Well, howdy do, the blog is getting kinda big now,
so I have hired a real deal regular contributor.
A big, warm bear hug welcome to Kate, who will be
adding to the mid mod madness every Tuesday and Thursday. Following is her first story — an introduction, along with a peek into her lovely living room. – Pam
I’d like to give a big hello to all the Retro Renovation readers! My name is Kate and you may recognize me from my blog Retro Ranch Revamp where I chronicle my quest to fix up my 1962 ranch house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
When Pam, the queen of all things retro, asked me if I might be interested in writing the occasional post for Retro Renovation (my all time favorite retro/home improvement blog!) I was thrilled!
Pam and I have a lot in common when it comes to our love of all things retro. Both of us are extremely passionate about our respective ranch homes and we both strive to fix them up to make them our own while still respecting the style and uniqueness of mid century architecture. We also both love to get our hands dirty, whether it be digging for treasure at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore or remodeling a room.
An overview shot of my living and dining room.
My love for all things retro started when I was attending college in Ohio. One of my favorite art professors got me interested in “neat old junk” which was mostly toys, furniture and house wares from the 1950s. She used many of these things as subject matter for her personal paintings, as well as in still life arrangements for drawing classes she taught. I vividly remember sitting in her cluttered office, talking to her and looking at the variety of stuff she had collected in awe and amazement thinking, “maybe someday I could have cool stuff like this!”
Some of my favorite furniture lives in the dining room. My Broyhill Brasilia Hutch and Burke tulip table and chairs.
When I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (my major was fine art/graphic design with a minor in art history) in 2005, I decided to move to Wisconsin. I had family there and an uncle who would let me stay very inexpensively at his rental property until I was on my feet. Despite the tough economy (yes, even back then!) I landed a job as a graphic designer at a small publishing company in about six weeks. It wasn’t long before I was looking for a house to call my own. I bought my first house (an 1890 cape cod) in an eclectic neighborhood on the east side of Milwaukee. I spent all my spare time and money fixing up the house (with help from my parents) and buying retro furniture from yard sales, estate sales and craigslist. Soon my little 800 sq foot house was bulging at the seams…and adding a large dog and a new husband into the mix meant it was time to look for another, slightly larger house.
Can you tell orange is my favorite color?
I wouldn’t say my husband is obsessed with all things retro like I am, but he appreciates the style and trusts my vision for a space, even if the house needs some work. We searched many different neighborhoods just outside the city of Milwaukee and finally settled on one area with an abundance of 1950s and 1960s style ranch and split level homes that were also within our budget. It was harder than I thought, but we ended up finding a 1962 ranch house that was 95% original and untouched (only a few small upgrades had been made, all of which we could live with) that was everything we wanted and more.
I love the original details in my ranch...like the fabulous built in planter/divider
We’ve been living in our dream ranch for just under two years now and we couldn’t be happier. We still have a long way to go before we call our place “done” but I have enjoyed every project that I’ve tackled to date. All the furniture I had been collecting at my old house fit seamlessly into my new to me retro ranch. (At our housewarming party, some neighbors asked it we bought it furnished!) I’ve continued adding pieces here and there as I find them, as well as painting, decorating, fixing, doing yard work and making our house a home.
I’m a do it yourself type girl. I’ll try building, fixing or making just about anything at least once. I’d call my personal style retro/modern/colorful. I like to mix up my rooms with awesome retro pieces, a few modern conveniences and top it off with a bright wall color and accents.
I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and Retro Renovating experiences with all of you!
– Kate
***
Thank you, Kate, I am so psyched! Kate already has a bundle of stories “in the can” — and they are good ones. I also have been following her blog, Retro Ranch Revamp, for quite a while, and I’ve been impressed by (1) the quality of her projects, (2) the quality and tenacity of her posts, and (3) as she says, her passion for the retro. Her favorite color is orange, same as me… she lives in Milwaukee, where I went to college… and heck, you gotta a woman with a Broyhill Brasilia china cabinet in her dining room. I’m really looking forward to having Kate’s help — to cover things I can’t always get to… to offer fresh new ideas and perspectives… and heck, I’m thrilled to be “creating” a job — albeit a part-time one — reflecting the continued growth in the blog. We’re gonna have some fun, Kate — welcome!
Welcome Kate. You have a fab house and I look forward to reading about your experiences and insights that will feed our addiction that is Retro Renovation.
Hi Kate – Your house is just beautiful ! Looking forward to your contributions !
Congrats and welcome Kate! You know I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time, as well.
Yay! Welcome Kate! I’ve been enjoying reading about your adventures on your blog for a while. (I particularly like Leo’s “voice” – he has such an interesting perspective, ha ha!) Congratulations! I can’t wait to hear what you, your Adorable Husband Jim and Leo have been up to next.
Welcome Kate!! and Yeyyy for you, Pam, continuing to expand and grow in this bloggy business is awesome!
Congratulations, ladies!
Like the some of the other posters here I’ve been following Kate’s blog as well. Love the looks Leo tosses their way in some of the photos as well.
All I can say right now is thanks and I’m so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome, Kate! I already enjoy reading your blog and looking forward to what you’ll be sharing here!
Welcome Kate. We are neighbors! I am in a traditional colonial but appreciate all the fine MCM homes in our area. We have a 60s A-frame up north that I furnish with my MCM finds. I love the consignment shops and estate sales in our area. I’ve found a Heywood Wakefield Desk, Paul McCobb bar cart/server and a sputnik chandelier for next to nothing. Perhaps I am revealing too much. HA! I thought I had a corner on the market.
Happy Hunting. I’ve bookmarked your site. I look forward to getting to “know” you better.
Howdy, neighbor!
I think I saw some of your furniture scores on Craigslist (if that’s where you got them) a while back. Didn’t have room at my place…glad someone was able to scoop them up!
Kate what a cool open and colorfull look of the living spaces! How did you handle the bathroom BTW? I did’nt see a pic or is it still in the works?
Welcome aboard!!!!!!!!!
Hi Bruce,
The bathroom is still in the works! You’ll be seeing the complete story here on Retro Renovation! Stay tuned!
Kate- I love your home! Great colors and furnishings. I look forward to reading your contributions (and I think I need to check out your blog, too!)
Congrats, Kate and Pam! Wonderful all around! Kate, as a fellow Wisconsinite, I feel the need for a meet up at some point! Maybe Pam will send you ‘on location’ to lovely La Crosse! I’d promise a story worth the time and effort! Happy for you both! What fun!
If there’s anything that comes close to my love of retro, it is my love of Wisconsin! I’ve never been to La Crosse, but I’d love to visit!
Welcome Kate! I too have been following your blog and love your style. I’m looking forward to your posts!
Congratulations Kate! As one of Kate’s loyal followers, I can only imagine the inspiration what she will bring to the Retro Renovation blog. RR followers get ready for a tour de force as Kate has abundant energy and creativity and will take you on a whirlwind journey to MCM-land. Great choice Pam!
Congrats to Kate on getting this peachy (a shade of orange) assignment, and congrats to Pam on reaching this expansion point. Congrats to readers, who’ll benefit from Pam and Kate becoming the Doublemint Twins, bringing us double the information, double the fun! But how will this affect Astro and Leo — I think they’ll reach celebrity status and we’ll be seeing them on TMZ wearing sunglasses and driving around in convertibles.
Aww thanks! I’m super excited to be working with Pam to bring you all your daily dose of retro!
Hmmmm Leo is a border collie mix, he might be just smart enough and tall enough to drive, plus he loves meeting new dog friends, so he would love driving Astro around! Watch out world!
Welcome aboard! This is so exciting. Already loving you & your ranch : )
Great addition Pam, I’ve enjoyed reading Kate’s posts at her blog since I found it. Kate, I’m looking forward to your posts, I hope that Leo will sneak into your photos at least once in a while.
Welcome Kate! I follow your blog and enjoy seeing what you’re up to. And Leo too, of course. I hope that you enjoy writing for Retro Renovation.
Welcome, Kate! Your house is GORGEOUS … I love how you’ve stayed so true to the period and architecture without going down the kitsch road, so it just looks like it might have looked way back when. So looking forward to hearing and seeing more from you!
Also you are making me re-think paint … when I painted our dining room the color turned out completely different than I was expecting (go figure) and I was horrified at how orange it was especially against our wedgewood blue living room (though I’ve lived with it for nearly four years). But I love the way it looks in your house, so maybe I need to reconsider.
Howdy, Kate! Glad to have you with us. Can’t wait for your posts.
Wonderful house!!
Love Kate’s blog, and looking forward to seeing what she’ll bring to this one!
Hi Kate! I’ve had your blog in my “to read” pile for a while now. Glad to finally catch up on it. Gotta love those wonderful Midcentury Modest Midwest ranches (it’s fun to say, too.)
Kate, your house is beautiful. I have not really followed your blog, but I’ll have to now.
One of my sisters studied fine arts, and ended up in WI (Wausau) .
Welcome, Kate! It’ll be fun to see what you have for us!
Congratulations, Pam, on becoming an employer. That’s a big, big step for a business!
Welcome, Kate! To make your debut official, you’ll need to stage a photograph striking a militant pose with a drill or other DIY tool in an appropriately retro setting!
Seriously, congratulations and we look forward to reading your posts!
That Broyhill hutch is AMAZING. Believe it or not, I grew up eating on your dining set. My mom had the eye. Welcome!!!!!
That’s very cool Rebecca! Thanks for sharing that tidbit!
Welcome, Kate! I look forward to hearing your points of view! And I love your house!
Yay Kate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go! Good decision, Pam.
Welcome. Your home is lovely. Looking forward to more posts from you!