- I always seem to open a can of worms when I allow myself a (usually highly caffeinated) rant — like this past weekend when I launched into Lowes and their recent bathroom-meets-sledgehammer TV commercial. I’ve also *allowed* the rant a few other times, when discussing Resist the Greige Nation, for example.
- On the other hand, I have a mantra about reader comments: “No one should be made to feel bad for their decisions”… and I do not like and will usually edit certain words like h***, u***, h******, and d****. <– My edits are usually comprised of adding the asterisks, blanking out the letters.
- Hmmm: Do my prohibitions about negative reader comments become hypocritical when I launch a rant? In the same vein, then, is it “okay” or “wrong” for me to edit comments that include the irksome h***, etc. words?
- Whenever I launch a rant, I think I’m may also be leaving the impression that I oppose remodeling… that not keeping what’s original is *wrong.* Clarification is due.
So in this story, I’m gonna try to outline my thinking about and approach to these points, with the caveat — make your own decisions — it’s your house!
1. Yes, this blog is pro-preservation.
When I first started this blog, I consciously made the decision to stay away from politics and social commentary. I’ve tiptoed in only occasionally, I *think*. For example, there were lots of bad social things going on from 1946 onward. I don’t try to illuminate or opine on them, that’s for other blogs. This blog is, fundamentally, about researching and reporting on resources to help you renovate your home in period-appropriate style — delivering products and ideas to help owners of midcentury houses get their jobs done more easily — in a marketing world that doesn’t make it easy, because our journey is not with the mainstream.
In the same vein, I kind of consciously made the decision that I would try to stay away from the politics of renovation and remodeling a house. Although in this area, I am sure I have been less successful.
In general, I have tried not to *preach* that you should keep what you have, versus gut remodel it for something new. I *think* I understand it’s more effective to *show* rather than to *tell*, so I show photos of how our homes and interiors were originally designed… so you can see how it was done… I show photos of how other readers are renovating… all, so that you can make your own decisions. I try not to tell you what you should do.
But do I *believe* that a homeowner should try to preserve what they have rather than gut it?
Yes — as a first approach to your new/old home — yes, I do. And, I am very sure my beliefs comes through in what I write. There is no such thing as objective journalism. So, even though I say I don’t want to tell you what to do, of course, I am going to bend that way in what I write about and how I write about it.
Even so, like I said, I try not to preach. Instead, I try to “show”. For example, if a reader sends me photos of their renovation to consider for the blog, and they gutted what I believe was a perfectly nice looking original room and replaced it with something kind of … 2012 … well, then, I don’t post it. I figure, “they don’t understand the focus of this blog.” The focus is: Renovating in period-appropriate style.
Why do I believe that preservation is a wise first route? Let me count the ways:
- (1) Don’t kid yourself, every room in your house is, and looks *dated*. Dated to the date when what was added was “hot.” There may be some truly timeless rooms out there, but golly, they are hard to find.
- (2) If you are gonna renovate for longterm value, you might as well *date* your interiors to the *date* of the house, because at least when people say it’s *dated* it will be *dated* historically appropriately. One day it may even be desirable as an “authentic period restoration” — and there are usually markets for authentic.
- (3) This is especially true about kitchens and bathrooms — which cost a lot of money to renovate. Heck, do whatever you want with your furniture, but anything expensive affixed to the wall, think long and hard before plunking down that credit card for today’s latest fashion, unless you plan on putting the house up for sale the day your renovation is complete. Even then, flipping is risky business.
- (4) Midcentury homes are historically interesting, beautiful and increasingly desirable. Over the past five years, I have heard more and more and more examples of folks wanting time capsules in great shape. Why rip out what is going to be desirable?
- (5) Much of what was built in midcentury America was better made that what’s available today. If it has lasted 50 years already and is still in good shape today, I’ll bet that it has many more decades of utility ahead, if it continues to be well maintained.
- (6) How much of your money do you really want to spend on renovating your house? Maybe you would rather save for retirement instead? It may be fun to be young and poor, but it’s not fun to be old and poor.
- (7) If everyone in the world lived like we do in America, we would need four Earths to supply the materials.
- (8) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you were a perfectly nice vintage bathroom or kitchen and still had lots of life left in you, would you want to be gutted with an evil glee sledgehammer? Okay, so now I am getting kind of silly with my list. You get the point. But kinda bottom line: Default = Leave the stuff alone, make sure it’s safe and environmentally friendly. Bank your savings; debt is very stressful. Respect the old — and the life-energy of the people who built the old. (Could they really all have been wrong in how they designed these homes? Are we really that much smarter about design? I don’t see any evidence that’s so.) Love the House You’re In.
2. At the same time, this blog is not anti-remodel.
When Kate wrote about her decision to gut-remodel her bathroom, one commenter noted that she sounded almost apologetic. Actually — it was me who, in the edit process, asked Kate to beef up the story to ensure she showed gratitude for the old bathroom and the service that it had provided. This is something that grew on me and my focus over time. One thing that I *think* I have learned in the five years of doing the blog, is that in postwar America, people were immensely grateful to be able to build and buy the houses we are now in. I won’t belabor the point, but most Americans had diddly squat until after World War II. Like, a huge percentage did not have indoor plumbing. So my takeaway is: Who are we to think the bathrooms or kitchens or knotty pine living rooms that they so gratefully built and raised their families in are *fill in the blank with a mean-minded adjective”? Really. I never knew anyone who went out of their way to design an u*** room — someone thought that their new/now old (bathroom, kitchen, etc.) was beautiful. And in the day it probably was! Au courant! But, au courant changes… Usually because marketers want to dis-satisfy us with what we have…. They want us to rip out what they sold us 50 years or 30 years or 10 years ago…. and buy their new and improved look…. which becomes *dated* soon enough…. and the ridiculous cycle starts all over again. Be cognizant of the manipulation — and you can break the cycle in your own life and spend less time and less money chasing the fleeting fashion dream.
Did you know that gratitude is the #1 attribute of happy people? Be grateful for that bathroom, even if — and maybe especially if — you decide it is time to remodel.
But am against gut remodeling? NO. I gut remodeled my three bathrooms and my kitchen. I don’t want to go into great detail to defend my decision — because we don’t need to defend our decisions. Suffice to say, I think I was true to my beliefs on this one — I always compliment the 1970s kitchen that we replaced — it was really nicely done given the styles then — really! And, I really liked the multicolor bathrooms and would surely have kept them if they had been in better shape. In each case — with both the kitchen and the bathrooms — I surely did not like having to spend all that money to gut remodel, and the whole process was very stressful.
On Kate’s story, Brian T. asked this question:
Pam has started her list of things that are definitely valuable to a Retro Renovator. How about a list of things that no one needs to feel guilty about tossing, even though they’re “vintage”? Item #1: Plastic tile! I just got rid of it in a bathroom I gutted — there was no question of trying to work with it. It seem like “mauve” might make the list for some reason, along with “things that smell” and “things that will never look clean.” Pam, you’ve instilled a sort of moral code about “thou shalt not assume pink bathrooms are too dated to live with”; can you start up a list of “thou shalt not beat thyself up for throwing out ____”?
The Retro Renovator’s Creed:
Thou shalt not beat thyself up for throwing out… features (yes, original bathrooms and kitchens) that you have lived with for a while, sought to understand (rather than just h*** in a knee-jerk way), decide just aren’t for you, and which you can afford to change without adding to the family into debt in a way that will stress you out. (Test: If you only paid cash, and you had saved up all the money, would you really use all the cash for this project?)
>If it’s broken beyond repair… or if repairing it would cost more than buying a comparable new replacement… do what you gotta do.>If technology has improved and a new product available today delivers important or useful new benefits — and especially if they relate to safety or energy and the environment… sure, swap it out.>
If you need to reconfigure the space to accommodate your needs and to lively happily there… yes, of course, make the house your own.>This is your house — make it the place you love. But: Let the old stuff go with respect for the service it has provided the generations before — no evil-glee sledgehammering. Remember, that bathroom/kitchen/etc. was someone’s pride and joy once — they raised their families there — they loved that room. Respect their decisions, don’t deride them. See: The Golden Rule. Most everyone I talk today bemoans the “loss of civility” in discourse today; let’s take the high road and be civil about how we treat and talk about the rooms that came before us.
>
Send still-functional materials to the Re-Store, if you really think someone else will want them.
>And of course, prioritize renovations that address identified safety and environmental issues — and when you renovate, engage properly licensed professionals and Renovate Safe.
3. My commenting policy: No One May be Made to Feel Bad for their Decisions. And, nix to the h***, u***, h******, d****…
My blog is my happy place. Hateful angry words distress me. They are usually not required — really: *Hate* a room color? I have said before, Let’s save our hate and the call-to-action it engenders for [fill in the blank, choose social/political issues that you really care about] that lead to real human suffering (rather than the suffering that comes from having to bathe in a pastel-colored bathroom, for example). So I don’t allow these words in comments on the blog: Hate, Ugly, Hideous, Dated. Please try not to use them, I will edit the word with asterisks. Most regular readers know my feelings and approach to this — and they’ve told me they appreciate it… that it is part of what has made this a supportive community. On a regular basis, this whole h***, etc. issue is not a very big issue on the blog. It usually comes up only when I start the rant. Then other jump right in to play. I totally understand. So, in a goodly number of cases, I’ll take the pin!
So what if you don’t really like something on the blog and want to offer a critical comment? (1) If it’s simply a product that I have posted, say, something from the Crate & Barrel website, hey, no problem, say why you don’t like it and why and offer an alternative. Be nice about it, of course. BUT (2), if it’s a reader’s home, well, you know the answer already. This is a supportive site. Find something to like and comment on that and move on. Honestly, this is not much of an issue on this site, I can only think of two or three times I did not approve a nasty comment, and they were from passers-by, not regulars. I am writing this only to be complete.
What if you have “advice” for a reader and their room? A “rule” I read on this recently: Don’t offer advice unless someone has agreed you may offer it. As in, a made-up example: Mary has shared a shot of her living room so that we can see her Heywood Wakefield collection. There is no talk of wall color. You think you have a great idea. Before just spitting it out, you need to ask, “Wow, that room is really beautiful. May I offer you some ideas about a wall color that might make that whole Heywood Wakefield set pop even more?” If Mary responds saying, “Sure, I’d love to hear!,” you are good to go. But maybe she will say, “We just painted the room this color last week, and we are really happy with it.” Which means oopsy, shut yer trap. Or maybe she won’t answer at all. Which means…. yup, shut yer trap. Bottom line: If you ask permission to give advice, and the recipient says yes, the recipient is more … receptive. This is the civil way to do it. Mea culpa: On Kate’s post about her bathroom room layout, she didn’t ask for my help — and I didn’t ask permission. Yet, I jumped right in to offer advice. This was not the “right” way to do it. She gets mega props for responding with grace. (Next time, I will have her make her closing point in the blog post, “What do you think of my layout, readers?” haha)
Hey, the other thing I want to bring up is how we talk about other homeowners who choose current decorating styles. On this point, I also want to encourage civility… and I may start editing comments accordingly. Yes, folks continue to put in granite countertops etc. etc. etc. in droves. This does not make them bad people. I think about how to talk about this a lot, and here is what I have come up with:
I think that a lot of folks have only limited interest in decorating. They will buy what’s current. And move on. And that’s okay. They have other passions, other interests… whereas we are nutso passionate and highly visual and way way way into decor.
HEY: The folks who built and furnished our groovy mid mods also were most likely only interested in their decor up to a point. THEY bought what was CURRENT, too. I even have vintage marketing material — training for a steel kitchen cabinets salesman — instructing him that the first job he had, during a customer consultation, was to “dis-satisfy her with her kitchen.” This was like 1948! 50 or 60 years later, we are left with their desire for “the latest and greatest.”
I guess what I’m saying is: So, let’s be sure we are civil, too, about all other folks and their decorating choices. This means that even I will need to stop dropping “Save the Pink Bathroom” bombs on other blogs that continue to show decimated pink bathrooms, I’m pretty sure it’s not winning any converts, just annoying folks who are trying to do their best. I will revert to the approach I started out with: Show don’t tell. Does that make sense?
4. Is it hypocritical of me to rant, given the policies I’ve just outlined?
Yes, guilty. It’s easier to catch a bear with honey. Or is it, bees to honey? Whenever I rant — which I usually try to focus on marketeers, certainly not individuals — I always get lots of positive feedback from readers. Go, Pam, go! But I also almost always end up offending a few (maybe more), too — because this ain’t a real conversation where you can really explain yourself and talk things through, it’s writing, and sometimes it comes out …. wrong…. or harsher than you mean it to. I don’t want to offend. I want to make this a place where people feel good about and encouraged in their decisions to make a home they love — usually in a way that’s “the road less traveled”. So I recommit to trying to moderate my rants in the future. I think I can still make my points: By showing, not telling, and when I must opine — with civility.
Wow Pam, you should get about 300 posts on this I think. I’ll limit myself to one small tangent – a related tangent, because you mention it – “This blog is, fundamentally, about researching and reporting on resources to help you renovate your home in period-appropriate style – …”
Your focus is on mid century homes, which is just fine. I love the mid century look. But for many of us readers, mid century would actually be an update. It would be period inappropriate, if the year the house was built is the guideline for what “period appropriate” means.
I believe that period inappropriate remodeling is actually very historically accurate. Consider – if we had a time machine, and could go back and look at my living room in 1955 what would we likely see? My house was built in 1917. I bet in ’55 there was some danish modern furniture, a blond coffee table, “current” wallpaper, etc. Not to mention a TV.
I’d like to do a mid century vibe in the living room, which for our house, is period incorrect. Yet, it might be historically accurate. This is what people were doing in the ’50s – updating their older homes. “Remudling” them, if you will.
The kitchen is an even better example – by ’55 the original kitchen, if it still existed was not only “dated” but genuinely obsolete. A hoosier cabinet, a sink, a fidgety old gas stove, and an ice box (and I mean a literal ice box, not a ‘fridge) is not how people wanted to live in the post-war years.
Alas, whatever the kitchen was like in ’55, when we bought the place in ’86 it had been “remudled” on a budget. There is nothing about the kitchen worth saving, or of any historic value. When we do the remodel (with cash, not credit) it will basically be a “gut and redo” to a period not correct for the time the home was built. (Hopefully a late ’30s/early ’40s look)
This is really not a big deal. I understand the general ‘vibe’ of RR. Still “period correct” always gets me thinking about the role that “updates” have historically played in remodeling.
These are great points. Let me think about how to update my story to incorporate some of these thoughts and be even clearer. Thank you.
Very thought provoking and true. I’ve had similar thoughts before. Unless a person is very wealthy, he or she probably buys furnishings for their home that they like and intend on keeping for a long time. That item might be “in style” at the time of purchase but 20 years later considered to be d****. Do they chuck perfectly good furnishings simply to keep current? Some do but most don’t. My own parents’ house was a mixture of things they’d collected over the years and yet it felt warm and personal rather than decoratively disjointed. Plus, as Pam points out, their interests did not lie in decorating, so they just went with what they liked and was readily available, not what was period appropriate. This was in the 70′s and 80′s and their house was built in 1963. We had an old record player from the late 40′s, an 80′s faux butcher block kitchen table, the original turquoise stove and refrigerator, the rocking chair my mother rocked me in, the same one her mother had from the 30′s, etc. So as you point-out, Chris, period inappropriateness can be historically accurate. That brings me to thoughts of my own home. I have strived to keep in touch with the period of my home, yet I know that time keeps marching on, and it is, in fact, an impossible task. Plus, my home is probably not accurate compared to how the original owners decorated it when it was built in 1956. It probably would have looked more like my parent’s home. Therefore, I’ve become quite content with what I have which has made me a happier person right now and 20 years from now. My brain has exploded from this universe-expanding train of thought
Pam, I love this site because not only is it intelligent, it also strives to elevate our society and I appreciate it very much. Thank you.
I’m very late reading this. I was still in my 70s condo at the time this was written. It’s nice to read that our homes, as much as we love mid-century, are a mix of the things that are meaningful. I will not toss out things my kids made in the 1990s because it’s not style appropriate for my 1954 home. ErasureHead movie poster sits along side my vintage Mexican art. I will still hang on to my Sgt Pepper lava lamp. My way of thinking is..if you like to look at it…keep it.
I totally agree with ChrisH. I grew up in houses dating from, roughly, 1875-1925. All of them had been substantially updated during the post-war years; steel or pine kitchens, snazzy colored tile in bathrooms, wide aluminum venetian blinds, low-slung upholstered furniture, french provincial bedroom sets, foil wallpaper…. and I find that I feel most comfortable in that type of setting. I currently live in a modest 1892 house. It was assuredly filled with floral carpets, heavy drapery, and dark furniture originally. The original bathrooms are long gone. I have no particular interest in creating a “victorian” interior in my home. I think that it is important to create a home you love. If you have a fabulous, original feature, think long and hard before removing it. But if you have, like me, a home stripped of most of it’s original features, just use what makes you and your family happy and comfortable. I’ve really enjoyed slowly filling the house up with furniture, rugs, light fixtures, etc. I find as I do this, that the house is coming to resemble those houses from my childhood. Most certainly not period-appropriate, but it feels right.
Josh, your approach makes total sense.
Jenny and Josh – I love what you say about collecting meaningful and purposeful items in your home over a long period of time. That does make it a home, versus a magazine layout or a museum. My mom decorated her houses from the early 1950s to now. And she never throws anything away. So, I guess I’ve grown up with that look of combining periods and styles in a home.
Pam, I really appreciate your moderating the more harsh words on your blog. By doing so, you’ve created one of the few very safe places on the web where folks can not only share ideas but actual PICTURES OF THEIR HOMES! A person has to feel safe to do that, otherwise it just becomes a competition. And, your rants are not hypocritical; they are a welcome balance to the tidal wave of advertising coming our way. You and your commenters have really given me… courage (is that too strong a word?)… to decorate as I like.
So, picking an era to represent…
My house was built in 1918, and was a butchershop/meatmarket, (it wouldn’t have had electric or plumbing to start with) then a corner store till sometime in the 70′s? My kitchen was a cheap, falling apart 80′s remudle. We have found the original wood floor under 4 layers of junk.
I’m using my imagination that the original wood floor would have been used for quite a while, with it’s first “modern” kitchen being installed in the 40′s or 50′s
In general the look I’m going for is what I call, “Farmhouse meets the Jetson’s” It’s a little hard to describe but I know it when I see it.
I’m so glad I stumbled upon retrorenovation to regain an appreciation for classic, good mid-century design. Prior to that, I too could have gone the “granite” route.
Another website has also been some of my inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/apartmenttherapy
It’s amazing how what goes around comes around and was pleased to find that IKEA has this vibe going and many retrorenovation fans have used IKEA. Thus I’ve chosen there STAT cabinet, for that beadboard “40′s farmhouse” effect.
I’m actually looking for a 40″ working vintage electric stove from the era, via ebay/craigslist…
So, think white: clean, simple, organized, with Apple Green color accessories and walls, stainless steel/chrome and some mid-century vintage accents, thus the “knick-knack” shelf cabinets on the right side, upper and lower (just like Grandma had!).
Our “Hoosier” cabinet (with black trimmed/white porcelain top)has been given it a fresh coat of white paint and will have the vintage look brushed chrome hardware (IKEA) that will match the rest of the cabinets. The cabinet will become my baking center, with my standing mixer.
“Like”
Gratitude….the single most important point made in the above if you ask me. I get a little weary of the ingratitude I encounter on an almost daily basis. I love your attitude and this invaluable site.
I was looking at an Eichler site yesterday and they described your blog as a fun happy site. Who could improve on that?
I think we should post this “rant”‘ all over the internet to encourage gratitude and civility in all walks of life.
I try to be grateful, civil and laugh out loud every day.
Thank you Pam for making it so much easier to reach my goal everyday.
Especially the laugh out loud.
Your “rant” on the Lowe’s video: Not hypocritical, since you went to extreme lengths to explain your point of view so that you wouldn’t be hypocritical or plain old snarky. You’ve proved you aren’t anti-remodel by posting many features on your own or someone else’s remodeling projects. Now, if you post a video of Kate taking a sledge hammer to her mauve tiles, then you will be hypocritical!
On whether you should beat yourself up for tossing something vintage: Around here, the only stuff that has literally been tossed in the garbage was so filthy or so electrically unsafe that it seemed likely to be a health hazard to someone. And the electrically unsafe was two ceiling light fixtures that probably could have been rewired, but we didn’t think of it. I feel no guilt over tossing out some disgusting grease-covered and water damaged kitchen cabinetry, but a little guilt over the two light fixtures — maybe they could have gone to the ReStore. You can always get rid of some of the guilt by donating something to the ReStore or selling it so that someone else can use it.
JKaye,
I can assure you that I will not be using a sledge hammer on my mauve tiles! Too dangerous! I’ll likely use some sort of careful chiseling method.
I’m also planning on taking as much as I can to my local restore!
Hi Kate. My comment on sledge hammer and mauve tiles was extreme as a way to make a point. I know you and Pam both emphasize safety and recycling, so, I don’t want anyone to think I really thought otherwise. I’m really looking forward to your bathroom project and seeing how you do indeed handle some of the tough jobs like tile removal.
Ohmygosh, Pam, it must have taken you all weekend to write your Retro Renovators Creed. I agree it should be posted for everyone to follow, not just this group of people. I see way too much sniping and lack of civility and respect on many chat groups. I too love this group and appreciate very much what you do. Like Brian, I can understand the need to replace or renovate when necessary. My first house had a plastic tile bathroom that I just could not abide. We always stay in a fifties motel up in Maine and the first time I just about swooned with delight when I walked into the pink and black tiled original bathroom. Unfortunately, recently they had to replace the sinks because the separate hot and cold water taps were hard for some people to use, and they had to put in new commercial linoleum because the old tile floor never looked clean enough. I was very sad but can understand the reason for the replacement. I have been collecting and saving fifties turquoise and pink household items for years, hoping to find a fifties ranch to retire to up in Maine. But fifties ranches in Maine are hard to find and most I do find have been renovated. Again, I am sure that the owners found it necessary to replace the kitchens and bathrooms but it still makes me sad! To each his own, I always say; I am so glad for this site and so happy there are others who share my love for “old is better”. I too feel sick when I see an old house whose kitchen and bath are way too new looking as I feel they just aren’t “cozy” any more and don’t have that homey feeling. Now I am raving here and I apologize but I do get carried away. For sure, keep up the good work!
What a lovely way to start the week. What you spell out here regarding the importance of respect and gratitude applies to many areas of my life. Thanks for the gentle reminder.
Thank you for this Pam. I think you do a great job keeping this place positive even while strongly advocating your own point of view.
I missed the earlier thread about the Lowe’s commercial. I’ve seen it a few times and the thing that bothered me was that it ended with a line that implied that remodeling is a job that never ends. Can’t we just enjoy the places we live without continuously fixing them up? That, to me, is one of the joys of letting an old home be; it allows me to more free time to do the things I love.
I was desperately trying to fill in the ***’s with naughty words. So glad to find out what they mean.
Me too!
Yeah. Trying to decode this site isn’t going to be fun.
Anyone figure out what s**** and p**** are? I spotted these in the comments.
i forget the s* but the p* had to do with regurgitation. I edited them because they hurt my eyes (see yesterday’s story).
Pam, I really admire your ability and willingness to consider and respect multiple perspectives. That can be hard to do, especially when you are really passionate about something! Your blog is a wonderful resource.
Pam, I am getting the feeling that you kind of regretted that Lowes “rant”, and that you agonized and beat your self up over it all weekend. I think you’re being too hard on yourself. I think we all can get a little carried away when we are passionate about an issue.
Those of us who read every day know full well that this is a happy, friendly, informative place to be. I also think we all know that 99% of the comments made are meant to be constructive and helpful. Sometimes in print they “read” a little differently than they are meant.
Nice work on the Creed, it must have taken you a long time to put all of your thoughts into words…it’s appreciated.
I really enjoy your blog. Okay, you have an opinion and a point of view. You are certainly guilty as charged. But that is why we are reading it. I agree that keeping things positive is the right way to go and encouraging this community to be positive is certainly more productive than critical. BUT I enjoy your strong opinions and an occasional rant. And guess what? Sometimes I don’t totally agree however, I like to be made to THINK. I wish you had started writing 15 years ago when we bought our mid-century home. A couple of really stupid things that I did wouldn’t have happened. Now I have to eventually save my pennies and straighten them out. **sigh**. Your point of view shapes this entire Retro World. It is the world you created. I respect and admire it and learn from it. So, thank you and rant away. You get at least one every once in a while. Lowes kind of deserved it.
Oops, I used the s***** word.
Oh, that’s nice of you to say, Rebecca. Usually my rants are written pretty fast. Like, I REACT. I think if I do them in the future, I need to write then sleep on them then tone them down a little. But okay, I will still … rant … in the future. But with more honey. Hey, this reminds me, the name “Pamela” means “all honey” in Latin or Old English or something. hahahah now that’s a good one.
I admire when people are able to keep what is original to their home, but there is a point when you have to realize the time we’re in. I’d love to live in a 1720′s stone farm house, but I really don’t want to be cooking my dinner in the fireplace every night.
But they way I look at it, if there weren’t people ripping things out, selling their old furniture and remodeling their homes, there would be nothing for us to hunt for, save, covet and re-use. As long as there is a bunch of us to pick up the pieces, I don’t mind a few of them tossing them down ( so long as I get there first!).
Agreed, as long as they don’t just smash them and toss them in the dumpster.
Pam, Thank you for all you do to provide this source of contact between people who appreciate all things retro. Your rant gave us a peek into how much you do to maintain the fun & helpfulness that are your goals.
Your rant reminds me to head Mom’s warning, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” That’s a retro value to go with all our retro lives. Have a happy day everyone!
You suggest for the creed, “engage properly licensed professionals.” Because I am into politics (purely self-defensively), I suggest revising your creed to, “engage only properly skilled professionals.”
A license is something sold to consumers by politicians as “for your protection,” but what it really is, is a barrier to entry into the profession to protect those already in it, usually influenced heavily by a political trade organization, or a competing one, as when associations for MD’s try to stop DC’s or midwives from practicing. License systems are designed to give bureaucrats control over our behavior at our expense and should not be confused with a guarantee of quality (I had one contractor use a stolen license number).
Also, I think you want to leave open the possibility of “do-it-yourself.”
You might want to add, “get multiple estimates,” and “check references.”
I agree. I use and old school handyman who can do ANYTHING. But we both have to work on safety issues. The licensed pro is supposed to take care of that part for us.
I don’t love everyone’s style or their homes. But I love others who love their homes and love their own style. I think you have to appreciate the very long hours spent on improving and caring for the homes even if they are not your own taste. That is why “Love the House You are in” is such a perfect saying. Now those that neglect homes, that is what upsets me. I always think they must have reasons they don’t care. (too busy, sick, financial, etc.) I help if I can, if not, I move on.
This was a good read, and very well thought out. As someone who is about to start a remodel on a midcentury modern home that is not in the best condition, I have to say that part of the frustration in doing so comes from everyone having an opinion about what you should and should not do with your space. We purchased this, our first “real” home as a foreclosure, with money that we saved, and we are lucky enough to have been able to get it cheaply enough that we can make it habitable without going into any kind of debt. It is a beautiful, well made home in an amazing neighborhood with an amazing yard and we are super happy and grateful to have it. Obviously, the person who originally built it in 1954 (and lived there till 1986, according to tax records) loved it and took great pride in it, and we look forward to honoring the spirit of this person by keeping as many of the well made details as possible. However, from the mid 80s till we took it over, it was not maintained very well and some shoddy work has been done inside. Things like the original groovy faux Travertine linoleum being covered with 70s brown stuff and so much glue that it isn’t possible to save the original stuff.
Stuff we love and are keeping: the phone nook! (holy cow, it makes me happy for no real reason at all) The gorgeous pine floors, which are buried under very worn and dirty carpet right now. The handful of intact overhead period lights, some of which look like flowers. As much of the knotty pine paneling as we can save (bad rewiring sometime in the 80s was patched up with plain plywood squares, and some of the paneling is damaged, we don’t know yet how much can be salvaged). The black and white tiled bathroom with lovely hex tile black and white floor. (someone did the walls in 80s wall paper. I suspect that underneath that they are aqua and this is the color that they will be again when I’m done, as I have to strip both floor and ceiling to deal with some mold issues.)
Stuff we will be getting rid of: the beautiful pull-chain light over the bathroom sink, as it no longer fits electrical code in our city and cannot be rewired to do so. The rusted medicine cabinet. The original Hudee ring sink in the kitchen (I have tried to save it, I love it so much. Unfortunately, it is badly chipped and rusted inside and has been covered in many layers of white spray paint to hide the rust. Luckily, our local ReStore had a suitable replacement sink.) The kitchen counter (because it is rotten underneath the formica) Eventually, the bulky built in vanity in the black and white bathroom, which I hope to replace with the sort of sink on legs that was originally in there (I can see the marks from it on the tile) IF I can find one at a Restore or somewhere within my price range. And the lime green downstairs bath. Because even though it is functional, the grout is terribly stained, the shower is impractical for us, and it just reminds me of an autopsy suite. I would like to try to salvage some of the green tile to make a kitchen backsplash, but depending on how it is stuck to the wall I might not be able to save it at all.
Every step of the process, from the first time we viewed the house before we put our bid in, someone has been there with an opinion. Our Realtor, for example, could not believe that I would keep the original cabinets. The word “gut” was tossed around in the kitchen. I on the other hand could not believe that anyone would contemplate getting rid of sturdy solid handmade wood cabinets and replacing them with prefab plywood anything. People have told me I’m insane to keep all the tile in the upstairs bath because it’s “hard to clean”. And while I respect your and other’s opinions on keeping knotty pine the way it is, I’m going to have to paint over mine…years of cooking grease have impregnated it with a smell that hits you before you open the door, and I’m afraid that nothing short of a layer of Kilz will kill it. One of the three electricians who bid on our necessary rewire actually said to me “I can’t believe you’re keeping that ugly old wood!”
While we want to be conscientious in our remodel, donating as much as possible, using salvage as much as possible, we are also looking at this as the place where WE will live and be happy (hopefully) for many years. Not everything will be time capsule style simply because it’s not always our style. I’m putting in butcher block countertops, for example, because they are cheap, fit our lifestyle, and I like how they look. Formica might be more appropriate for the kitchen, but the kind we can afford is not as durable as we need it to be. And the toilet in the upstairs bath was so cracked and crazed that it could not be reused or donated, it had to be removed, and I sledgehammered that bad boy in the front yard so that the trash man would take it (had to fit in the can) and I have to admit that it was fun for my inner child to do so.
I don’t think you should gut and remodel just because, and I certainly don’t see the allure of some of the cheaply made expensive stuff that sells at home centers when older stuff is so much more durable and has so much more character. (But you should have heard my father when I told him we bought a USED toilet). However, I also think it is possible to respect the spirit of a home and the families that came before yours while still respecting what you like and what you want to look at every single day for many years to come. Sorry to write a novel here, just processing some of the things that we have been thinking about while we begin this important phase of our lives together.
I love what you wrote, Kristi! Me too about “processing some of the things we have been thinking about”! It sounds like your home has found the perfect owners!! Take lots of before, during and after pics for me, okay? And be sure to consult with properly licensed professionals as you dig into those many layers so that you really know what you are dealing with and can Renovate Safe! xoxo
Haha…will do Pam. Our lead paint test came back negative, so that’s a start…and our electrician (not the one who made the nasty comment about the paneling) specializes in old houses. He’s even using a carpenter to remove the paneling for the kitchen rewire and put it back up again without damaging it further.
One of my friends just did an awesome job cleaning up rooms of knotty pine in her new to her house. It was filthy. She found that Totally Awesome degreaser from the Dollar General worked beautifully though still a lot of work. I will look up exactly what she said she dd and bring it back here if you are interested.
YES…thank you, that would be amazing! I love the way it looks (reminds me of the house my papaw built himself, with knotty pine all over every wall) but it smells sooooo BAD right now. I’d be very interested in hearing about your friend’s process.
Pam – the thought and time you put into this; much of which is geared towards being respectful of others who do not share your own opinions, etc. just shows how wonderful and loving a vision and community you have built here. You have much to be proud of. Some people may think it’s none of your beeswax, but they could be like me and redo a few things in their 1956 house and then even though they liked retro anyway after finding your site realize they could have done it even more so retro and been even more happy. An example being my Wilsonart HD laminate – I think I would have gotten boomerangs if I had known about your site and them even though I would have never done granite anyway since I find it wasteful and I had said they didn’t do that in the 50s! Or the light fixture and medicine cabinet I put in my yellow and black tile bathroom, even thought it’s fine I could have found even more authentic 1956ish stuff – even though I truly love 50s stuff that is why I wanted the house and tried to pick things that were going to go ok. I just didn’t know how to find true true look at the time unless it was right in front of me at the store. Some things are still like I remember in my Mommom’s house, some not – so now with your site if they aren’t still in the store like that I know avenues to seek them out.
So, there are some who may as you say want to go with the current thing and not take our suggestions or ideas, but as we respect them they will also respect our advise and be glad we have an interest in their home most times and often be amazed that such things can be found because they didn’t know. Less often people will just be unhappy someone doesn’t like their granite choice.
Be grateful – I agree is a great message along with bank your savings people and be happy in retirement!!
I’m grateful for Retro Renovation – definately!
PS I’m as many years away from retirement as I am old, but I’m glad to have some money in the bank even if my house is needing this or that! RR is a place where people don’t think I’m cheap for not putting a 30k super store kitchen on an equity line – I love that too!
Thank you for the encouraging words about renovating in period-style. My husband and I have recently purchased a 1957 tri-level that unfortunately was gutted in an attempt to flip, foreclosed and sat vacant for the better part of the past 5 years. I have dreamed about what the kitchen looked like as well as the bathrooms. The only remnant of the original we have left is the brown tile floor in a half bath and matching brown ceramic tp holder, original slate floor in the entryway and random light fixtures. It’s funny when folks found out that we were remodeling they all rushed to show us their recent projects. More often than not, it was the standard board of fare at “insert your choice of DIY big box store” design. All nicely done and I’m sure it wasn’t cheap. When I tell people that we are trying to stay true the era of the home, they look at me with a blank stare. Your blog has provided us with an invaluable resource for images from time capsule homes, new/old products and everything else. Thank you for all your efforts!
I just want to say thank you for this post- I would guess it took you a long time to write and it obviously comes from the heart. I really appreciate the upbeat manner of nearly all your posts. I credit you and your blog with helping me “see the light” when it comes to preserving and appreciating mid-century style. I think it’s okay to be upset when someone is gleefully destroying something you love and appreciate. It shows you are really passionate about what you are doing!
I agree with the previous comments that mention a somewhat fluid style of decorating which incorporates elements from the decades before and after the home was built. I grew up around very eclectic styles (especially when it came to furniture). My grandparents had some things that were brand-new and somethings that had been in the family for 100 years (and their house was built somewhere in between.) I love mid-century design and want to honor the style of my home, but I don’t want to feel like my house is frozen in time, either. I want to be in surroundings that make me feel happy and comfortable. My house may never be featured in a magazine, but I like being here. I appreciate that your creed includes the part about not feeling bad about our decisions.
Thanks for all that you do!
I totally agree with the statement that no one sets out to make an unattractive room. They decorated the room the way they liked it. Case in point, when we bought our 1955 ranch. The older couple (70′s ish) were still living in it. Right before we closed, the couple took us around and filled us in on the heating, and a/c and the booklets and warranties, that sort of thing. The lady and I were in the kitchen. Now, lets just say, WE found the kitchen….unfortunate. But the owner told me how she remembered her grandmothers kitchen was green, and how she kept trying to find a green to match, and the floor was so much like she remembered her grandmothers to be, etc. That woman loved that kitchen, she thought it was beautiful, and clearly it gave her warm memories of her childhood. I listened, and made all of the proper comments, while knowing all the while that I was going to UNdo everything she had done. There was NO WAY I could have functioned in that kitchen on a daily basis. We did a lot of work, but not a gut. Did we go at it like maniacs? No, we kept saying, oh, poor P**** , I feel so bad, she really liked this…
Now, one day someone else is going to come into MY kitchen and think it “unfortunate”. I think it all just comes down to a matter of respect.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Would you say her original kitchen (or whatever) is u*** to that nice woman’s face? Of course not. Was the kitchen u***? Not to her, it seems. So: Then let’s not toss these kinds of value judgments around on the internet! Very bad karma, very uncivil. I love this story, Lynne — it’s PERFECT.
Well said Pam!
I agree with Dave…and you! Gratitude is a good focus. Be grateful for what we have and for the opportunity and ability to change if we need to. Are there things I’d like to change about my late ’60s ranch? You bet. But I love other things about it and I love where I live. It’s my HOME, not a place I’m staying temporarily until I get my next new house. Is my decor period-correct? Nope….because I love the 50s AND the 60s and I want the colors and styles that make ME happy so I mix them to suit.
Pam, as you pointed out, our parents’ generation was grateful to ever own ONE house and afford to furnish it. (In my family, at least, most everything got re-used or re-purposed.) We could learn a lot from them.
Yep….gratitude. I’m gonna focus on that this week.
I have to admit I sometimes feel guilty because we have blue pearl granite in the kitchen, which to quote Kate, it would be called “retro-modern” vs. a more preservation-style retro-renovation. Kate, that saying has helped me feel better! I feel our kitchen is very period-appropriate looking for it’s 1963 build date. It’s a fun place to look at and hang out.
I think that there is a difference between wanting to live in a a house that looks like a 1963 (or 1957, or 1912) issue of ‘House Beautiful’, and trying to respect the time period and architecture of the house. Both of those are perfectly good ways to remodel, but the first isn’t for everyone. The second, on the other hand, is something that people should keep in mind. When you don’t ‘love the house you’re in’ you end up making choices based on current fashion, and what is hot, and those things end up looking horribly dated.
To give a small example. My house was built in 1960. Based on cabinetry in the house that was original, and other houses in the neighborhood, when it was new, it had gorgeous light wood, pink walls and very modern ‘flying V’ handles. Sometime in the 1970′s, a gut remodel was done, with lots of brass and early American dark wood. I didn’t ‘hate’ it, the cabinetry was high quality, the layout was great, and the grill in the cook top was nifty. But it didn’t suit the house. The first thing that anyone said when they walked in is ‘someone redid this kitchen’.
We are doing a gut remodel (in stages, lord help us) because the lower cabinets were ruined by dry rot, and are replacing them with white, flat fronted cabinets, light wood, butcher block countertops and a a stainless drainboard sink. The walls are painted a lemon yellow, and the backsplash will be multicolored mosaic tile.
Is it 100% period perfect? No, it isn’t. But it evokes and respects the period of the house. When you walk into the kitchen, you see the *kind* of kitchen that you’d expect to see in a house like this. Its the kind of kitchen that I want, but its also the kind of kitchen that the House wants.
PS. We basically kept the layout from the ’70s redo, except we added even more storage!
Yes, when I say “in period-appropriate style” I also mean “in harmony with the original architecture of the house.”
Kate,
My grandma had a great kitchen that was first remodeled in 1945. Her cupboards were white and the floor was grey and dull red and the walls were painted and curtains made by grandma. Over the years fresh paint went on the walls and cupboards and about 1970 the floor was redone to tan, gold and brown. Rooms evolve, things wear out, and we tend to replace with what we like.
This kitchen and back entry were at one time the summer kitchen in an 1875 farmhouse. The house first had electricity installed when the kitchen was updated.
I do think we discard many things when they have much use left and if you buy a house with the idea of changing “everything” maybe you bought the wrong house.
A sensitive remodel or redecorate may be in the houses and residents best interest.
rick
Wow, I’m confused! I do enjoy your blog, however, and will try to decipher the rules and follow them…As for words such as h*** (h8) as applied to pink bathrooms or anything else, I was taught that it’s not good to h*** “people” but it can be ok to say one h***s “things”, especially when the word is used almost figuratively and indeed harmlessly (in relation to the lives of people and animals!) about stuff like colors, decorating styles, houses, etc. To say “love” or the opposite is just a strong expression of taste and opinion when applied to furniture, fixtures, finishes, etc. No need to censor opinions! it would be wrong, however, to hate someone because of their taste in tile or paint or whatever.
Also, since not all mid-century decor or materials were attractive in the first place when they were new (IMHO), and back then there were people who would have strongly disliked certain items, who’s to say it’s not legit to feel the same way now, and express it?
I’m into unity and harmony but it doesn’t mean uniformity. I could live with a pink bathroom (and I did, in one of my houses) but I wouldn’t like it much, especially some of the more lurid flesh-like shades. And most men don’t care for pink either.
You make some good points, Cynthia, and it made me think. I hear you when you say that when we say, for example, that we “hate pink”, it’s likely pretty innocuous — an exaggeration about something that doesn’t matter a great deal in the grand scheme of life. On the other hand, if you walked into the house of someone you had just met for the first time… and saw they had pink walls… would you say to their face, “I hate pink?” I tend to think not. You’d find something else that you really do like to compliment and stay away from the walls issue. That’s civility… we usually want to make new friends and we do so by finding shared interests. Maybe later, when you become a very good friends with this new person, and you’re talking color and room design, you may say, “You know what, Betty, I really hate the color pink — but golly you sure have pulled it off.” Even that is a nice way to say it and to cement your friendship! I am making the leap that here on the blog, we are walking into the houses of people we are only meeting for the first time and getting a look at their rooms. Same rules apply. Does that make sense?
Pam, you are so right that it’s rude to make a negative comment on the decor upon entering a new friend’s abode! I see your point, as well. If the story is about a certain person’s home or project I wouldn’t say “I hate that color” or whatever in my comment! But I might say it about something in my own place that I’ve decided to gut on the grounds that I can’t stand the sight of it anymore! For example, I gutted a small spare bathroom of circa 1973 wall tile that made it look like a dark cave because I hated it!
Oh…. hate is such a strong word. It so distresses me. It breeds hate. Can we write around it???? Blame it on me?
When we bought our house, we invited some family members over for the tour, and a couple of the women declared the pink tiles in the half bath were horrible, and said I should paint over them. It’s OK, really, because their reaction has saved those tiles. I don’t like the pink tiles much either, but I can’t stand the thought of those decorating advisors coming back to my house and saying, ‘Oh, I see you took my advice and got rid of those pink tiles!’ So, negative words might not breed negativity, maybe they can breed some good old-fashioned mule-headedness which can be put to positive use.
The thing that struck me about the Lowe’s rant and the responses to it was that it was mostly concerned with what I would call “waste.” It is wasted energy, wasted resources and wasted money that bugged most of us.
(1) the bathroom was perfectly functional. It was being replaced for purely aesthetic reasons. Okay, we could live with that, BUT we didn’t like that the goal was putting in anything new just because it is new.
(2)The process destroyed perfectly functional items that could have been reused by someone with a different aesthete, or someone who needed them and could not afford new.
(3) Just because we are who we are, the aesthetic appeal of the old bathroom was more preferable to us than the new bathroom. To that, we have to say, to each his own.
To the rest, I believe many suggested an educative approach to the whole reuse and recycle idea. That would be the way I would go for sure. Take out a wall, carefully. Those old walls have better wood in them than we can get at Lowe’s today. Preserve those vintage fixtures, someone is sure to want them. Whole and solid vanities, oh, my, PLEASE offer them on Freecycle rather than destroying them.
Forgot this part, for that old dark real wood or knotty pine paneling, please, if you are thinking of painting it, consider taking it out to re-offer, and replacing it with good old drywall. You will be so happy, and so will someone else be overjoyed to get your paneling.
This post might not have had the most individual replies, but it might win for the longest replies! This post definitely brought forth a lot of deep thinking, which is pretty cool.
Pam, I like what you had to say. My parents came through the depression and then WWII so there was much they had to make do without. My late father was very involved with Habitat For Humanity in his retirement years. He had genuine skills to offer. Unfortunately the skills did not rub off on me. I always donate to Good Will or ReStore anything I can no longer use that is still has plenty of life left. The Lowes ad showing such destruction really left a sour taste. Don’t ever feel you have to rethink your thoughts. We are all on the same page.
I agree that it is a hard call, especially when it is obvious that persons who have lived in a house before have sacrificed so much. However, I do appreciate the comments on renovating in a style that is harmonious with the overall architecture of the house. My brother recently renovated a house that was built around 1900. One half of the house was an addition from 1962 and reflected the style of the era–gold fleck Formica, low false ceilings, and dark cabinetry. However, due to function of the space and some structural issues, he ended up taking out the false ceiling, redoing the layout, and created a space that is more in harmony with the rest of the house. While there was a loss of some great mid-century touches, overall the prior configuration seemed out of step with a turn of the last century bungalow.
Also forgot to mention that no sledgehammers were involved. Almost all of the cabinets, along with much of the countertop, has been repurposed in an out of the way room of the house. No need to tear up perfectly good cabinets just because they are out of style!
Of course we’re all upset to different degrees. But none of us likes the Lowe’s add. We all agree we should try and save the pink bathrooms, not destroy them. And saving also means taking things out for others to use. Great rant, Pam !
Pam, I so appreciate your post and the thoughtful comment thread that follows. In January we began a pretty-much gut job of our 70′s bathroom, which was likely updated in the 90s. It began with trying to fix a small tile problem, but it quickly turned into knocking down all the tile, which lead to…everything. While we liked the idea of restoring it to its 70s roots, we’ve found that we don’t really have the resources to do so. We’ve used almost all salvaged materials/items, but not all from the 70s. We’ve used what we can find and afford. We’ve had a lot of discussions about our choices and how others might regard them when it’s time to sell the house. We know some people will think we were crazy and/or have horrible taste. The bottom line we’re landing on is to make choices that we’re going to like when we’re done, and to make choices that are in line with our values (about money and waste, primarily). We’ve decided we aren’t purist retro renovators, much as we would like to be. I think we’ll continue to think about these questions as we continue to work with our home. Glad to know we can keep coming here to have our thinking stretched and challenged.
Remodeler piping in here.
We flip houses. It kills me to tear out some of the things to rehab a home. But things must be updated in order to sell a house. Like most of you, I love vintage. Love it!
I do take great pride in salvaging everything I can and it saves investors a good chunk of money and it is earth friendly. Instead of tear out and replacement, I refinish tubs, tiles, and countertops. I do not use over the counter products. The products I use are tested and durable. While refinishing can update the colors of tiles, etc… refinishing can also be used to take your kitchen or bath back to an era of your choice.
Many homeowners are just unaware of the options available to them.
How many people realize that their 1980s kitchen cabinets will look new again simply by cleaning them, applying a new coat of polyurethane and new hardware?
Because of the tear outs we do, my kitchen received a vintage 1940s set of cabinets that I love. And many of my online and booth customers were able to purchase switchplate covers, light fixtures, drawer pulls, sinks, etc…. Anything I can keep in circulation I do. Have some 1960 awnings sitting in the back yard right now because I would rather see someone put them to use rather than the scrap them.
We all have to do whatever it takes to make a house ‘our’ home. But don’t be afraid to seek your options. Especially if you are on a tight budget.
I read your original Lowes Post. Don’t sweat it. I enjoyed the post and understood where you were coming from. And I did not feel that it was anything negative. It was a personal opinion from a woman who runs the biggest vintage rehab site on the net. Therefore I would have expected nothing else.
Just keep on doing what you do.
Pam, once again, you have invoked a great deal of self evaluation in my thinking and approach to things. I’ve been “blessed/cursed” with a bit too much blatant “tell it like it is” from dearly beloved family members, and after awhile I find myself having to go back and re-think much of what I say and how it might come across. I am a person who is very deeply set into the things that appeal to me or repulse me and it’s still hard to suppress the involuntary shudders when I see certain colors or even period styles (especially modern ones) but I do try my level best to smile and find something nice to say about something else in the room. I agree wholeheartedly with those who believe in replacing functioning vintage pieces with things that work well for them, but still trying hard to donate or resell the older things to others who might have been looking long and hard for that very thing. I am sure most of us on here have been fortunate at one time or another to be the benefactor of someone else’s repulsion to the styles we love and seek out. How many times have I gotten something 50′s and the person who gives/sells it to me, says negative things about it, (that I would have said about something perhaps 1980s or newer). I didn’t mind because I was the happy camper lugging it home and usually for a give-a-way price. I was actually glad when I would buy a flawless set of Melmac dinnerware and have the former owners tell me it was never used because they h***d eating off plastic because it was so “tacky”. There is a time and a place for brutal honesty and the point has been well made here that it is never the time or place when you are dealing with the taste or preferences of someone you aren’t cozy chummy with. The one thing that I’m not sure I will ever be able to refrain from using the h*** word about is when I find that someone has heartlessly destroyed something Mid Century Modern or Modest, that is more rare or one-of-a-kind that cannot be replaced, such as a perfectly good, custom built, (perhaps famous architect designed) home, only to replace it with a McM***** (that could have easily been built on a vacant lot elsewhere). Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever, and so many of the people who do that sort of thing (at least in my area) never give us retro folks a chance to salvage the vintage, original items before the bulldozers come and mash it all to a pulp. True, it’s a free country, and everyone should have the house they can afford and want to be in, but it does cause a sick roll in my stomach when beautiful, time capsule homes are rampantly destroyed as callously as the bathroom was in the ad. I am SO glad that all the people on this site are more sensitive in such matters, and I can never thank Pam enough for giving us all this forum in which to share our love and appreciation for vintage homes and furnishings.
Thanks everyone for such considerate thoughts. I am a habitual reader of this blog, and post here and there. I think blogs are fantastic ways to share ideas and make connections, but they can lend themselves to an outpouring of opinion that at a certain point gets muddled. Like “one to many martini” conversations.
And although I like martini’s, we all need the real protein of good, helpful ideas and resources. I think the creed is timely, because it just reminds us of what we are about. When it comes to the market, and what new companies are doing, we shouldn’t expect them to get it right…they want to get it sold. That’s their business. Our business is to separate the good from the not-so-good, and take joy in our own process. For me, one of the largest challenges many of us face as Mid-century owners is lack of storage, and nada feng-shui, whether it’s from remuddling or not. As we preserve and/or update, many are solving these problems creatively. Those are gold nuggets that the rest of us could benefit from, and this site allows the sharing of those ideas… I’d say RR is saving many a project!
Now when I redo my damp bathroom I may use new products (cause there are many out there that I like) and get rid of some original fixtures due to their ratty current state. I really appreciate that I can take all the leeway I need to create my new, functional space without feeling like I have to confess my guilt because I didn’t do it by the retro book. I think my natural style of “modern old lady” will shine through, since no matter what I do I end up there. Thanks everyone for lightening the judge-y load and loving the essence of mid-century design!
Probably the single most important message I have gotten from this blog is “love the house you’re in”, which ties in perfectly with the idea of gratitude. (I truly believe if everyone lived with an abundance of gratitude and the ability to forgive — themselves, as well as others — the world would be a much different place. But I digress.) When we bought our home we were so set on finding a Craftsman. Instead we ended up in a modest 1939 minimal traditional home and while I loved it, for the first few years I would often find myself pining away for the Craftsman we didn’t have. But when we decided to re-do the kitchen and I started researching the era of our home, I became more and more enchanted with the minimal traditionalist homes and what makes them unique. The more I learn, the more I love my house, and the more committed we are to staying here. After all, the first owner (we’re #4) lived here for nearly 50 years. We see no reason not to be here just as long and every day we are so grateful to live in such a charming, lovely home. We really and truly have come to love the house we’re in.
Lovely message, Lauryn, thank you!
When we bought our 1954 house last year, we had visions of replacing the kitchen countertops. But we lived with them while tackling other projects, and now I think I must have been crazy not to love the originals: They’re vintage gray cracked-ice formica! The problem was that the kitchen had no lighting other than a bulb over the sink and a fluorescent-tube ceiling fixture. Now that we had improved those and added a range hood and under-cabinet LEDs, the formica looks clean, bright and sparkly, not drab and dingy. So I can testify to the “live with it for a while” idea. Saved me much money and regret.
Pam says: “Send still-functional materials to the Re-Store, if you really think someone else will want them.” The ReStore sells a lot of things I think nobody could possibly want, so that last part of the advice doesn’t work for me. I give them anything that works. We just dropped off the front porch light fixture (which dangled so low we would scrape our heads on it), thinking “Here’s $3 in future ReStore profits,” and they priced it at $65!
I’m still wondering when I will see a room that’s a great use of plastic tile, but in tribute to Pam’s work, thoughtfulness and optimistic spirit, I’ll agree to believe that such a room is just around the corner.
I love your rants, Pam! But you’re preaching to the converted when it comes to me so I suppose I have my own biases. With so many other sites, blogs, etc. devoted to gutting old homes and remodeling what they consider to be “outdated” fixtures and fittings while giving very little thoughts to the wasted materials (and money), Retro Renovation is a much needed breath of fresh air. Your perspective is needed and appreciated.
Hey Pam;
By the look of the number of responses you received on just this one article you need 10 assistants. LOL
I was trying to explain to a friend that if she is going to do some re-decorating in her main floor bathroom prior to selling her home that it should be done while respecting the time period in which the home was built. So now I can just send her your article. Thanks Joan aka 1958Vintage
I absolutely love my house. Like, I am IN love with my house. To the point that most of my friends and family think I have lost a few marbles.
I have a great love and respect for her and the families she has served.
Built in 1959 I researched and feel I know BOTH previous owners. The original was the builder. And he indeed built a solid fine house. 7 years later he sold it to his daughters mother in law. Still in the family!
I bought the home from Miss Jean. This is what I call her. I absolutely feel she is in every corner of this house. She owned this house for 52 years. She LOVED this house. Her husband and she bought this house when he returned from the war. He had polio. And he died in this house in 1988. She lived here alone in the house she loved without her husband. By all accounts she was feisty and fiercely independent. I love this. For I am the same way! She was forced out of this house due to old age and Alzheimers. And it was so much a part of her that one year later, she passed away and her funeral procession went by the house.
In my heart, this will always be mine AND Miss Jeans house. I share it with her willingly and with love. I have updated it slightly. Always thinking to myself “I hope Miss Jean likes this!”. I ripped up her carpets. And I felt bad. But I also asked her forgiveness.
Carpets do not fit my two dog and one cat lifestyle. Miss Jean is probably cringing up there thinking of my dogs in her house. LOL.
After living here a year I feel good. My house is a mix of old and new. Because that’s who I am too. Jean was the old. I am the new. And I don’t think there is one thing wrong about blending our two lives and styles.
The point of this rambling mess is this. It IS my house and I can and will do what makes ME happy, but part of what makes me happy is thinking about what Miss Jean liked and what would make HER happy. I honor her because she honored this house.
This year on the one year anniversary of her death, I took a clipping from her rose bush out to her grave site. When I first moved here I started hacking away at the darn thing because I didn’t know what it was and it was horribly over grown. My neighbor came over to tell me to stop. She said that gets BEAUTIFUL in the spring!
She is right. It does. Its over grown. It sits to close now to the driveway so we cant park there. But, well, Miss Jean planted it God knows how long ago, and its absolutely gorgeous in full bloom.
What I once hated I have now grown to love…
What a lovely story.
I did the same thing with some plants at my house! Started hacking away and pulled half them out in the 1st spring – to later find out (from the half I left) that they *were* a nice row of lilac trees/bushes. Made me about slap my own self upside the head for not waiting to see what they actually were! They would have provided a nice natural privacy screen from the neighbor behind me, but I went hog-wild to replace what looked like scraggly, decrepit trees with nicer & fuller bushes to block the neighbor (which looked like a 1/5-acre junkyard!)
In a town not far from where I live, there stands a municipal building built in 1979. As you can imagine, its original wall and floor coverings were awful: bright oranges mixed with bright yellows, and so on. Add to that the chunkiness of 1970′s “Urban Renewal” architectural tinkering, and you get the drift.
One might say it should be bulldozed, or at the very least, brought along into today’s versions of “acceptable” aesthetics. But if you saw what has happened to the much-maligned style of that municipal building, you would cry out to have those responsible for it’s present rework to be brought to the gallows.
My point is that if you don’t like your current setup, or if it doesn’t fall in line with your way of living, for heaven’s sake DON’T chop it up, or in some way lose the ideal and intent of its architect. Doing so really won’t make you happy.
Don’t like knotty pine? If some sort of therapy won’t bring you around to liking it, then replace it with some sort of other paneling which suits your liking. Point is, KEEP THE FEEL, but replace it with something you like better. But for the love of all that is decent and proper, keep your Mid Mod pad MID MOD!!! It’s EASY–and if you find it difficult to do yourself, HIRE A PROPER DESIGNER! You’ll be glad you did!
Hey Mike S: Lots of us here LOVE the 70s oranges and yellows. But that aside
I hear what you are saying, I think: Once you start messing with something historic… to bring it au courant… well, you risk “remuddling” for sure…
Pam – I think you need to share this and I don’t really perceive it as a rant. I think about when I first found your site…you were brand new out there. You barely had followers and not alot of content – and yet I was so excited to find you and Palm Springs Stephen – yes, two people who could reaffirm our fascination with returning our new purchase to its midcentury glory. So, I’ve kind of ‘grown up’ with you and because of that journey, understand your thinking and presentations. However, you have LOTS of followers now, many of whom are new to you and your ways…so I know that it had to be helpful to them to get a recap of your view on this whole love of yours.
And most of all, we have to keep in mind that YOU are growing and developing thoughts on this journey as well.
Thanks for an EXCELLENT blog…it is a highlight of my week!
Yes, we’ve traveled far together, Alice
I live in a beautiful Colonial Revival house built by my husband’s grandparents in 1950. We think long and hard about anything we do to the house . We have a pink bathroom and a deep claret bathroom that we lovingly nurture. They are quite elegant and the craftsmanship is superb. We have made them look clean and cool and are very happy with the results. I’ll send a pic when we are finished with the latest painting job.
Hi Pam,
Just uploaded my two-toned tile bathroom to your page. I may have sent you this article before, but in case I haven’t, here it is.
http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/ranch-dressing/Content?oid=1186794
I found this column by Walter Jowers of Nashville online when I bought my 1958 ranch home in 2003. I have lived by it as much as possible ever since and I think you and your readers would find it helpful. I have a knotty pine bedroom, a peach & yellow tiled bathroom (newly outfitted with American Universal SX series 1″ hex floor tile to replace a poorly done DIY job of white glazed saltillo tile someone used to replace the original peach 3″ hex tile), and a pink tiled half bath. I’m currently mulling over my options for the half bath since I have discovered a broken toilet seal and some wood rot below it which will require tearing out the tile, removing the toilet, removing the vanity cabinet, and retiling. I am going to try to salvage the original hex tile but if I can’t, I’ll replace it with American Universal’s SX-10 mottled pink, which will go with the discontinued SX-11 mottled peach in the main bath. It’s really lovely tile and I think the spirit of the original bathrooms is maintained. Thanks for your blog and all the great tips!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE your floor, Margie! Did I mention, I LOVE IT!
Me, too!! I’ve been waiting 2-1/2 years to get it installed! I hate to say that I’m glad my vintage toilet cracked and was irreparable, but it got my floor done. I’ll upload a closeup photo of the tile with it’s “Peaches & Cream” grout. Once it was done, I realized I sort of missed the look of the ungrouted tile sheet I’d been staring at for years and sort of second-guessed my grout. But a friend saw it and said, “It’s so pretty! It looks like ice cream!” Orange sherbet is my favorite frozen treat flavor, so I guess it works!
What do you think about painting dark wood paneling? It Is real wood, but is sooooo dark in the basement. I think we will paint it, because it will fell better and less cave like, but I am torn. I will leave the paneling in the study, upstairs. It is large sheets of honey stained oak, and looks great.
Also what do you think about replacing or embellishing plain flat doors? The house is 1958, what types of interior doors would look appropriate? The multi pained doors seem out of place.
Sounds like you are new to this house. I recommend: Unless it is an environmental or safety issue, LIVE WITH IT at least six months, even better, a year.
Plain flat doors — were the norm, I tend to believe.
Viva la Namaste Renovation! Pam, you really hit the nail on the head (gently and respectfully, for all the right reasons). This is why I frequent your website for deco and reno ideas, and not another wildly-popular site with snarky comments. One must have a suit of armor to ever post a project photo on that website. Here, I feel like you are all friendly neighbors, and would probably let me borrow your drain snake, if I needed it.