We have a famous author in our tribe — and she shares her Retro Renovation story with us today. Bonnie Jo Campbell‘s recent book of short stories, American Salvage, was a National Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, and her 2011 novel Once Upon a River: A Novel
As in “American Salvage,” her celebrated story collection from 2009, Campbell has a ruthless and precise eye for the details of the physical world…. Campbell so intently scrutinizes Margo’s [the teenaged protagonist] inner life that she does not seem to be asserting any larger point about American culture or human nature — but she is…. It would be too bad if, because of Campbell’s realistic style and ferocious attention to her setting, “Once Upon a River” were discounted as merely a fine example of American regionalism. It is, rather, an excellent American parable about the consequences of our favorite ideal, freedom.
“Before”
After: Bonnie’s kitchen updated included replacing the original, worn countertop with Arborite Red Xabia. She trimmed it with aluminum trim from RetroTrims.com. And she added a Kohler Delafield sink with hudee ring and a new faucet. Retro Renovation help her point her local retailers to these products.
The reason I choose this particular excerpt of Jane Smiley’s review, is that I sure would pay attention to any renovation done by an acclaimed writer with a “ruthless and precise eye for the details of the physical world”! Bonnie’s story is that she waited 24 years to replace the worn countertop original to her Kalamazoo house, using resources found here. Read her books and you would never doubt that, of course, she would keep her updates in line the midcentury modest design of the house. Moreover — and here’s another place I pay big attention — she underscores the benefits of “modest.” Bonnie writes:
Hi Pam — A bit about our house:
I call it a swamp house, and my husband and I bought it in 1987 for $24,500. I always tell my students that if they are serious about writing that they should live in a very modest house and try to keep expenses low so that they don’t have to work themselves too hard to pay the mortgage. They think I’m kidding, but I’m not. It’s very hard to make time to write in any case, and so if there’s a way to spend less time earning a living, then follow that way. I also am honest when I say that my poor housekeeping is part of the plan. I can have a clean, well-kept house or I can get books written, not both.
And that was a lot of the reason why I never took the time to improve my kitchen, because I wanted to keep my focus on my writing. And it paid off.
My last two books American Salvage and Once Upon a River have gotten quite a bit of critical acclaim. So I was able to take some time out to make my kitchen a nicer place to be. I still might not have done the improvements had my brother Tom the plumber not been unemployed. I had done some babysitting for him a few weekends, and he wanted to pay me back by helping me with the sink and counter.The house was built right after WWII, as were many of the houses here, and I know the house was built by a single man, because it was built without a single closet. The kitchen is fairly small, with a modest amount of storage. There’s not really room for a refrigerator in the kitchen, so I keep it in the utility room. When my husband’s mother moved in with us a few years ago, we put on an addition, so we now have a four bedroom, which allows us both to have offices, which is a great luxury.
“Before”
I’ll say up front that my goal was just to get a new counter and sink because my old one was just terrible. And I lived with the old one for 24 years. I’ve been pretty distracted in that time, first studying mathematics as a grad student and then becoming a Novelist.
I had a pretty challenging time getting the sink I wanted since all the plumbing places around here told me I could not get a sink to install with a hudee ring. From these photos you’ll see that the sink was hopelessly stained because all the porcelain finish was gone. The countertop laminate was a travesty. The wall behind the sink had shelf paper on it. (Yes, I lived with it for 24 years.)
Here are some before photos of counter plus my husband Chris Magson and brother Tom with Hudee Ring (before cutting plywood).
The stove is a Kalamazoo brand stove that my husband became obsessed with. It’s sort of a museum quality piece, a replacement.
I also have an amazing red microwave… not sure how I lucked into that at Sears. Maybe it’s not retro, though the food processor beside it is.
As for the wide photos, I truly regret that I didn’t sweep my floor and polish it a bit. I’m attaching a kitchen floor picture, one that shows how nice the floor looks when it’s waxed. We’re kind of a farm family here. We burn wood and keep donkeys, and so things can be pretty messy.
Cheers! Bonnie
Thank you, Bonnie, for taking the time to share this all with us. (Again, readers, Bonnie can attest how I torture featured contributors with the back and forth.) Your swamp kitchen update is perfection. And no need to apologize for unpolished vintage floors — we have all been there!
Read more about Bonnie Jo Campbell’s kitchen update (and her life):
- On her blog, Bone-Eye: A Writer’s Adventures.
- And, here is the website for her books.
If you want to buy one or more of her books, you can also see them here: Bonnie Campbell’s books on Amazon
Readers, note that I wrote about Arborite Red Xabia appears to be a good substitute for crackle ice laminate. You can see the effect very clearly here. Red crackle ice is going to be much more expensive, because it is a specialty product. Also, I have a sample of the red cracked ice laminate from some years ago, and I was concerned about the pixelation of the digital printing. I know other readers have used it, though, and were happy with it. Bottom line: Get samples — large samples, preferably — before you commit.
Products that Bonnie used to create her retro red countertop:
- Arborite Red Xabia laminate.
- Aluminum edging from Eagle Mouldings – Note, this install required three different pieces. Bonnie says she used: “(1) Face nosing 13/16″ (with holes drilled) A-274; (2) Cove E98 MFA for 1/16″ material worked well for join of counter and backsplash, and it came together nicely at the corners (as you’ve show); and (3) At the top of the backsplash, which was laminate mounted on 3/16″ plywood, we used J-caps 1/4″ E401 BA MFA.” Talk to Thor at Eagle Mouldings — he’s eager to help.
- Kohler Delafield porcelain cast iron double-bowl sink with metal rim.
- The faucet is a Moen, Bonnie says.
Looks great. It doesn’t take much to turn things around.
Whew. 24 years. Well, I guess I can stop complaining about living ten years (so far) with the ugliest bathroom in the world. But I haven’t written any books, so what’s the payoff?
Hey, Marcheline, so long as you’ve read a few books, you’re doing all right. Cheers! B.
What a warm and cheerful kitchen now! The counter is a wonderful shade of red.
Thanks, Pam!
Wow Bonnie! I am just amazed at you living so long with that old counter top so that you could pursue your writing! You make me want to start deferring the house cleanings so that I can paint (on canvass) more often!
I LOVE your stove! And the floor! and your new red counter tops! Great work!
Thanks, Kate! You are most kind! It’s hard to set priorities, isn’t it!?
What? No granite?? Only kidding! Bonnie, what a great place and great kitchen re-do.
Your advice to your writing students rather sums up my life’s philosophy. Modest and simple living truly can free us on so many levels. It’s sometimes difficult to
Congratulations on the success of your books.
Hi Annie B. — Hey, we’ve got granite! But it’s granite blocks outdoors in the garden! Give me a nice civilized laminate countertop any day! B.
Oh my gosh, I think Bonnie and I are long lost twins! My husband and I have the same live cheap philosophy on life. The lower your payments, the less $ you have to earn, the more time you can do what you really want to do. My kitchen counter/cabinets have the same set-up as hers, including the exact same (pre-remodel) faucets on the exact same scuzzy sink, though thankfully, my counters are in better shape. I’m even a (less successful) published fiction writer. We don’t have a donkey, but are in negotiations for a goat. It even looks like we share red as a favorite color.
The next time you’re on the other side of Lake Michigan, swing by for some coffee, Bonnie, we’ve got a lot to discuss.
Hi Dulcie — Thank you for your kind comments! Are you near Milwaukee? I’ll be coming to Boswell Books to read and chat this summer! Keep up the good hard work of living modestly! BJC
Such a simple and sweet facelift, but it really speaks to Bonnie’s philosophy and her understanding of her house’s era. I like this so much. How satisfying it must be to have it all “new” after so many years. Thanks for sharing, Bonnie!
Thanks, Jane, for your kind words! I never knew it would be so much fun to share.
Just might be one of my favorite retro renovation blogs, Pam. A new kitchen AND a new author to check out! Thanks for sharing your philosophy, Bonnie. As a musician/writer I have always maintained that keeping your expenses low goes a long way towards supporting your art (though admittedly it can be really, really, hard; I don’t think I could have waited 24 years). Thanks for the renewed inspiration; I’m looking forward to checking out your writing.
Hi Lauryn — Thank you for your kind words, and good luck with all your creative products! B.
I stumbled upon your website a couple weeks ago, as I’m wanting to keep furnishings and appliances in our 1940′s bungalow in the time period in which it was built. So, I have your website on my RSS feed. Lo and behold, today, I come across this post, and it’s with an author whose book we recently reviewed. I was like “Hey! I recognize that book!”
Like Bonnie Jo (and many others who have downsized into a much smaller home), we’ve learned to live with less. We went from living in a 2,600, 5 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 950 sf home in East Sacramento. We did A LOT of purging and asking ourselves “Do we use THIS on a weekly basis?”
That is SO COOL, Heidi!
Thanks for the kind words, Heidi, and thank you for reviewing my book! BJC
Bonnie- The kitchen looks AWESOME!! Thanks for the business. And, thanks for the books.
-thor
Eagle Mouldings, Inc.
800-888-2044
I like her approach to life. I have friends who put a $30,000 kitchen in a house they paid $60,000 for – plus they eat take out all the time and never really use the space. People are just silly.
Love this philosophy of living simply. This is a constant battle at our house, and I spent the last 4 hours going through “stuff” to pass along. I swear I make 4 trips to goodwill each month, and we still have too much. Bonnie, the kitchen looks welcoming and toasty. It is always so nice to see a person’s personal touches, and not a sterile unthoughtful space. I’d like to add that I *love* the idea of hanging a chandelier in the garage! So sweet.
Hi Kersten — Thank you for your kind words, and thank you for noticing the chandelier in the garage. Another writer, Jaimy Gordon, who won the National Book Award in 2010, gave us that chandelier, and the garage seemed like the right place. We also have some stained glass in there that my cousin made. B.
I love your kitchen! The sink/countertop looks so much like the kitchen my grandmother had when I was a kid:
http://i43.tinypic.com/e1dxs3.jpg
Thanks, Guy!
Bonnie, it’s a WONDERFUL transformation! 24 years, wow. We just moved into (our first owned) home in May 2011, and I’m still chomping at the bit to get things done. You serve as a great example in patience and vision.
Someone tell me I’m not the only one who noticed her homemade pot-holder on the cutting board.
(I got a kit for Christmas from Mr. Wonderful and have been a potholder making fool – and the GOOD loops that are cotton too!).
Pam, thank you so much for appreciating our ‘diamonds in the rough’ and not expecting full blown, perfectly decorated Frank L. Wright type of offerings (though I love those too!). Thank you for appreciating our humble abodes, and the accomplishments that sometimes happen in baby steps due to availability, finances and time.
Thank you for noticing my homemade pot holder, made by my poet friend Elizabeth Kerlikowske, who generously provided her pals with her kitchen wares. Those homemade ones are the very best potholders! Thank you for your kind words about my kitchen!
Love the counters, floor, and, of course, that fabulous stove! Congrats! Plus,
I can agree on that students do not get the concept on living modestly!
I live in a W. Michigan house of similar vintage, with nearly identical kitchen cabinets. My house was built for a war-widow and her daughter (therefore I am blessed with one teeny closet in the bedroom). Love Bonnie’s use of RED throughout the kitchen, and respect her decision not to paint the cabinets. I’ve been working at painting mine, and it’s a true pain in the butt trying to sand off all that shellac!
Off and on I’ve considered painting the wood in my kitchen, but in the end I ended up removing what paint was on the walls, using that super caustic paint remover. To my surprise it worked, though you can see where it was above the ends of the counter. Maybe it was laziness that made up my mind! B.
Great job, Bonnie. Sometimes I really miss Kalamazoo. People like you are the reason why.
Thanks Ann-Marie! Come back and visit Kalamazoo soon!
Love the kitchen and love Bonnie. I will definitely be checking out your books, Bonnie. I also am a writer, and am working on a novel (set in the 60s…wow, why would anyone want to do that?).
Just finished a second draft and am having a group of reader/writer friends give me their feedback, so we’ll see what happens from here. I agree about giving up other stuff for writing time. Heck, I haven’t had a “real” job in fifteen years. I don’t miss it…
Enjoy your new kitchen…it’s fab. Cheers!
Good luck with your novel! You’re doing the good hard work, and you’re so smart to share it with friends before sending it out in the world. All my books are a bit in the past, but eventually I’m going to have to write a book in which people have cell phones! B.
Lovely, lovely, quite simply lovely. Reminds me of my grandparents cottage at the shore.
Would almost trade my Frigidaire Flair for that stove! Love the Blue Willow and red together.
Hi Allan — Thanks for the kind words about our kitchen! The stove really is a thing of wonder, though the large size made us give up a little table where we used to store some things. The left-hand side “oven” is only a warmer, so it’s sort of wasted space. However, I can put the big cutting board on top of the stove and have that as counter space. I think the dials are bakelite, but I’m not sure–have to do some of those tests. Our old stove was a ’72 Kelivinator, in gold, and I rather liked that as well; it lit up and the dials were space-agey. We may change to gas one of these days (they’ve got it next door), and in that case we’d change the stove, but we’re enjoying it. BJC
Cheers is right Bonnie I love what you did! What a transformation
Hi Bonnie! I love your kitchen counter — I’m planning to do almost exactly the same thing this spring with a green laminate. The specifics about the face nosing and other edging materials (and even a specific person to talk to!) is a lifesaver. I also want the same sink that you have. Did the hudee ring come with the sink or did you have to order that separately? The Kohler site mentions a metal ring but it’s not pictured so I wasn’t sure. Congratulations on your awesome upgrade, and I’m buying your book today!
Hi Linda — I ordered my sink from Home Depot and ordered the hudee ring along with it, with the guarantee by Home Depot that everything would fit together. I think I paid $275 for the sink. Happy home improvement! BJC
The Hudee ring cost about $50 in addition to the sink.
I have become disabled and i am literally dirt poor. Meaning dirt is worth more than what is in my pocket, however, I got stuck renting a house with a pink bathroom and checkered tile in the kitchen. I was happy to have a place but i cried over the decor. I have no imagination so thankyou for your photos they have given me hope and a vision.
Those are the exact same cabinets we had in my house growing up. My parents redid the kitchen to sell it in 1997.
Also, that “food processor” is called a chinois strainer. Super handy tool!
Whenever I initially commented I clicked on the Notify me any time new comments are added checkbox and currently each and every time a remark is added I get 4 messages with the identical comment.
Thanks, reddit — I’ll have my tech team check into this…. Pam
I love the perfect imperfection. Not only is it homey and cute, but it makes me feel better for having lived with our horribly stained original counter for the last 10 years.
Love the renovation. I have the same countertops in red and a 1958 GE stove that looks exactly the same. I love my retro kitchen and wouldn’t trade it for the world!
It’s great to hear from you. Retro rocks!