has channeled this very idea, creating a everylasting gobstopper portfolio of kitschy, happy, colorful kitchen and bathroom tiles all with a mid mod retro flair. Also brilliant: These tiles are printed onto Dal-Tile 4″ or 6″ blanks… the field colors harmonize with the solid colors in the Daltile line — so you can mix and match. There are no other decorative tiles on the market like this today, we think. I LOVE THEM. Heck yeah there is more →
Wow: 100+ atomic pendant lights from 1955 — @ $249 Buy-It-Now
Posted by: • October 16, 2011
There are more than 100 of these 1955 lights for sale on ebay, $249 BIN.
Check out the very first light in this carousel — the atomic pendants. There are more than 100 — they were salvaged from a 1955 building — they are $249 Buy-It-Now each. This stash will be sure to delight someone! Tip to using the ebay carousel: To go to a particular item, click on its photo (NOT on the ebay logo) — then, click on the lime green “View and Bid” box, which will take you to ebay. Disclosure: When you buy anything from these ebay carousels or after you click into ebay here, it nets me a teensy commission.
Best bath towels for the money?
Posted by: • October 16, 2011
I have done numerous stories on bathroom towels with retro style. I usually focus on the towels’ design. But anyone who has ever used and washed a bath towel a gazillion times knows that how the towel wears — or doesn’t — is even more important, in terms of making it a household favorite, not to mention a wise expenditure. We’ve had plenty of pretty towels start to unravel, or get pilly, or rough, way too soon. I am most definitely not the princess & the pea, so this doesn’t tend to bother me. But, other family members are *sensitive* types. Which means they are constantly, and annoyingly, wanting to try other towels every year or so. This is expensive! Towels should last a lot longer than a year! So now we get to the recommendation: Heck yeah there is more →
“Finish What You Started”: Week #2 weigh-in
Posted by: • October 16, 2011
In week #1 of our project procrastinators group therapy, “it was a beautiful weekend in the Electric City so Kate painted her front door,” she reported. Pretty! The side door to my garage is all chippy, but despite Kate’s inspiration, I did not get to it. In fact, it was a lousy week for me in terms of house projects. I cleaned out three drawers in my dresser, though. Found like 26 single socks. Astro got a spiffy haircut. And I relaunched the Forum. But I was a slacker, too, in too many ways. Help! Inspiration needed! What project(s) did you complete in Week #2 of our challenge. Leave a comment and you can upload a photo, too –> Heck yeah there is more →
Absolutely luscious treasures
Posted by: • October 15, 2011
Duh. I finally figured out why I had not been getting my ebay saved searches for a week — they were going into spam. I have no idea why. Which means that this morning, it was like Christmas going through all the treasures. Tip to using the ebay carousel: To go to a particular item, click on its photo (NOT on the ebay logo) — then, click on the lime green “View and Bid” box, which will take you to ebay. Disclosure: When you buy anything from these ebay carousels or after you click into ebay hereThe vintage steel kitchen cabinet Forum is back — new technology, new url
Posted by: • October 15, 2011
In case you think I spend all my time having fun-fun-fun researching retro products and houses, be apprised that I spend about 66.667% of my time on gosh-darned technical issues related the to the blog. The longtime Forum for folks looking to buy and sell vintage steel kitchen cabinets has been the most recent gnat. It was been down for almost eight weeks, while my tech $upport trouble-shot different issues related to the troublesome registration system. Long story short: It’s back up, on a new Forum technology. Heck yeah there is more →
Formica – 54 retro colors and patterns from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s still for sale today
Posted by: • October 14, 2011
Formica White Onyx, available since 1963 -- You KNOW you've seen this in a gazillion kitchens and bathrooms!
I have been on a tear, of late, researching laminates. Considering how Greige and Granite-y 99% of what’s out there is, I want to provide Retro Renovators with the broadest researched selection possible of designs that have a more historical, retro appeal. After I learned that Formica’s butcher block laminate has been in production since 1972, I asked Formica if they could look through their records to identify any more laminates introduced in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and which are still for sale today. And yes, the company found 54 more postmodern-era laminates for us to consider for our bathroom and kitchen renovations. At the left: White Oynx, which has been in production since 1963. Faux granite today — faux marble back then. A reminder to let’s not diss today’s granite fixations too much, we’re now in houses built during a time when there were just different fixations. Heck yeah there is more →
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