Jon and Trixi — we’ve seen portions of their project under way – have finished remodeling their kitchen, and are mostly done with the bathrooms. And in a twist that I am sure the folks at Rust-Oleum were not anticipating, the epicenter of their “Retro Renovation story” is that they freshened up their kitchen cabinets by painting them warm brown on the top — and avocado on the bottom — using Rust-Oleum’s Cabinet Transformations kit. No, avocado ain’t a stock color in the Rust-O kit — Jon is intrepid, and had it custom-tinted avocado at his local store. Jon wants me to emphasize that all of the work they did throughout the house cost less than $2,000 — because they (1) used their existing, functionally sound cabinets (2) uncovered the vintage countertop and floor (3) hunted down salvage and vintage fixtures and furniture and (4) did the work themselves. I luv it! Click on through for their compete story along with 21 photos live from the scene. Photos by Glenn Suckow and Trixi Hunt — many thanks!
The “before” kitchen — original countertops were covered with stone tiles… original floor was covered with another layer of vinyl… cabinets were brown
Jon writes:
Dear Pam:
This here is a folder full o’ photos of our house — kitchen (before and after), living room (before and after), bathroom (before and after) as well as our office, bedroom and exterior — including our next project, the rec room in the basement!
The one thing I’d love to stress if you write about us is that we did this ENTIRE THING — I’m taking furniture, paint, accessories, etc –for UNDER TWO GRAND. Almost every single item is from a thrift store or a salvage yard or a Reuse Center. The hard work, of course, came from me and Trixi!
Some notes, room by room:
[Pam adds: Jon says this 1966 St. Charles kitchen featured on the blog in 2008 was their inspiration. Great job!]
Trixi says it *only* took 15 hours to install the vintage sink with hudee. Not kidding.
KITCHEN: In these photos, you can finally see the finished cabinets, using the Cabinet Transformation Kits from Rustoleum. You can also finally get a good look at the dining area, with our 1967 Chromcraft dining set which we LOVE. There’s also a great shot of the “corner o’ chrome” — our cool Lincoln Beautyware canisters and paper towel dispenser, plus the NuTone food center and cutting board.
Trixi says: Greige walls get a bit of a retro-redo. I could only get 5 yards of the paper (vintage from Etsy), so we had to be creative with how we used it. I looked through a TON of 60′s interior pictures, and got the ‘framing’ idea from there. Also- we have NEVER wallpapered before, so please be forgiving on closer inspection. Because the paper is vintage, we had to make paste. Add that to Jon’s list of talents!
BATHROOM: The countertop is a reclaimed counter from the Reuse Center with gold fleck formica which we cut to fit. The sink is from a salvage yard. The American Standard peach toilet (which matches the tub exactly!!) is from Reuse Center, we got it free to take it off their hands. The floor I put in myself, just some cool hex tile from Menards. [Pam corrects: That's call octagon-and-dot -- super affordable and available at most of the big boxes.] The wall has groovy stencils done by Trixi which match the atomic design on our light bar. The curtains are vintage, from Etsy. The wallpaper is also vintage, from Etsy. Still to be done: tiles in the tub area.
LIVING ROOM: Our pride and joy is the vintage Preway cone fireplace, which we haven’t yet hooked up but which we HOPE will eventually work. You can see, in the general shot, our cool surfboard-shaped coffee table. The chair in the one shot is a Jens Risom from 1968, we got it for FOUR DOLLARS from a thrift store. The end table is Adrian Pearsall, and IT TOO was under ten bucks. The only non-vintage stuff in there are the armoire (which is Baker — Trixi used to work for ’em) and the couch, which is a Daffa.
OFFICE, BEDROOM: The office is just the one shot of the main office area, with our vintage stuff, and another of a weird 70s vinyl chair that sits on the other side of it. There’s also a shot of our bedroom, which has the curtains Trixi made with vintage fabric from Etsy.
BASEMENT: This is our next project! We’ve got a full set of JC Penney whiskey barrel furniture from the late 60s and that cool vintage fake fireplace, plus the Shag prints on the wall. We still have to wallpaper and paint down there — it’s a-coming.
OUTSIDE: A couple good shots of our house (PINK AND BLUE!) plus our DIY rock and flower garden. All the materials in the garden were salvaged from various sites in the Twin Cities — we have bricks and such from demolition sites that used to be cobblestones. Even the rocks are vintage — Trixi’s folks got them from the Mississippi
riverbank in the 1960s.So there you have it! THANK YOU — of course we couldn’t have done it without you!
Jon & Trixi — yay on you! Just yay! I wish I were closer, I’d for sure be over the mix you up some Margarita celebration. And, Jon, thank you so so much for all the sharing you’ve done as you’ve worked on your house. A bundle of stories from last year were all due to you:
- The first story about Jon & Trixi – and how they came to Love the House You’re In.
- Another update on the un-remodel from J&T.
- Jon finds the manufacturer who still makes hudee rims today.
- The same manufacturer makes drop-in cutting boards / trivets — hudee-rimmed, of course.
- I interview the owner of Vance Industries, the company that makes hudee rings.
- Jon finds some inexpensive retro cabinet hardware.
WoW!!! Look at all the work you have done in less than a year! Very impressive! I LOVE the 2 tone cabinets in the kitchen! That is such a great idea and has me rethinking what I was going to do with my kitchen cabinets…ALL of your rooms are so inspiring!
Thrift stores and reuse centers are my favorite place to shop these days! Last weekend I bought a Dormeyer coffee percolator for $6 (at a Habitat for Humanity Restore) that makes the BEST cup of coffee that I ever had! It replaced my drip maker that I took to the Salvation Army for someone else to enjoy! Keep up the good work!
I love the shout out for vintage small appliances, a personal fave!
I am more of a ’40s-’50s girl, but this is convincing as heck. Looks original. And so much nicer than the before. Hugely fond of both kitchen and bathroom sinks.
I have a new appreciation of avocado now. It’s a very soft, mellow colour, isn’t it?
I love the octagon and dot tile.
I love the stencil in the bathroom. I keep that in mind for my house. You did a really great job!
I love Jon and Trixi.
You’ve done an amazing job and should be very proud of your house. I love how the kitchen turned-out. My kitchen is done in the same colors and we, too, used what we had.
We both kept saying, at first, “these aren’t the colors we would have picked, necessarily, but we’re committed to working with what we have.” But now? I have fallen so in love with avocado, I might even pick it for a future house!
Very cool house!
Hysterical! I love it. I always always wanted one of those fireplaces growing up in the 70s.
What a fabulous job you did together! I love all the rooms, but my *favorite* is the kitchen floor. The kitchen I grew up in had the same linoleum, but in yellow. I’m ready to redo my kitchen and would love to find this floor – any suggestions? Again, fabulous job you two!!
We were lucky in that ours was just underneath a layer of crappy vinyl flooring. We just had to peel and scrape glue — I say “just” even though it took WEEKS. I’m not sure where you’d ever be able to find new/old stock of that except at ReUse centers. I know the Armstrong people are on here, tho, maybe they can offer guidance!
Kathie, there is nothing quite like this floor out there, that I know of. Take a look at Tarkett’s vinyl sheet – they have some mod designs. Also, yes, you can sometimes find this stuff vintage at Re-Stores and the like. However: Please consult with a licensed professional — old flooring can contain vintage nastiness like asbestos that you would want to be informed about so you could decide how to handle.
Your kitchen is awesome. I am loving the floor and the avocado green! And you clearly love color – the house looks so cheerful! I must admit I’m more than a little jealous.
Wow! I’m not much of a ’70s fan, but your house is fantastic. I like the bold use of color throughout the house. I especially like the kitchen. Great job, and all for $2K.
Thanks, y’all!!
The actual year we’re shooting for is 1967 — remember, the 70s began in the late ’60s!! Our inspiration photo is that one in Pam’s archive of the ’66 St. Charles kitchen with the wood cabs on top and the colored aluminum on the bottom. Plus, we love the way the 60s combined super modern stuff with old-fashioned colonial and regency design elements (like a James Bond villain lair!) Now if people would stop rubbish-tipping their avocado appliances and we could find a vintage dishwasher and double oven in the right color!!!!
Here’s the inspiration kitchen Jon refers to: http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/22/vintage-1966-kitchen-st-charles-mixes-wood-and-metal-and-harvest-gold-and-avocado-arrive/
Yes yes, exactly — and this one, too, which is where we got the idea for the red walls (note: if you look at the zoomed in one on the gallery, that’s our same countertop formica!!!)
I put the link to the inspiration kitchen in the story just now. I’ll add photo later.
I wonder if there’s a credible way to update your dishwasher with avocado paint or some kind of color insert?
Wow! You both did an AMAZING job! I love that you did it on a small budget- that’s very impressive and proves how hard you must have worked.
Trixi- I’d like to know about the stencil you used in the bathroom. Did you make the stencil or did you find one pre-made? It’s exactly what I need for a future project.
Jon, this looks a lot like the avocado kitchen I had in my last house, a 1967 ranch. Everyone thought I was crazy to leave it original, but it still looked good and everything still matched. What color did you paint the upper cabinets?
We did them as close to the kind of red-blonde wood of the original woodwork as humanly possible. It matches in *most* light (it’s a little darker, but darn close)!! Everyone thought we were crazy too!
In fact the floor in that kitchen is the exact same design and color.
Oh, and by the way, if the folks from Rustoleum are reading — we LOVED working with your product. It was hard work, but man, are we happy with the final results!!
Thanks Jon. We love getting positive feedback. Your kitchen looks awesome!
It sounds to me like you took off the top layer of vinyl and recovered the original vinyl underneath. How did you do that? Wasn’t it glued on? I think I’ve got some beautiful 1950′s vinyl underneath the flimsy Menards bargain stuff in my kitchen and would love to have it see the light of day again.
Also, is that a penguin ice canister on top of your fridge? We had one like that. All the girls in my mom’s family got one as a bridal shower gift from their mother except my youngest aunt. She felt so left out that years later, when she saw one at a rummage sale, she bought one for herself. We take our penguin ice canisters seriously in my family. lol
Precautionary Pam pipes in: Just be sure to consult with a licensed professional before you start ripping stuff out; vintage nasties such as a lead and asbestos can be anywhere…
YES — as Pam says, definitely figure out if there’s asbestos involved first. Then, it’s hard work, but it’s possible to do! We peeled off the crappy Menards stuff, and then used chemical solvents (with PLENTY of ventilation — TRUST ME) and tons and tons of elbow grease to remove the flooring glue. I think 80% of the budget of our kitchen remodel was bottle after bottle of that solvent. But the stuff underneath came out great!
And yes, that is indeed a penguin ice canister!! We got it from our neighbors, and we love it!
(further, additional thought — the reason WHY you can scrape glue off that old Armstrong flooring is HOW it’s made — they took little tiny pieces of vinyl and infused them with color all the way through, if I’m not mistaken, rather than just printing on the top like the cheep stuff you get at Menards. So if the solvent takes the top off the vinyl? It still looks like a million bucks.)
Thank you, Jon. Yes, dear readers: Be sure to consult with licensed professionals to determine what is in all layers before you start to rip out… also regarding what processes to use … and how to dispose of old materials.
The canister is a ‘hot/cold’ penguin canister that our neighbor (who simultaneously thinks we’re both mad and rad) gave to us.
I love the looks of that house! My time capsule has some of the same elements, and I can take some inspiration from your efforts. I have the barrel dining set and bar stools to match your sofa and ottoman. Didn’t know it was JC Penney’s and the owners said Granddad built it, but it does have some kind of label on the bottom of one of the chairs and the leather is the exact same pattern as yours. It is heavy as all get-out.
Love the stencil in the bathroom. It looks so Space Age! I love that era as well. The furnishings and decor I got with the time capsule are a lot more classic, so it is nice to see how the space age can be mixed in. I think I am going shopping at ReStore.
Oh, yes, those orangey vases in the living room that look like opened books, please say something about them, they are just wonderful!
My wife used to work at Baker — I think she got them there, I’ll ask her about them!
I really kind of *hated* J&T when I saw that barrel furniture. Green devil envy. Will I ever have a set!?
HI! They ‘vases’ are random tchotchkes that I picked-up when I worked for Baker Knapp & Tubbs (I used to be a visual design coordinator there). I *think* they were designed by Jonathan Adler, but I can’t be sure. They had been part of the inventory for years by the time I started at their Mnpls showroom. Not vintage, but older in design, nonetheless. I loved them the minute I saw them. The rest of the staff thought that I was insane, but that was usually par for the course there. I was always digging on their more mid-century designs while others liked the traditional, Stately Homes kind of collections.
Oh, and the Dapha sofa mentioned in the article made way for a mid-century find that we picked-up for $15. I think it might be an old Flexsteel(?). The Dapha now lives in the basement with the Whiskey Barrel set (I could write a whole blog post about the purchase, and subsequent journey, of the latter
)
First off, I’d love to see photos of your time capsule!!! We can probably take inspiration from what you’ve got, too! Secondly — you can’t see ‘em in the photo, but we have the dining set and barstools on the other side o’ the room. The stools are in front of a bar which *was* handmade by the son of the former owners of the furniture out of two actual whiskey barrels. And yes — it all is REMARKABLY heavy, as I found out when I carried it all downstairs.
The 60s was all about mixing classic and ultra-modern — I love the eclecticism of it! See: Jonathan Adler’s entire aesthetic!
I think you would love the living room set here, it is avocado stripe, some kind of indestructible (at least so far) fabric. I do have some pix, will try and figure out how to make them accessible. The before is mostly dominated by the dark and rumpled shag carpet which we replaced with a pale latte color tile. Then all we did is clean and rearrange the furniture, much easier than all the work you have done.
Feel free to email ‘em to me too — flyingsauceronline@gmail.com, would love to see ‘em, we’ve still got other rooms left to decorate!!
Let me see what I can put together. Before and after, it will be fun. I have tried to keep Granddad (the man who built the house, not MY granddad) happy.
Beautiful job, Trixi and Jon! So exciting to see the final outcome of all your hard work over the past year.
My jaw dropped when I saw the Jens Risom chair. FOUR DOLLARS!!! Did you have to reupholster, or was in that great condition?
So happy for you both, congratulations guys! XOXOJ
FOUR DOLLARS, and nope, the upholstery was already on there! It’s in not bad condition — we had to buy a fancy cat scratching post to distract our psychotic cats from scratching it all to hell, and mostly succeeded!! I’m so surprised a dealer didn’t nab that first, they comb all the thrift stores in our town!
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this post, Pam! Jon and Trixie, this is awesome! When I first read about finding the original flooring under the floor in the kitchen, I immediately pulled my fridge out of its nook, brought up a saw from the basement, and *tried* to saw a corner of the plywood off. Alas, I had the wrong tool for the job and didn’t come close to finding out if my original floor is still under the ugly current vinyl, but it gives me some hope that it might still be under there. I’m also glad to read that you were able to salvage it WITH it being glued down. Everyone keeps telling me that even if our original floor is under there, it will be glued and impossible to recover. In our case, it might be the plywood that is glued to the original floor. When we get to that point, and IF the original floor seems to be hiding, I might have to look you up. Actually, I saw that you put your e-mail in a different reply. I’m going to hold onto it, Jon, because we frequently visit St. Paul. We used to live in Minneapolis, and still have family in St. Paul. I’d LOVE to bring you a housewarming gift and see the kitchen in person (and pick your brain about the work you did )! Actually, I’ve been watching our local restore for you — I remembered your desire for the avocado double oven (we need one too– but bisque might work best for us. And if I ever found a coppertone double oven and gas cooktop set, I think I’d pass out!) A while back, I did find an avocado wall oven that has the pull out burners, but I figured it wouldn’t work for you. I also found an avocado flip down note center (can’t remember what it is actually called) that you put in the kitchen– it’s shape is somewhat like the chrome wall wax paper holder, but I didn’t know how to get in touch with you. I’ll keep your e-mail handy for other avocado things that I spot. Like you, we do most of the work in our house ourselves, and the kitchen is next. It haunts me though, since we’ll be removing all of the current cabinets and installing the St. Charles set that we dragged home 2 years ago. I don’t want to mess it up, so it has yet to even get started. Anyway– I’ll save the rest for an e-mail to you. The house look fantastic! I’m inspired! Whoot!
Whoot right back atcha!! If you’re in town definitely shoot me an email, I’d love to show it off in person!! And if you have any questions or need advice on what kind of glue remover to use if you DO have the original linoleum underneath that plywood, shoot me an email then too! And thanks for keeping an eye out for avocado appliances. You’d think they’d turn up more often, but I think we’re at the point now where they’ve all been removed from old houses!
I’m really interested in the Starburst stencil you used in the bathroom. Where did you get it? Everything’s beautiful by the way!!
Made it! Just got some stenciling plastic and a sharp knife, then copied the starbursts on the light bar!
Hi Jon,
Great job. Very impressive. For the bathroom, what did you stencil onto? Was it wallpaper? I can’t tell from the picture.
Just the walls themselves, painted pink! We used a gold paint to stencil with — I think just an acrylic of some kind.
Even better! Thanks for the info and again they look great!
You did SUCH a good job! Your living room looks so much like my very first apartment – which was in 1967!! (Of course it wasn’t as nice, but the furnishings are very much the same.) I never thought I’d EVER like that period again, but you’ve made look amazing!
Great post on what looks like a fun place to live. There’s so much wonderful going on, but I’ll stick to commenting on the kitchen. As a teen in the 70s, I can say that the kitchen looks authentic. My parents did an overhaul of the kitchen in our 40s era house in the late 60s/early 70s, and avocado was the main color. They antiqued the wood cabinets in avocado (but I much prefer Trixi and Jon’s un-antiqued look), and we had an avocado range. My parents kept the white fridge and sink, but, we had Formica counters in a white and gray marble pattern, which were already there, and I think that must have been what helped tie in the white appliances. All of the chrome in this kitchen looks just right. We had metal trim on our counters, and we had one of those bun warmers like the one on top of the fridge in these photos. We used it almost every night at dinnertime to keep rolls or biscuits warm. (Pretty sure my sister has it now, lucky dog.)
Our kitchen walls were simply white, But Trixi and Jon’s orangey-red wall color looks to be the exact shade of a 70s era coffee pot I recently found at a thrift store. So it’s a great color choice. It looks like the curtains have chickens and roosters, which would have been more of an 80s era touch. Our kitchen windows had metal blinds and a white valance with some avocado trim of some sort on it. (Very tame.) I think a Marimekko-style flower print with some of that red in it, or a David Hicks-style geometric, would be good in this kitchen.
(The colors in this 70s era sheet do the explaining):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Retro-Funky-70s-floral-MOD-QUEEN-flat-sheet-FABRIC-yellow-orange-/250806927186?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3a6541ff52
I love your floor. My parents made the mistake of getting something that was in style for only a short time — kitchen carpeting. It was in a dreadful avocado print, sort of like a paisley. It was a crumb and spill magnet, of course. A daily chore was running the little Bissell sweeper across the kitchen carpet. One Christmas Eve, Mom was trying to wrestle the roast out of the oven and dropped it on the carpet right in front of the range. She scooped up the roast and we ate it anyway. We were all so amazed that none of the juice got onto her long hostess skirt. (The skirt looked a lot like this, and is something Trixi might need for entertaining, worn with a silk or satin blouse or a clingy turtleneck sweater):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Maxi-Skirt-60s-70s-Holiday-Metallic-Plaid-Knit-MOD-Hostess-Patio-14-/260934385304?pt=Vintage_Women_s_Clothing&hash=item3cc0e6be98
(Oh, and an owl pendant necklace to finish things off):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Silver-Owl-Pendant-Necklace-best-XMAS-/150738359739?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2318b4d5bb
But, the greasy spot in front of the range could never be scrubbed out, so it was covered up with a little throw rug.
(So that Jon looks just right when entertaining with Trixi — Dad would have been wearing a turtleneck under a V-necked sweater or a corduroy blazer, with khaki pants and suede desert boots, which we called “doozer” boots. He sported sideburns, which I see that Jon already has. Dad’s look was like John Hartford in this video from the Glenn Campbell Goodtime Hour, a program we kids might have been watching down in the basement family room, while Dad made Mom a whiskey sour to help her cope with the ruined the ruined carpeting):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNHqG9lPcaE&feature=relmfu
Wo, thank you for all the tips!! Yes, I agree a Marimekko print would look great as curtains in there. I’m gonna point my wife at that fabric, she’d love it! I’m wearing a pair of those suede boots RIGHT NOW, so we’re so on top of the vintage fashion. We love the avocado — we figure hey, it’s a food color, and one that occurs in nature, too, so why the heck not? It’s warm and inviting rather than cold and emotionless like so many modern kitchens. (I grew up in the 70s, too, and ours back in the day had red brick floors and harvest gold appliances — I’m pretty fond of that color combo too!)
Ha ha, if you grew up in the 70s, you must mean you were born about the time I was practising to get my driver’s license. You two look like youngsters. Your dog is adorable, by the way.
Oh heaven help me! That description of the complete happy family in the kitchen–with outfits!!–had me breathless! That is my childhood all over again! We were a little more granola, but not by much.
All of it put me in mind of one of my favorite toys from those days–the Sunshine Family. Their little house was complete with cone fireplace, ferns in macrame hangers, a harvest gold and brick kitchen… Dad wore a turtleneck, cargo pants, and little boots. Mom wore a long calico dress, apron, and (I swear!) little Birkenstocks. Really, it’s just so evident now that I was doomed, what with the family’s little craft business (they had a shop and a gypsy van to take to craft shows), and a little spinning wheel.
Thank you JKaye for that blast from the past! I can’t believe now that my parents are bewildered by my house full of old “junk” and spinning wheels. It’s all their fault!
Just so much fun! A lot of thought and hard work went into this darling home. I love the avocado wall phone. I have the same Colony thumbprint glasses on your table tucked away in some box!
Better quality vinyl flooring has color inlaid all the way through the vinyl. Cheaper vinyls have a design printed on top. Of course the inlaid vinyls could last a long time, as you have found.
Looks great! I used to have that flooring in red brick and I sure wish I could get it again!!! Bathroom looks very cool. Good job!
This house makes me SO happy. All of the hard work and inventive solutions are so impressive and it just seems like such a joyous place to live. I am mad for avocado so I did some cheering in the kitchen photos. And I love that they’re not afraid of color. And here’s to barrel furniture and fake fireplaces!
Thanks, Eartha!!! Oh, and hey — one room not featured is the back stairwell down to the basement rec room, which has all knotty pine walls, just like your kitchen cabs and ceilings! I’m glad you dig the remodel!
I’m not a 70s fan either (having grown up during that time), but you did an amazing job! And on a budget too!
When I saw the ‘before’ picture of your kitchen I got a stab of regret. It looks very similar to the kitchen in my first house (a 70s split level ranch). We had started in on remodeling and updating, but never got a chance to work on the kitchen before moving five years later. We had such big plans for that house. I still miss it fifteen year later.
Your office/bedroom wall color looks to be the same as the color hubby grew up with in his parents 1950s ranch.
Enjoy your home.
Congrats Jon & Trixi!!! What a wonderful job you guys did! Everything looks awesome! Your kitchen reminds me of what I had in the early 70′s. Everything was avocado-the painted cabinets, the same Armstrong flooring, appliances, double sink, barn wood paneling. I put those Decor bricks in white on the back splash and under the cabinets-it was in style then, LOL. I loved the avocado green because I could put any color with it and it looked wonderful. Which I did! I had 3 windows in the kitchen and different sets of ruffled cottage curtains (Country Curtains) depending on the season. Used yellow gingham for Spring, plain white or light blue gingham for summer (cool), a brown tiny print with bittersweet for fall, and cheery red gingham for winter (beautiful for Christmas and warm for the winter!). I would change out my kitchen towels, dishcloths, pot holders, etc. with colors to match each season. The decor would match, too, according to the holiday! I also had avocado walls in the living room so I could change things according to the holiday in there too! (Not the windows, though; I had draw draperies on the bow window with sheers and shirred sheers at the 2 little windows on each side of the fireplace. I liked to celebrate every holiday because my 2 children liked it!! Of course, the outside of the house was painted a nice shade of avocado green so it looked lovely no matter what season!! Ahhh, see….you two have sent me back in time! Thanks for your pictures, I think you have done a wonderful job on everything. It makes me so happy to see young couples embracing these retro time periods. I LOVE them because I lived through them!!! Keep up your good hard work and please continue to share with us!!!
I too have your kitchen floor, in brown. My kitchen was an early 80′s redo so I think it must have been a popular pattern for some time. I believe it’s called river rock or something of that nature? Anyways to those looking for some I will probably be taking it out so if you can get to Ottawa Canada it’s all yours! (it’s going because there are some bad wear spots and we have to redo our entire kitchen unfortunately)
Also I am coveting that big yellow lounge chair! There was a couch similar in style to that on Anthropologie last year so you are totally on trend for the modern set as well as those who love the vintage 
Jon and Trixie that is a fabulous job you’ve done, I must say I specifically love your bathroom
Hey, Anthro is on trend with us!
Wow. Just wow.
Let me say right off that I’m not a fan of ’70s decor–90% of it is just plain ugly. I don’t know what voodoo you used, but you guys managed to incorporate ONLY the remaining fabulous ten percent! Kudos to you.
That stenciled wall in the bathroom is one of my favorite parts. I’d love to do that in one of my bathrooms, but I fear I lack the artistic talent required. Could you provide a life-size picture of the stencil and maybe I could trace it?
And maybe then you could come over and do it for me?
I love love love the rug in the living room! Where did you get it? I’ve been looking for a decent blue rug for my den, and can’t find one I like anywhere.
I also love the little touches throughout the house that you just sort of sneaked in–the leg lamp in the basement, the Singer Genie, the Regal Poly Perk. All just fabboo.
Wow. Just wow.
Let me say right off that I’m not a fan of ’70s decor–90% of it is just plain ugly. I don’t know what voodoo you used, but you guys managed to incorporate ONLY the remaining fabulous ten percent! Kudos to you.
That stenciled wall in the bathroom is one of my favorite parts. I’d love to do that in one of my bathrooms, but I fear I lack the artistic talent required. Could you provide a life-size picture of the stencil and maybe I could trace it?
And maybe then you could come over and do it for me?
I love love love the rug in the living room! Where did you get it? I’ve been looking for a decent blue rug for my den, and can’t find one I like anywhere.
I also love the little touches throughout the house that you just sort of sneaked in–the leg lamp in the basement, the Singer Genie, the Regal Poly Perk. All just fabboo.
Oh, cute doggie, too!
Wow! I love this site but this has got to be my most favorite post ever!!! I LOVE LOVE your kitchen, what a fantastic job y’all did! Last summer we moved into a 1970 brick ranch, nothing had been touched since 1970… seriously… kinda cool but kinda nasty (they weren’t big fans of regular cleaning) at the same time LOL! Unfortunately the glorious avocado appliances had not been taken care of (plus there’d been a small electrical fire involving the cooktop) so after making sure there was truly no hope for them they got recycled
We found suitable and electrically-safe white alternatives on Craigslist but I always have my eye out at Habitat ReStore and thrifting for the perfect avocado appliances. The one appliance we kept was the avocado KitchenAid dishwasher! It’s not mint on the outside, but on my long kitchen to-do list is to spruce it up with avocado paint for sure!!
Here’s a kicker to my story: my in-laws redid their MINT condition all original 1970 avocado kitchen less than one year before we bought our home. No kidding, my MIL takes immaculate care of stuff and everything looked brand spanking new. At the time we had no plans of moving and didn’t think much about it, but just assumed as usual they stored all the original appliances & sink in their basement (they never throw anything away). But no, once we found this dream home of ours and inquired about getting the old kitchen goodies from them, we VERY sadly found out they had the installers of the new stuff just haul off the originals!! I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked and disappointed!!
On a side note, we are still enjoying the fabulous 1970 white & avocado countertop, crazy harvest gold & multi flecked linoleum, harvest gold carpet and avocado tiled Jack-n-Jill bathroom!
Anyway, I could ramble for hours… just so exciting to see someone else embracing the avocado and this particular time period!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Congratulations Jon and Trixie. Your hard work has gotten you a lovely home.
Good on you!!! Love your mid mod furniture and your groovy house. I cant beleive you managed to save those orginal features. And…what you said about the “lets sell this dog” reno…man, people just dont have a clue! love it!
Excuse me while I gush but Jon and Trixi are very dear friends of mine and I flippin’ LOVE THEM. It warms my heart to see all the love in the positive comments that have accumulated here in just one day. OK, moving on. I know that this reno project has been a real labor of love and one that they have been insanely committed too. I’ve been obsessively following the progress via photos on a couple of those social networking sites, but how awesome to see the full deal here. I have an extreme chair/sofa envy and I would kill to own any of the (bargain!) chairs and sofas they own. The ‘Tardis blue’ on the living room walls is a brave choice, it packs a punch and it really works. I’m glad that they didn’t hold back and go for any ‘safe’ options in any element of the design and lay-out. I want more info on some of the wall-art! I agree with Jon too that the seventies really began in ’67! I always enjoy looking for the smaller details and I love the wooden(?) vases in the living room. And that fireplace? WOW!
Is that McCartney on the cover of Life magazine? And of course what reno would be complete without a copy of Smile lurking in the background? Although the overall vibe is late 60s/70s, I also like the little MCM touches that I can see. I think that is a perfect outlook in renos anyway: choosing style elements from more than one era. The house is so pretty from the outside too. Gotta go now, because I’m booking flight tickets to Minneapolis…apart from amazing interiors, I happy to know that Jon & Trix can plan a damn good party. 12 out of 10, you guys. Love!
Thanks, doll! The one who got married at Graceland, of all places, should know!
xo
OK everyone! I am so overwhelmed with the responses here. Thank you so much! This was the most fun (and amazing project) I’ve/we’ve ever taken on. I have greatly missed working in the home interiors industry, and I have loved (nearly) every minute of this project. Thank you, all, for the kudos. And especially thanks to Retro-Reno Pam for running such an uber cool site that has both helped and inspired us along the way! I want to do this for a living!
Even our 12 yr old daughter has gotten into it. She went from eye rolling and grumbling with every weekend visit to the local thrifts, salvage and ReUse Centers, to becoming a fan of the retro lifestyle. She wants to have parties to ‘show off’ the house. Apples from trees, I tells ya
It’s very fitting that this post happened this week, as Sunday marks one year since we left a friend’s MCM time-capsule gem only to come home and start pulling up that pesky bit of our own flooring. We were just going to look and see what lay underneath. That’s all. Really! We were lucky, and would have ran for the hills if there was the slightest hint of asbestos or lead lurking underneath any of the layers. We’re both about DIY, but NOT DIY-ing. Safety first!
A few quick notes on some of the above questions (sorry if I miss anything – there’s so much GREAT feedback here!):
), and used a finer tip artist knife to cut it out. I used gold acrylic fabric paint, which was very easy to clean-up if I had to step away for any length of time. If it dried onto the stencil tools, I just peeled it right off and kept going. It took the better part of a day to do the stenciling – but even that was fun!
*The template for the stencil was made out of solid plastic stencil sheets from Michaels Crafts. We just mimicked the pattern from our atomic bar light that’s in the bath (not really pictured…sorry
*The wallpaper came out much better when it dried (the close-up was taken when it was very wet). We ‘water proofed’ it with spray-on Mod Podge (is there a better label/font around? Even their packaging is retro cool!). A lot of scrap bookers sell vintage wallpaper by the yard, and many are willing to make an offer for their entire stock. Atomic patterns in vintage are very hard to come by though, and it took me months before I found what I was looking for.
*As for color – I love color! I have never been one for keeping it neutral. If you can’t surround yourself with your favorite colors, then you aren’t really living in your home, you’re just visiting it! All of the colors in the living room were inspired by that crazy floral oil painting in the picture with the bottles (which are actually made out of wood dowels and metallic gold planks slipped into the notches). The fact that our living room is now TARDIS blue pleases us greatly.
*Any time we had to ‘cheat’ and buy new – we went for items that were actively being manufactured in the 60′s/70′s. There were a couple cheats here and there (the rug in the living room is from *cough* Target).
For finishing the office, I want to go disco, lava lamps and love beads. That vinyl chair demands for nothing less
Thanks, again, for letting us share our story Pam. And for reading and supporting and tagging along the way to everyone else
I’m loving the house I live in!
Even our wee Dachshund, Lilly, likes it. And she said ‘thanks for the compliments’ too
XO
Trixi
Love. Love. Love.
You guys did a great job on that kitchen. The wall mounted phone in green is a fantastic find!!!!
I had the perfect avocado dishwasher for your kitchen. I also will soon have access to an avocado double oven and electric cooktop from a house I recently sold. Too bad you aren’t in the Pittsburgh area. They would be perfect for your kitchen!!!
Oooh — I’m certainly not gonna let THAT go — we might be able to arrange to have them shipped to us! Don’t throw ‘em in the rubbish bin, definitely talk to us first! flyingsauceronline@gmail.com.
(most) Vintage ovens are wonderful appliances. I find that their thermostats are more accurate, and that they tend to be better insulated. The General Motors era Frigidaires are particularly good. And they are no less energy efficient than most new models.
That said, they do have asbestos insulation. But it is covered by the steel outer shell, and there should be no reason to open that part up.
Just remember, if the oven doesn’t work, first check to make sure the element is plugged all the way in, and then make sure the feature on the clock for programmed cooking is not turned on. (usually, that means setting it to “manual” or “off” – depends on the manufacturer)
Also, Dan, most of the old electric ranges (I had a 1960s one in my St. Charles kitchen in my first house) have snap-in burners and oven coils. When mine went bad, I went to my local appliance store with the old coils and the numbers on the stove, and they were able to sell me replacements that worked. The models of electric ranges haven’t changed that much since the 1950s and 60s, unless you get a glass-topped range. And gas ranges never really wear out but if a repair needs to be made, have the professionals at the gas company do it. Either way, I would advise people (as Pam would) to get a professional to evaluate what needs to be repaired.
I too have access to an avocado dishwasher. I’ll email you pics.
What a great house! You folks are one talented creative duo. I like green for the home – inside and out. I find it amazing that the original countertop and flooring were underneith and could be salvaged. Nice thrift shop finds. Alas, I make the rounds of Good Will and the Re-Store but usually come up empty. I do have a trio of Adrian Pearsall tables but they were my parents. Best wishes for many happy years in your home.
Pam, where are you today? No post?
Yours is one fabulous home! Congratulations to you both.
Your Formica is of the same pattern my parents chose back in 1964 for their first house. I wonder if you might know the name of the pattern? I’ve seen it only this one other time.
I’ve been a lifelong fan of avocado. In fact, in 1964, I almost persuaded my folks to paint the trim of their house avocado. Might’ve actually worked with its orange-y old brick.
Your kitchen is ……. Holy Guacamole…….great!
Very impressive! I love the kitchen canisters – my mother received the same as wedding shower presents in 1962 and I still use them. Unfortunately I no longer have the paper towel dispenser; I remember it going at a garage sale when I was a kid. ):
Good job all around!
I’d love to get some opinions on two-tone cabinets in smaller kitchens. Mine is 9.5 x 17, but the cooking area is your basic 10 x 10-ish L-shaped area. I’ve refaced my tops (oak — I like oak, so sue me, I was going for Craftsman-type) and they are perfectly fine, but the base cabinets are stick-built like the tops, but have blind corners and a cooktop that I’d like to replace with a range. I’d thought of ripping out the bottoms (easier to DIY replace than tops) and replacing them with unfinished wood cabinets which I’d prime and paint with Cabinet Transformations. My sister the realtor says two-tone only works with large, higher-end kitchens. What do you guys think?
And while we’re on the subject of kitchens, check out the Betty Draper kitchen in this estate sale house in Hillsdale, NJ:
http://www.trulia.com/property/3073357319-292-Magnolia-Ave-Hillsdale-NJ-07642
I love your house! It really captures the time period perfectly. I know many of the commenters here hate the 70s style. I see some of them even begrudgingly gave some praise on this beautiful house.
I am glad you show us some retro from many different eras, Pam!
Wonderful house! Congrats on your hard work.
We just popped by our favorite supplier of so many of the fine, porcelain pink fixtures & bits/bobbles that we bought over the last year, only to realize the I have been referring to it incorrectly as The ReUse Center. We, in fact, got most of our ‘Think Pink’ bath items from Habitat For Humanitie’s ‘ReStore Center’ near St. Anthony Mn. Sorry guys!
Jon & Trixi,
… (wide-eyed stare … drool a little) …
It’s really been a pleasure following your progress, and let me add congrats on passing some significant milestones – your project is indeed and inspiration to the rest of us. Your kitchen cab redo has made me seriously rethink my plan –
For those interested in Jon & Trixi’s kitchen flooring … its
Armstrong Embossed Inlaid Linoleum style 5351 tan & green brick effect (and “no you can’t find it” – I’m restoring a 1958 Ranch home in MidTown Tulsa with the exact same floor, but in really rough shape. I’ve searched high and low for anyone hanging on to a couple rolls of this stuff – no luck)…
drooling over that bathroom! i love it!!! i want to do that to my walls now!
I love your house and everything you have done. I know just how hard it is to get everything back to the original condition. My house, built in 1948, I just got finished with the kitchen – took me 3 years to do it. My hat goes off to you for a job well done.
Hey Jon and Trixi, I have an avocodo Sunbeam coffee maker that I would happily mail to you if you’d like!
I think we might already have one!! We have some kind of avocado percolator — I’m not sure the brand! What’s it look like, we’re definitely interested.
Yes I saw the avocado percolator on your countertop. This one is a Sunbeam CoffeeMaster drip. I just went and pulled it out of storage and it turns out it’s Harvest Gold, phooey! But I also have a 32 cup Party Coffeemaker in avocado, in the original pink and white box, it appears to have never been used! The graphics claim “Lively and refreshing color enhances the enjoyment of coffee drinking – at party time or any occasion, formal or informal.” Hahaha! I can email you pics if you’d like.
You guys did a great job! I have a 1960 ranch in Cols OH, with a built in Nutone food center, pink sink, stove top and oven, and the original birch cabinets. I have some ugly 80′s linoleum, but see I have the original color spattered linoleum under the new subfloor. It should be an easy job since it was not glued, except there may be noticeable nail holes. We shall see. I also have the original pink and blue bathroom with built in Nutone scales.
We are jealous of your blue bathroom fixtures and pink appliances!! Beautiful — post pictures somewhere sometime!
Oh, and my parents had the same kitchen floor as yours, except in brown. I do dig the avacado
Hey John and Trixi — You didn’t happen to buy that teak Lazy Susan from a yard sale in suburban Detroit, did you? I moved from Detroit to LA about three years ago, and I (sadly, regretfully) parted with that exact Lazy Susan in a moving sale. Although mine had the pineapple bits on top…. I just wonder how many of those are really in existence nowadays.
My dad had it shipped home from VietNam during the war. I did still hold onto a giant fork/spoon combo, which matched that piece in a lovely way. Anyways, cheers to your stellar home!!
Love what you did!! I was wondering how you got someone to custom tint the rustoleum cabinet transformations. I asked at HD but was told it is a special formula that they couldn’t custom tint. That avocado color is just about what I wanted. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Tish, in the first paragraph, I explain that Jon had it custom-tinted at the big box store where he bought it. As I recall, he brought in a chip or big sample of the color he wanted… something like that. Yes, it can be custom-tinted, the key is to find a helpful, patient and experienced tinter to help get it right… Sounds like it might be a little nerve-wracking to me, cuz you only have one or two cans to work with, but it’s do-able….
I know the whereabouts of several avacado colored *NEW* appliances that were installed, but never if only rarely used. They look brand new! Double oven (like one in pics), side-by-side fridge, cooktop and washer and dryer. All top-of-the-line Kenmore, I’m guessing late 60′s, early 70′s. Not sure the owner wants to part with them, but might with appropriate interest. Really, like NEW, I was amazed! I would love to see them used by someone who appreciates this type of stuff. If interested, I could get good pics!
Bob, if you do – you can post these on our buy/sell Forum: http://retrorenovation.com/forums/ Thanks!
…or email me at flyingsauceronline@gmail.com. We are SO looking for an avocado double oven!!!
Sorry about not writing. My friend doesn’t wish to break up the set at this time. He is starting to appreciate his own time capsule as he found it. Sorry again, but good luck!!
All,
I posted a few months back the fact that I have the EXACT same floor as Jon & Trixi’s kitchen – “Embossed Inlaid Linoleum style 5351 tan & green brick effect” … but in horrible condition. In my wildest dreams, I hold out hope that I will someday find the same flooring in someone’s garage or in a warehouse somewhere … anywhere … (sniff, sniff) … if anyone has ever come across the Armstrong Embossed Inlaid Linoleum style 5351 tan & green brick effect I’m willing to pay handsomely for the chance to restore my floor. !!
Thank you!!!
Steve in Tulsa
where did you find this flooring? i love it! i want it!
Jessica – we actually got the bathroom flooring from Menard’s, the kitchen flooring was ‘buried’ beneath a ‘flip this house quick’ remodel of greige vinyl flooring (circa 2004). It’s original to the house
(and Steve, I hope you find that flooring!)
Love your home! Looks like my house except mine is all white. I love retro!
Jon and Trixi,
Forgot to say when I commented on your lovely new-to-you avacado sink, if it is cast iron enamel, I found the perfect cleaner–Kohler’s cast iron sink cleaner. Look it up on line. I talked about it when the discussion on this site was cleaning old cast iron tubs. You don’t need to use it very often, just when there is some build-up on the sink from mineral deposits and/or household use.
Mary Elizabeth