2011 November — Retro Renovation

Win a Marimekko apron or classic Aalto vase — two giveaways this week, from Finn Style

Posted by: pam kueber • November 16, 2011

Update: Entries (comments) on this story are now closed. Congratulations to winners Renee (vase) and Melissa (apron) — I done spun the random number generator, and their number came up. Prizes awarded! Thanks, everyone, for playing — how much fun to read about everyone’s kitchens! Can you believe it, this Savoy vase, designed by Alvar Aalto, has been in continuous production since 1936 — that’s 75 years. Courtesy of sponsor FinnStyle.com, one reader will win this lovely classic vase this week.

And to double the fun, FinnStyle also is offering a second prize for a second reader: a Marimekko apron of your choice. This Kesatori design is my perky favorite — but I count 8 styles of Marimekko aprons, with a total of 14 possible colors. Continue on for instructions on how to enter to win our one of our two giveaways this week –>

Heck yeah there is more →

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Frankfurt Kitchen by Grete Shutte Lihotzky — original storage drawer

Posted by: pam kueber • November 15, 2011

If I could have one of those imaginary dinner parties where you invited any 10 people from history, Grete Schutte-Lihotzky would for sure be on my list. She was the creator of the super duper famous “Frankfurt Kitchen” — and oh my goodness, did that woman have an amazing beyond amazing life. Alas, $500 for a storage drawer from one of the kitchens is feeling beyond my retro reach (pun intended) right now, even though this would be thrilling to own.
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4 places to find recessed soap dishes and ceramic bathroom fixtures — including both vintage and new

Posted by: pam kueber • November 15, 2011

Here is another source to check for recessed soap dishes: Deabath.com, which has four pages of New Old Stock and salvaged ceramic tile accessories on their website. Above: A Hall-Mack “Chinavogue” soap dish from 1958, still in its original box. Gosh, I want to get all gushy about how beautiful this is… Deabath.com — aka Bathroom Machineries — also has ceramic tile-in toothbrush holders, toilet paper roll holders and shelves… not only in white, but also in a catch-as-catch-can variety of vintage colors.

deabath even sells a tile with slot to dispose of used razor blades -- so old skool!

Recessed soap dishes are a pretty popular topic. I now have a list of four places to find them, along with other recessed and tile-in ceramic accessories — including both vintage New Old Stock (NOS) and made-new:

Disclosure: Deabath.com is currently an advertiser, but this story is not part of the deal. It’s part of my continuing hunt for and coverage of, places to find the hard-to-find products for your Retro Renovations.

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Remodel and watch your “investment” plunge in value: 2011-2012 data is worst in 9 years

Posted by: pam kueber • November 14, 2011

How much money will you make on that lovely new kitchen or bathroom when you go to sell your house? Oopsy — likely not one penny. In fact, according to the 2011–12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com), released last week, you will lose 30-35% — or more — on most home remodeling projects, even “mid-range” ones. This gap is the worst in nine years, since the survey began in 2003. For example, a ”minor” $19,588 kitchen remodel? Expect not to recoup — that is, expect to lose — more than $5,000 on that “investment” when you go to re-sell. Debbie Downer reports…

Heck yeah there is more →

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A vintage Lightolier for my dining room — Finish What You Started Week #5 weigh in — Upload your photos, too

Posted by: pam kueber • November 13, 2011

In the past week, I finished two projects that have gone unfinished for more than a year. First, a big deal: We installed a vintage Lightolier chandelier into our colonial-modern living room. This replaced a simple colonial reproduction purchased as a placeholder for the space when we moved in 10 years ago. I am so happy with this gorgeous Lightolier — it evokes exactly the colonial + modern = coolonial look that I want, and it’s an amazing piece of midcentury modern American craftsmanship. Heck yeah there is more →

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NOS cabinet pulls with 2-3/4″ centers

Posted by: pam kueber • November 12, 2011

These cabinet pulls are for 2-3/4″ center-to-center installations. If you have original cabinets with this holes drilled this size, it is quite difficult to find stock. And these are New Old Stock. Oh, and some other silly NOS in here, too. tee hee 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.

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Would your restored vintage house make for a good local newspaper story?

Posted by: pam kueber • November 12, 2011

Reader Stephanie’s house was recently featured on morning TV in Wisconsin. Way to go for vintage and mid-mod, Stephanie! Stephanie explains that her home was featured on a local house tour, and the TV program contacted her after that. Folks, if you have a “finished” mid mod house with a great renovation story, entities like newspapers, home tours and TV stations may well be interested in your story. Just be sure you want to open your house — literally or figuratively — to “the masses”. Heck yeah there is more →

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Open thread: Preserving midcentury homes and features — how to know what to keep?

Posted by: pam kueber • November 11, 2011

I sent a newsletter yesterday that spotlighted my four favorite time capsule houses from 2011. Reader Joe took a look at the four homes, and mused:

OK, the problem is “How does one know when he has something worth preserving?” We all admire those select-few geniuses who kept their mid-century homes in mint condition, but I suspect most of us went with the flow and re-decorated as periods changed. I mean, we, too, had a 1964 home, but by the ’70s, we had to redecorate, because it seemed so gross. Heck yeah there is more →

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