May 8 update: 306 photos so far in our gallery — wow, this has been EPIC! Hey, readers: Keep getting out the camera, get artsy fartsy with your angles, and let’s see your living room, too! Uploader enabled —>
I went looking on the blog recently for photos of readers’ living rooms, and I was disappointed that I did not have too many. My bad. Do you have a mid mod or vintage living room that you are super proud of? I invite you to upload your photos and share them with the Retro Renovation tribe. Above: Betty Crafter‘s midcentury modern living room — reflected in 70s mirror tile adjacent to the front door. So pretty!
And above: Jane’s living room. Also dreamy. Have fun with your photos — use natural light (no flash) and have fun with your angles; most cameras today, including those on phones, take great pictures. So experiment to get the best shot — yes, you, too, can be artsy fartsy! Instructions follow –>.
Upload photos of your living rooms, below… Tips:
- Please set your camera to no bigger than “medium” images, so files aren’t too large — large files really slow down the slide show for all to view.
- (2) Uploader DOES work but message you get on screen *may be* funky and confusing. Upload ONCE and trust the image it there — I just need to “set new photos free” from my control panel and will be checking hourly to do so.
- (3) Terms of Use apply.
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:
How fun to be part of today’s post, Pam! Betty Crafter’s LR is gorgeously colored. Okay, retrorenovators, show us more!
Kevin & Heather Wagner, I am in lurve with your Bob Beharka living room and the built-in seating! My uncle in England did a similar thing when he built his house in the late fifties/early sixties. I always loved it. And the stools are beautiful, too, with that FLW look. Are they original to the house?
Hello Jane, Thanks for the nice comments. Yes, everything is original to the house. Bob apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1950′s, this was his own house he designed and built for he and his family.
I can already tell I want Sylvia O’Stayformore to be my new best friend!
And thanks for the compliment Jane – I’m drooling over your green Eisenhower chair!
It’s actually a Serta Sleeper chair. It holds out to a single bed! Perfect for guests.
DEAR LORD — Sylvia! Why are you in Seattle and not living next door to me!!!!!???
(I am now compiling a list of retrorenovators that I want to live next door to!)
And yes, Betty Crafter — you are on that list too — everything you do is so perfect and tasteful! Just lovely!
Aww thanks kids,
I love Retro Renta and I now have Betty Krafter’s blog as one of my daily reads! Love it here in Seattle you should come visit. Most of the City was reimagined in 62′!
Love you all, keep in touch,
Sylv
Sylvia, I too think your living room is fabulous!
I’m hoping to move to Seattle soon, I just haven’t decided where I want to live yet.
Jane, I am *IN LOVE* with that royal blue couch! Like, really. I need a couch like that. Did you get it like that or was it reupholstered?
We recently moved into our mid-century home, and ripped down olive green paneling in our living room. It was just too dark for our tastes. We are sans-furniture in there, so it’s currently a blank slate, waiting for some plaster, a fresh coat of paint, and furniture. I need ideas! Pam, THANK YOU for this post! It will help me tremendously!
Sue, the couch was a fabulous craigslist find, just as you see it. I think it’s mid to late 60s and the velour-ish fabric is amazingly easy to keep nice, even with two cats that shed like mad.
Jane, I love that blue couch too! And the whole room really. Can you tell me about your rug? Is it vintage? Shag? What is the material & size and, of course, where did you get it?
Meredith, unfortunately the rug has been a disappointment. It’s not vintage but rather a large cut piece of contemporary wall-to-wall shag carpeting we had backed and edged about four years ago. But it hasn’t worn well at all: the twisted yarns don’t stay twisted, so the individual pieces have become fluffy and indistinct at the ends. Sadly, I wouldn’t recommend it, but we have a certain investment in it so we can’t just replace it. I still love the color and overall look, but up close you can see the problems.
Sorry to hear that. If it’s any consolation, it looks great in the photo. I’m stumped on finding a very large rug for my LR.
Meredith, we went that route for exactly that reason – no area rug we liked was large enough. Doing the same could work for you if the yarn twist was guaranteed (we just didn’t know to check.) There’s a lot of old shag carpeting still out there still that’s amazingly new-looking, so someone figured out how to keep the yarns from untwisting even back then. I just offer my response as a caution to research thoroughly. Unfortunately, higher-priced carpet is not necessarily better, at least in that respect.
Wendy M.,
I think a few plants would make a big difference. Looks like you have lots of natural light. And maybe a few small, retro pillows on your benches for a punch of color. Love you fireplace!
Oh, I LOVE reader upload pictures! It is so fun to see everyone else’s houses, and I too, want Sylvia for my neighbor!
Unfortunately, my living room is not done….not even close. So you can all see the pieces that will eventually live in my living room, which are currently is storage …..remodeling is going to start really soon though!
TappanTrailerTami–
I *love* your rose moderne sectional! I used to have one very similar in green (sold it to a friend before a move years ago). It looks to be in pristine condition too!
Thanks Michael – it was a Craigslist find….advertised as a “Hollywood” sofa. And, yeah, it is a little glam compared to earlier MCM offerings. Your green (I just LOVE green) sectional sounds like it was equally wonderful!
Perfect! We are having a living room rearrangement dilemma so I will be looking forward to getting some ideas from everyone’s fantastically retro decorated living rooms.
Wendy M. – you have such a great space to work with! I second Stacy – those built ins on either side of your amazing fireplace are begging for some cushions or pillows! It could lend a nice pop of color to the room. I also think you need one or two extra-special vintage lamps – maybe one floor lamp and one table lamp? My last suggestion is to switch out the art over the piano with something more colorful, or paint that wall an accent color so it contrasts with the art more.
I would like to say that I am in love with the placement of your starburst clock on the fireplace – such a fresh alternative to centering it!
Thanks for the ideas! I think I’ve been way more conservative with color in this house because the golden-orange carpet seems like more than enough color in the room. Perhaps it isn’t as dominating as I think. We actually have cushions the original owner made for the benches, but they are small-ish and it seemed to visually chop up the space. I’m still debating making long cushions that cover each bench. I like the idea of a darker color behind the piano to make everything pop.
A huge thank you for liking the placement of my clock- my husband still brings up the idea of centering it, but I’m insistent it looks better there. I think I subconsiously got the idea from the WilsonArt home (which I saw thanks to Pam) and their fireplace/clock. It didn’t register until a friend pointed out how similar certain elements in our living room are to the Wilson living room. If only I had those amazing cut-outs on one wall…
Finally, I’d like to say how much I’ve enjoyed this post- what an amazing variety of “takes” on mid-century. I love it! It makes me so happy that each home has a distinct personality.
Hi Pam!
Great idea and a great way to involve your readers. It’s so much fun to see interiors from everyone.
Thanks!
I just uploaded a picture of my freshly-reupholstered 1948 sofa and chair. They are pictured with the original blond tables and black lamps that were part of the set when first acquired by my mother in 1948. I also have a before picture of the sofa and chair, if any one is interested. It had last been recovered in 1957 with a turquoise nylon loop geometric pattern. Sadly, I cannot use the nylon loop nowadays as I have cats. I think the work was done very well, and am really happy with the furniture now.
They’re gorgeous, Roberta!
Oh, I just love seeing everybodys gorgeous furniture and decor. I especially LOVE that aqua colored sofa. Yummy!
I just uploaded a photo of my little corner of my very cluttered livingroom. Ok, I admit it’s been awhile since I cleaned house, but I just wanted to share my cute little chair that I got at an auction for $5. The ottoman which has very similar legs as the chair (didn’t show up on the photo) came with the house, and the wall hanging I just bought this winter on impulse at an auction and I love the way it goes with my gray walls and the teal chair. Don’t know what part of the century it’s from, but I love it.
Wow, look at all the beautiful living rooms. You guys may inspire me to do some work this weekend.
Wow, so much cool and beautiful eye candy and color! The L-shaped rocks. I was working late natural light and in a hurry to walk the dog. I almost want a do-over on my pics. There’s gotta be a better angle to pick up another touch…Thanks for doing this, Pam!
Loretta, if you really want a do over just upload new picks make sure you use your name again and I’ll delete the old ones. Note: Set your cameras medium or small folks — 100kbs or less would be great, many are coming in 1MB or even higher…
Pam,
I’m on the verge of cashing in my do-over and posting new pictures. Thanks for offering to delete the others. What a great opportunity to start thinking about next phases!
three from earlier, deleted
Too many beautiful rooms to even remember what to comment on!
Ann in NYC, you have just made me a fan of lime green. Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks, Melanie. I was a little afraid to try such a bright color, but it worked out fine.
Oh my goodness, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. Your living rooms are all so fabulous and so beautiful and I am trying not to be so incredibly green with envy. Thank you so much, Pam, for opening it up and so much, fellow readers, for sharing. It is all incredibly inspiring for the next room — our living room — on the project list.
I ‘heart’ Ann in NYC
Thanks, Patti.
Wonderful rooms, everyone. Thanks. When I saw #18, I felt a jolt of recognition, yet, I just can’t think of what relative or family friend had a setup like that one. But, I know that as a kid I sat in a living room with just that combination of sofas and table and lamp. I know that I was fascinated that a table could be in the middle of a couch. I hate to say it, but, an accessory is missing — there would have been a big ashtray on the bottom level of that table, in a kidney shape. There were ashtrays EVERYWHERE in my youth.
I have posted “work in progress” photos of my beloved living room. It was converted from carport to living room around the year of construction (1955). This winter we have been working to address some structural issues that allowed water to seep into the south window wall, damaging ceiling tiles and wrecking the window casings. The new windows may not be to everyone’s vintage taste, but were necessary and are already doing wonderful things for our utility bills. We are preserving as much of the vintage paneling and trim as we possibly can. The gas insert is also new, and has made this room go from one we avoid during our very cold winters, to a cozy, wonderful space.
Nosoda, your shadow box is so ridiculously fabulous, I had to post a photo of mine. It was a recent flea market acquisition, and Turner Wall Accessory stunner, for $22.
There seem to be dozens of variations on those Turner Wall mirrored shadow boxes. I have one in the dining room and they show up on ebay pretty often. You can catch one in the movie American Splendor too.
Yes… it is clear from all these photos I need to do a standalone story on shadowboxes. I had a great one that I found at Brimfield for $20 about 5 years ago, I just gave it to a friend because I didn’t really have a place for it, and I’m trying to lighten up.
It would be a great story! The Turner Wall pages on ebay are fascinating — as Marty says, there are so many variations on the shadowbox theme. But I am also fascinated by how much mass-produced “art” (Turner being one example) was being made and sold for the post-war living room.
I have one on my sunroom that’s turquoise and orange!
This is great — Hannah just uploaded one that has – um – balls on each corner!
Bud, that Tiki LR is too cool.
Thanks…It in the process of looking much different grass cloth walls and bamboo moldings
Rebecca you have a great collection of op art record boxes. Terrific way to display them!
What great photos everyone! So inspiring!
Pam – Any room for 1:6 scale MCM photos?
Maryann
Joan in Minneapolis, is that sofa vintage or reproduction? It is GORGEOUS and pretty much just what we are looking for! I suspect it’s probably vintage, but oh how my heart would sing if I thought we could purchase one just like it.
@ Wendy M-
I’m not sure you need to hide the TV behind doors. Maybe frame the opening in some way that blends wilth the room, then just leave well enough alone. A door could be a PITA every time you want to watch TV.
Maybe paint the frame of the TV in some color that goes with your decor. Modern flat screens are actually pretty sleek and the simple lines go well with MCM. For me it’s just the black plastic that makes them objectionable. (But at least it’s not beige)
Maybe a pop of color on the wall behind the TV
Wendy M..you don’t need a new couch. You need an old couch
Agreed! If only my husband wasn’t so unreasonably tall (6’4″). He’s very uncomfortable sitting on the vintage pieces we’ve seen. Someday we’ll happen upon the perfect piece that we both love and can afford, right?!?
I’m sprinkling pixie dust all around and wishing for you the perfect vintage couch and a Plycraft Lounger for your tall husband!
Wendy, I’m 6’5″ and I have found quite a few vintage pieces that work for my height. Aim for late 50′s on; the pieces seem to be scaled better for those of us that are tall!
I know this isn’t long enough for your husband but maybe he could stretch out a bit while you continue the hunt! http://www.ebay.com/itm/260985490230?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Pam–
Just realized the two photos I sent were almost 2MB each. Sorry! [Taking new photos now...]
Thanks! I used the newer/smaller ones and deleted the larger ones! I’m going to look at all the photos now!
Love, love, love this post!! It’s a lot of fun peeking into everyone’s living rooms and I’m getting some great ideas. They’re all fantastic! Question – Theresa P. RetroGal – where did you get that fabulous print? It’s great!
Hi Jenny -
The print is of a Detroit-based, but nationally known artist, SLAW. That print inspired the whole look of my condo! I owned that print probably two years before I owned my place! I have two originals that are much smaller in size, but hang in my kitchen and since this was an article about living rooms I didn’t post them. Here is his facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/slaw.art
(Sorry for the delayed response, just got back from a week’s vacation!)
Far be it for me to miss a Retro Party!! Actually, I had to decide whether I wanted to jump into the deep end of the pool with all of these wonderful pictures. My home is very modest. But hey, it’s a party!
Everyone — just let me know when you have a garage sale!!
I’m pretty sure I now know where the canning poster I sold out of my Etsy shop a while back ended up!
It looks GREAT framed, I am so happy it landed in such a fun home!
Hi Mitzi -
YES! I bought it from you a few months ago and love it!!
Theresa aka RetroGal!
Tammy in Seattle — where/how did you find the daybed and bench? Lovely!
Hi, Loretta: I was lucky to find the two daybeds with the corner table on Ebay over 10 years ago, from a seller in Oklahoma. You can’t see it in the photo, but the daybed on the right has only one cushion; it is designed to slide under the corner table to make more space. Ingenious!
Hi, Tammy, ingenious use of space on that, yes! I love your windows and window treatments too. Cheers!
I ADORE that style of daybed. I have been on the watch for years for a good photo of a set with the table that one slips under. Of course, my mother-in-law had a set (a good set) and sometime early in my marriage she gave it away… argh.
thanks so much for the opportunity to share! It’s nice to see so many kindred spirits with the same dedication and passion.
Hi,
have uploaded pictures of the loungeroom in my old house as my current lounge is full of kitchen and dining room furniture on my current project. It is great to see the different mid century styles and individual touches
This post makes me (almost) wish I wasn’t in the middle of reupholstering my 1947 Foster Ideal love seat/sectional! It won’t be done for another week, at least, but it will look fabulous!
I love all the pictures. They give me a lot of ideas. I have the exact same record boxes shown in Rebecca’s pictures. Never thought to put them on the wall!
I am enjoying these so much!!! AND coveting a lot of the amazing vintage items in people’s living rooms…is there any way we could get a clearinghouse of sources?
Michael, your living room is gorgeous! I’m having a window dilemma myself…I’d love to do wall to wall pinch pleats with 2″ blinds on the windows…I think for midmod pinch pleats are the way to go. My windowsill is at 2′-8″ and of course the heater runs under the window…so I wonder too if I could get away with the curtains just coming to below the window sill…
I say you can ‘get away with’ whatever your heart desires. I personally like to the floor in the living room and around the sill in the bedroom but that’s what worked for me. I put a clear plastic diverter over my register vents so the air doesn’t blow up inside the drapes. Is your heater built into the wall?
Clear plastic diverter??? Is that an actual product or a hack? My building is 1959 so I have the old fashioned baseboard heater that is not as ugly as the ones from the 70s, the profile is curved similar to the baseboards…
I have forced air register/vents in my floor and they make a curved plastic thingy that has magnets on it so it sticks to the grate and blows the air across the floor and not straight up. Hmmm…baseboard heat…ready made drapes come in many lengths, 54″, 63″, 72″, 84″, 95″. Maybe you could find a length that wouldn’t cover the baseboards. If you don’t like the look you can always send them back!
Hi Patti, where did you get your plastic thingies? Or, is there an official name for them so I can google them?
I may have gotten them at Lowe’s although my last two were stolen from my girlfriends dad’s house before it sold
. They are a.k.a air deflectors. But…..look what I found for you!!!!http://www.installerstore.com/Air-Deflector-for-Baseboard-Vents-Registers.html
wow, that was mighty kind of you, patti, to sleuth like that!!!
I told you, Pam…the fun never stops!!!!
Patti, you are awesome, thank you!!! I will certainly check these out, they would be great in my bedroom too. I finally got a look at your living room, serious envy and inspiration to never give up on the treasure hunt.
LOVE this post. So inspiring to see all the MCM homes out there!
Loving all of the living room pics!!! Soooo jealous of all the beautiful vintage sofas. *Sigh* I just can’t seem to find one in decent shape. The good news is I am so inspired by all of your pictures it has motivated me to get my vintage curtains hung and get to painting!
Heidi, my favorite sources so far have been the local junque and thrift stores, Ebay (for small items and my passionately adored green rya rug), and a few Retro stores in my area. We’re pretty poor Country Mice, so when it came to the *new* pieces I needed (just couldn’t find decent upholstered pieces around here; everything stank or I was afraid of bed bugs
… I went a cheapo route and bought from TJ Maxx (the Lane wing recliner and the knock-off Milo Baughman club chairs) or Overstock (the made in the USA, gorgeous, nubby avocado green long sofa…shipped all the way from L.A. for $2.95!). I’ve spent a lot of time with Minwax products, restoring the wood pieces…and Watkins Danish Oil… My teak lounge chair (not pictured; still needs upholstery) and ottoman, the end tables, the chests of drawer, two short danish modern bookcases, the credenza and hutch, and the working 1965 Zenith console stereo (Free on Craigslist!) all needed a little spiffing up by me, but I find that kind of work fun–and I got two end tables, the chest, the hutch, the credenza, two bookcases, and three chairs, and the stereo, for a grand total of about $350.
Here’s the sofa I bought. The feet are totally wrong, but the overall design (tufted back, bench seat, and arms and nubby fabric) are great..AND there are nice, modern touches, like little bungee cords on the seat that attach to hooks on the platform of the sofa, and keep one end of the seat from flying up in the air (like I’ve seen in so many vintage photos) when someone is sitting on the other end. Hah! This one comes in two other colors (butterscotch and oatmeal) as well. I’m very pleased with the construction quality; this is a heavy puppy!
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/JAR-Designs-The-Maxim-Sofa/5628602/product.html?rcmndsrc=2
Hi Becky, I am so impressed by how resourceful you are…I haven’t done much restoring on my own, mostly because of laziness, but I definitely have a couple of projects up my sleeve that I want to do but I’m a little afraid of. I tend to be the one who ends up with 20 tailoring projects in a bag in my closet that I never get to, and I don’t want to be like that with furniture! Maybe I”ll be better since I can’t really hide furniture in the closet.
Heidi,
I agree with Becky…EBay ( and now Etsy…a new favorite) CraigsList and Thrift shops(and the occasional dumpster dive)Along with that…patience! We moved into our place on 2001, and probably only in the last 2 to 3 years, have I finally got the furniture I want ( there are 3 pics of mine…2 marked mid century modern with an asian twist, and one unmarked up near the top…sorry) But those sources have got me everything from chairs to tables to art, to light fixtures. I never expect things to look new, and am always willing to put in some elbow grease to clean them up. Good luck, and don’t get discouraged…things will come.
Hi Christa, thanks for your kind words, good things do come to those who wait! I visit my local thrift shops almost every weekend, and I’m so excited that yard sale season is coming. It is a lifelong treasure hunt…
In Michelle’s living room NC – I have those same lamps on your couch end tables! I’ve never seen them anywhere else before. I have them in my bedroom but need to get them rewired. I don’t remember if they were my Great Aunt’s or my Grandmother’s. Beautiful room!
Jason (Blue Jay) & Nicky – great room! Love the accent wall. Where did you find the media console?
Loretta,
Thanks! The console is on the newer side. We tried looking for vintage, but I couldn’t bring myself to drill holes into a vintage piece. It’s from a company called Zocalo (http://www.zocalousa.com). I believe they are made in the US, and the prices are reasonable (we got our console on sale, since it was a floor model). I found out after the fact that Zocalo set out to create affordable reinterpretations of mid-century design. We’ve had friends ask us if all of our living room is vintage (it isn’t: it’s about a half and half mix of new and old, since this is the most used room in our home).
Loretta, are you in Austin, TX? That place is an awesome mid-century haven! We went last year and our jaws hit the floor. The prices were definitely reasonable too! It’s a great mid-century city!
BlueJay,
Thanks so much for sending along that resource, will check it out! Yes, Austin, TX. Returned to my home state after 21 years in NYC and LA, with no prospects for purchasing in either location. After a few more local moves was finally ready to purchase in fall ’10 and my ’54 ranch MCM was love at first sight, and a good deal! It’s a swell pocket neighborhood in North Austin with great trees and nice sized lots.
That’s awesome! NYC has some great architecture, but is it ever pricey! Our house is actually from 1992. We looked for mid-century houses, but most were in need of a lot of work, which we didn’t have the money for. Our layout is almost identical to a split level we looked at built in 1966 though, so we decided to run with the mid-century! The nice part about having a newer house that we can back date is that we don’t have to stay with just one decade of MCM! Our living room is 70s, our dining room and kitchen are an amalgamation of early 50s and 60s, and our bathrooms will be 60s and 70s; we’re gonna go early 50s for our Master bath.
It’s nice to have options like that! I think I’m the third owner – previous owners lived there 23 years – got married in the backyard, left me wonderful rose bushes and native plants and a house in excellent structural condition…the inspector was impressed. Of course one of my first thoughts was to open it up with a demo of the structural wall between the LR and the kitchen and have a great open floor plan…I may return to that idea some day….Previous owners demo’d the third BR (as a 2 BR/2 BA I think that helped me have less competition – it’s a little over 1300 sq. ft.) With the opened up kitchen and den area from where the third BR used to be I have a Banquet Hall along the back of the house. My big winter project was to replace the faulty sliders wi French doors and painted them yellow. At my spring party a few weeks ago I got to throw open the French doors on a beautiful night and the party felt like it was in one room, the flow is so good between the Banquet Hall and the back yard. The back yard is starting to look like an Austin outdoor cafe!
We are the 2nd owners and we have no plans to move, which is probably good because people already ask us when we’re going to update our place.
We usually have to tell them several times that it was built in 1992; our friends seem to think our house is older than our development! Mission accomplished! We put french doors in our lower level; they really open up the space! The one main difference between our house and the 1966 split is that the kitchen in ours is open to the dining room~which we love. We can throw a buffet table in the space between the 2 rooms and serve from one side! We loved Austin when we visited. If we ever planned on moving again, it might be a serious contender. It really is a great place!
I forgot to add — those are two of the Charley Harper national parks posters hanging above our green couch. Thanks for the tip, Pam!
Yes, I noticed! I wonder how many are still available? Straight from the US Govt, peeps, cheap, no tax and free shipping, Charley Harper travel posters: http://retrorenovation.com/2011/09/29/charley-harper-posters-straight-from-u-s-government-original-stockpiles-cheap-free-shipping-no-tax/
Meredith R. – Where did you find the frames for the posters? Or did you have them custom made? I am having trouble finding frames for mine so they aren’t hung up. =(
Hi Natalie – The frames are custom. They were pricey for sure (the posters are huge), but I justified it based on the art being so cheap and my wall being so painfully bare. I think they look great and we’ve had lots of compliments. My favorite is that every few days/weeks my 5-year-old tells me about something in one of the posters that he never noticed before. They are remarkably detailed.
we may have re-claimed our livingroom recently from all het crap we had in there for our basement reno, but as it is a hodge podge of furniture from different periods (except the 60′s!!), it’s so not worthy of a share, but I’ll pretend mine looks like the one from Rochester NY, love!
Wow Pam! These posts are AMAZING!
Will there be a permanent link to these photos? I’d love to be able to show my clients these images when helping them determine what mid century furnishings they would like me to locate for them. Visualization is difficult for some, and having a great reference like this would be wonderful.
What a lot of people don’t understand is that “mid century” is not a singular look…there were many variations, and the term itself covers the 1950′s and 1960′s. In some cases, folks are even incorporating some great pieces from the 1970′s into their mid century decor/houses with success! I see some great examples here.
This is very inspiring! Congrats to all of your readers for rescuing so many gems!
Best,
Bobbie
Hi Bobbie-
You might try Flikr…Pam has a group there, and there are many other retro groups as well…ranging from 50′s to the 70′s. Lots and lots of pictures to see. Good luck!
Sue Sweeney, your fireplace and chimney are gorgeous. I love the way it divides the room. Is that your dining room beyond, or do I see kitchen pendant lights?
Thanks, Jane! We love our house – I call it our “Brady Bunch House”! Can you believe that when we moved in we had a friend who tried to talk us into getting rid of the pendant lights? To the left of the fireplace is the window above the front door. There are metal pendant lights outside, and glass pendant lights inside. To the right of the fireplace you are looking into the back hallway of the house. I love the brick, too, although it probably needs cleaning (not sure how to do that). I think that it is called “Roman Brick”
Best,
Sue
I am in awe of all these wonderful living rooms! But, my heart lies with the wallpapered one. That, really takes me back. The wallpaper, though if I’d have seen it in a shop I’d have passed it buy, but seeing it all tied together like this just sends me. I could die happy in that room. Fabulous decor taste. *swoons*
I have throughly enjoyed looking at all these wonderful photos. How refreshing to see other folks who “take the interior design road less traveled” and do so with pride. I posted three photos of my kitchen as seen from the living room of my 1953 ranch. It’s is a very bright yellow kitchen, so the photos are easy to spot. I inherited a Sellers baking cabinet from my parents which is visible in the photos. If anyone is knowledgable of these cabinets and could help me date it I would be most appreciative. Also there are two large plates hanging over the cabinet with floral prints. The plates belonged to my mother and there are no markings on the back to idenify the manufacturer. They are at least 40 years old. Does anyone know what they are?
What a feast for the eyes! I love the original “my mom’s living room.” That fireplace is gorgeous.
I am drooling over these photos!!! I love Sylvia’s blue drapes in the first two photos! And that pink couch with the fringe….yum!…. My living room is WAY retro, more like 1902 Parlor. Can I still participate?
sure, upload away!
Oopsie! Forgot about the basement living room! I hereby dub myself “Bargain Basement Barbie”. (The couch is 17 feet long, thanks for asking.) Thanks Pam, this is fun!
These are so inspiring! I’m filing this post away for future reference. My living room is currently decorated in “three young kids run through here and play here all day long, so cool retro decor is at the bottom of the priority list for awhile.”
Someday, though…my kids won’t act like bulls in a china shop forever, right?
Love these rooms – makes me want to have a moveable cocktail party in each one! It’s giving me some good ideas for my shopping this summer
Makes me think that my living room could change a bit from the more early american to a more modern. Hmmm, I will have to think on that. So, thanks very much for all the pictures -
So jealous…I liked the smaller spaces, like Anne’s apartment in NYC since we have a 1/1 condo from 1960-something, which has been gutted to be awkwardly contemporary. Fortunately they didn’t put turn-of-the-century-apropos woodwork around the windows. Just, when I see these spaces I love them all but somehow feel they are mostly “too much” or “not enough.” I hope I don’t make that mistake. I am giving myself 24 hours to think about it but I might purchase a PERFECT ‘Madmen’ style suite from Macy’s tomorrow…I know, I should ‘look’ but since we just moved in I need more than the bed & my 1960′s chartreuse chair to sit on, haha!