2011 October — Retro Renovation

Ettore Sottsass laminates from 1978 — still available today. 39 “Memphis” designs in all.

Posted by: pam kueber • October 13, 2011

ettore sottsass laminate

Here is another set of products from the past — still available today — with a fascinating history: ‘Memphis’ style laminates designed in 1978 by Ettore Sottsass, “the greatest Italian designer of the last half century.” These laminates are still offered by Abet Laminati. This is not necessarily a name familiar U.S. consumers, but Abet has been in North America 20 years. Moreover, it offers a very large selection of laminates that you will want to study intently, especially if you are looking for the widest possible variety of colors or patterns. Back to these Memphis-style laminates, though –> Heck yeah there is more →

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Anne Taintor talks to us about her new cocktail book… Plus: Win a copy

Posted by: pam kueber • October 12, 2011

Update: Entries now closed. I checked and eliminated multiples including extra comments and spun the Random Number Generator. A winner has been chosen, and she has 7 days to respond. If I don’t hear from her, the next person in line will be hearing from me.

Anne Taintor’s new book — “I’m so happy it’s happy hour: sinfully delicious cocktails for any occasion” — is out. In it, she features 42 vintage-classic, Taintor-tested cocktails, each cleverly paired with one of her famous vintage captioned collages. The publicist sent me a free copy: This book is HILARIOUS, and I may just make it my #1 holiday gift suggestion for 2011. Stock up on some copies, and if you get a last minute invite to a party or dinner: Grab a book … run to the liquor store and grab the fixins for one of the cocktails … tie everything up in a pretty bag … and not only will you have a lovely matchy matchy hostess gift, you also will be helping to guarantee a lively soiree. Sure to be invited back next year! Meanwhile, I asked if Anne would answer some of my seriously silly questions about the book, considering the Vital Importance of Cocktails…. Also, leave a comment and you can enter to win a copy. Read on for creative wisdom from the one-and-only Anne Taintor –> Heck yeah there is more →

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Postmodernism and how it influenced 1970s and 1980s interior design — I look to the V&A’s new exhibit

Posted by: pam kueber • October 11, 2011

Wet: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing no. 20, the 'Religion' issue September/November 1979 Edited by Leonard Koren. Design by April Greiman in collaboration with Jayme Odgers

Lucky that the blog is called “Retro Renovation” rather than “Mid Century Modern Whatever,” because, according to the academe, the 1970s love train jumped the “Mid Century Modern” rails and sped down the “Postmodern” track. Now I need to understand the difference between the two, and lucky for me, the Victoria & Albert — fantastic museum! — has launched a new exhibit, Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970 – 1990, that enables us to begin to differentiate. Interestingly, the V&A’s materials immediately point out: “This era defies definition….” Their online and press writeups offer some basic starting points, though, for understanding some of the key tenets of Postmodernism, and the context they provided for 1970s and 1980s interior design and architecture –> Heck yeah there is more →

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Renovating 1970s houses: The next big thing

Posted by: pam kueber • October 10, 2011

For the past 10 years, I have been absolutely immersed in researching homes built from 1945 through 1963 — the classic, post-World-War-II baby boom years. And over the past decade — and the past two-to-three years in particular — there is no question that I’ve seen a major transformation in how mainstream media, real estate agents and — yes, prospective home buyers — view these homes. The original, high quality features… the architecture… and the wisdom of restoring, rather than gutting — yup, folks are starting to ‘get it’. To be sure, there is still serious work to do to showcase how smart appreciating and preserving these homes can be, but, we are well on our way, I am convinced. So, that gets me to thinking: What is “the next big thing”. The answer, of course: 1970s houses. And buckle your seatbelts, peoples, because I predict that the love train for 1970s architecture and interior design will be even bigger than for 1950s and 1960s homes. Why? (1) Sheer numbers. And, yes, (2) the sheer amazing style, too. Heck yeah there is more →

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“Finish What You Started” — Week #1 weigh-in

Posted by: pam kueber • October 9, 2011

Last week we launched “Finish What You Started” Mondays: Group therapy in which we project procrastinators inspire each other to get those gosh-darned projects that we began — then abandoned — complete. Note: While I originally thought we would do this on Monday, I actually think Sunday is better — more time for most folks (probably) to upload photos and, well, dash to complete something if they haven’t already. Me first: For Week #1, I organized all of my vintage magazines, which I use as resources for information about midcentury home building and decorating trends. Now if you ask me a question about trends in, say, 1953, I can put my hands on the info that much faster. So procrastinators-with-renewed-enthusiasm: What project(s) did finish this Week #1. I’ve added the Photo Uploader — you can show us, too. I will award Gold Stars –>
Heck yeah there is more →

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“California Design, 1930–1965: ‘Living in a Modern Way’” exhibit at the LACMA — plus 23 photos!

Posted by: pam kueber • October 7, 2011

Anyone who lives in or near Los Angeles should be high tailing it over the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) as soon as the crowds clear to see the new exhibit, “California Design, 1930-1965: ‘Living in a Modern Way.’” Above: WOW! Charles and Ray Eames’ entire living room — so famous and gorgeous — has been relocated to the museum for this exhibit! Read on for the 2,300-word ‘didactic’ published by the museum. And: I’ve uploaded a slide show of all 23 images from the press kit — fabulous! Heck yeah there is more →

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Marimekko bed & bath on sale at Crate & Barrel

Posted by: pam kueber • October 7, 2011

These Marimekko shower curtains are just so darn pretty that I can’t resist continuing to hunt them down all over the intertubes. Seems that different companies are parsed out different designs. While FinnStyle got Maija Isola’s patchwork, Crate and Barrel got her 1961 Silkkikuikka (“great crested grebe”), available in blue (shown here) or red. There are matching towels and sheet sets, too. “Feeling that sitting inhibited her artistic expression,” the description says, “Maija composed the entire series to the sound of pop music while standing over large rolls of paper in the spacious Marimekko factory.” Oh and: Right now, there is a big sale on lots of Marimekko shower curtains, towels and sheet sets at C&B. Link: Marimekko shower curtains at Crate & Barrel.

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2 new Marimekko shower curtains: Mid mod color explosion!

Posted by: pam kueber • October 6, 2011

If you have trouble choosing a favorite Marimekko design shower curtain, this one is for you: This Yhdessa shower curtain puts some of Maija and Kristina Isola’s most classic and famous designs — including Unikko, to Kivet to Tuuli –into one colorful, super-happy, versatile patchwork pattern. Color color color and more color! Take that, Greige Nation! Oh, umm, there’s a black-and-white patchwork, too. You can buy this shower curtain, and see a bundle of other gorgeous Marimekko designs at FinnStyle.