Woot! The September/October issue of Yankee Magazine features a six-page spread on guess who’s kitchen … and house … and most importantly, the Retro Renovation tribe. Yes, that is me you spy rockin’ the retro polka dots.
For those of you outside of New England, Yankee is the premier regional magazine covering travel and lifestyle — read by 1.7 million readers nationwide. The story — starts on page 48 — is all wonderful publicity for our cause: Cultivating ever more widespread love for the many varieties of (mostly) humble homes built all across America after World War II.
If you are in New England and want to grab a copy, this leaf-peeping issue of Yankee is now on newsstands. For those of you outside the area, Yankee tells me there will be an online feature at some point this month or next. I’ll add a link as soon as it’s up.
Lynne says
Congratuations Pam! You look fab in the polka dots, by the way. I wanted to chime in with the others in saying what a nice community this is. I too feel as tho I know you and Kate, after all, I have my morning cup of tea with you everyday.
I think it would be so nice if we had a chat room or a discussion board. A place where we could talk with others “hey, look what I found” or “I need help/suggestions on a project” or other dilemmas. Sometimes a fresh look or a different set of eyeballs can help . Just a thought, since there seems to be a genuine camaraderie amongst us all without a troll in the bunch.
Lisa Compo says
I love your idea about being able to communicate with each other more easily. Sometimes we have to post on here and just hope that our buddy sees it. I seem to talk with Jason quite a bit through the comment boxes, but it would be great if we could send messages to each other or post to a board with their name highlighted or something. We could join a “Members” group voluntarily and maybe put a little profile about ourselves there…like how I am designing my dream house now and starting to collect up items for it. I have often had questions for certain people and had no way to get to them. Great idea, I hope Pam and Kate will consider it and hopefully find a way for us to be able to do it.
Lynne says
Yes, how nice it would be to tell others how excited I am about my new avocado green sculptured carpet and have them all understand.
pam kueber says
New avocado green sculpted carpet! Send me pics send me pics!
pam kueber says
We do have a forum where you can do it: https://retrorenovation.com/forums. Go for it.
Lisa Compo says
The Forum is great for posting things, but we don’t have a way of directly addressing someone there. I think what we are trying to get is a bulletin board type of thing or open mailbox where we can directly contact each other. If I wanted to ask Lynne about her carpet…I could click on or type in her name and it would go to a section where I could post directly to her, and everyone could read and comment also. We could sign in and it would say “you have 2 posts” today and we’d know someone was writing to us personally. Lynne’s board would show a message where I entered a topic line such as “carpet” and then I could write to her in there and say “can you tell me where you bought your carpet?”. Then she could respond and others could open the messages if they were also interested in the carpet chat. Is it possible to create a thing like this for us? I think it would take off like wildfire if we could all talk to each other more directly. Thanks if you can figure out a way. 🙂 Maybe one day you could put it as a feature story and see if others are interested in joining a members bulletin/mailbox board. Just a thought. Thanks…then we can love RR even more.
pam kueber says
Lisa, the existing Forum has this functionality right now. You can create threads, and subscribe to a particular thread. Try it.
Lisa Compo says
thanks for the response. I read the directions again and don’t see a way to directly write to someone. Maybe one day I will figure it out.
pam kueber says
There is no way to write to someone ala craigslist. But you can write threads back and forth.
pam kueber says
Thank you, Lynne!!
Everyone can post on the forum, about any issue, really. The forum can’t handle photo uploads, though, you will need to post photos to another photo utility. https://retrorenovation.com/forums
nina462 says
I’m going to run right out & buy that issue!
pam kueber says
Yay!
Jay says
Congratulations Pam! About time Yankee gave you recognition.
I subscribed for years for travel info but gave it up because it seemed like they were putting everything on their website for free.
Like others, RR is indeed the only site I follow faithfully. Don’t do Facebook. The comments are just as enlightening as the articles that you and Kate post – along with the reader renovation picture submissions which ooze creativity and ingenuity. Keep fighting the good fight for all things retro 40 – 70s.
pam kueber says
Thank you, Jay! Yes, we have GREAT comments, Kate & I enjoy them even more than you do!
Eartha Kitsch says
Can’t wait to see! 🙂
pam kueber says
Thank you, Ms. Kitsch. So wonderful to have gotten to know you over these six years!
midmichigan says
Very cool! And you look fantastic in the dots, Pam!
pam kueber says
Thank you, midmichigan. I am pretty darn proud of carrying off that dress — at 54!
Mary Elizabeth says
OMG, Pam. I figured you for about 34. So young at heart, too!
Kelly Wittenauer says
Congratulations, Pam & Kate! And to Mary Elizabeth for so perfectly stating how I, and probably many others, feel about this community.
Diane from PA says
Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!! Congrats
Mary Elizabeth says
Yes, it was a fine article and good PR for the website and the goals we all share.
My DH subscribes to Yankee, so when the issue came, he handed me the article and said, “Aren’t these your friends Pam and Kate?” Funny how it does seem like that, as those of us who comment on this site feel as though we have got to know Pam, Kate, and one another intimately. There’s something about being invited into one another’s kitchens (to say nothing of bathrooms!) to help with projects or admire them that makes us seem like friends. Oh, and people offer one another actual items for their renovations. I’m sure those of you who do social media have all kinds of virtual “friends,” but I don’t do Facebook or any of those things, so you people are it for me. And I’m very happy to have met you and learned from you all and shared our mutual interests and values.
Keep up the good work, Pam and Kate.
Erin in Ohio says
Well said, Mary Elizabeth!
It is funny to think of how my husband and I talk about our next house project, and he knows exactly who I’m talking about when I say, “Well, Pam says…” or “Kate just did a story…”. I don’t even have to say “I saw it on RetroRenovation” anymore. Ladies — you’re household names! 🙂
Mary Elizabeth says
Oh, and I forgot to tell you that we had a visit from a young couple originally from Iceland on Monday, and as soon as they walked in, they were oohing and aahing over my knotty pine kitchen. So a discussion arose about the Yankee article and the website, and they told me that the pink bathroom/knotty pine/mid-century modern craze is also raging in Iceland. Most of those interested in preserving all things fifties and sixties, as here, are young people renovating their first homes. (Think about how important that is in a country where all the wood has to be imported.)
Anybody know anything about other countries? I stayed in a B&B in Nova Scotia that was a MCM house–here in New England houses have to be at least 19th century to be considered good B&B candidates. I thought about that place when I saw the little California B&B cottages.
Kate says
Awwww thanks Mary Elizabeth! 🙂 We love our readers too!
Robin, NV says
Well said, Mary Elizabeth! I’m not on Facebook or any other social media either. But I love being a part of the RR family.
Congrats Pam and Kate! Hopefully the article will change a few more minds about MCM. A friend of mine said she thought my house should be included in our town’s annual Tour of Homes. She thought it would be good for people to see that you don’t have to live in a Victorian or a blinged out modern house to have great style. I was flattered but I have too many unfinished projects at the moment!
pam kueber says
Thank you, Robin! My house was on an historic home tour here in Lenox, it was a big hit, I think! It was “weird”, though, in retrospect, to have folks tromping through your house. I don’t know if I’d ever go for it again…
MCM is Grand says
Pam – Kudos to the folks in Lenox who recognized that MCM has historic significance and included your home on the tour. (and of course it was kind of you to allow all of those guests). I live in Southern CA, and when I told the president of our local historical society that our 1950’s tract homes were important reminders of the historic post-war growth of the town, he just stood there and laughed. (sigh).
So happy to have found like-minded folks here on RR! Keep up the wonderful work!
tammyCA says
I live in SoCal, too in a modest post WWII tract home. I don’t see how that historical society President could laugh about the importance of these homes. The most horrific, deadliest World War in history had recently ended…those military men that came back alive were some of the architects/builders of these homes. In my neck of the woods you can see the influence of European architecture detail on the tract houses (those not stripped by flippers!)..a smattering of English Tudor/French/Bavarian/Swiss features that the designers must’ve made an impression on them amidst the War horrors they witnessed.
Isn’t it unusual that almost all these SoCal desert homes have fireplaces? I grew up in the frigid Midwest and hardly anybody had a fireplace! All these houses have faux shutters and flowerbox shelves, as well..very charming European.
These might be very modest homes but I can see the varying details to make them more individual and less cookie cutter. I believe there was pride in these homes and for a future that was going to be brighter.
MCM is Grand says
Tammy, I totally agree. 🙂 I know that the Smithsonian was seeking a Levittown home several years ago. I hope some of our So Cal tracts are still here years from now.
Robin, NV says
I attended a refresher course on historic preservation laws a few years ago and the instructor visibly shuddered when I suggested that we will start seeing post war, mid century neighborhoods (tract houses) being nominated for the National Register as historic districts. He told me he didn’t want to live to see that day. Sheesh! Historians should at least recognize the historic significance of the post war housing boom. And as preservation professionals, we should leave our personal feelings at the door and evaluate buildings on their historic merit not on our personal tastes.
We who work for the military fight this fight every day. Mid century and Cold War resources inspire little love. With a few notable exceptions, mid century military architecture tends to be very function over form. If anyone is interested, the Department of Defense (DOD) funded a really nice guide to Cold War military buildings. It’s a little known fact but the DOD manages more historic buildings than any other federal agency including the Park Service. Here’s the link to the guide:
http://www.denix.osd.mil/cr/upload/DoD-Legacy_11-448_Final-Report.pdf
pam kueber says
“Sheesh!” is putting it lightly. Thanks for the link, Robin!
pam kueber says
That is so sweet! Thank you, Mary Elizabeth. Yes. It all does feel like REAL FRIENDSHIP. I think that means: It is. 🙂
lynda says
Very nice! I think one of the best things you do is educate people to realize they don’t always have to toss and start over to make things beautiful! Good job.
pam kueber says
Yup. Yup. Yup.
AmyEbbertHill says
Congratulations! You do a wonderful job and this recognition is well deserved praise!
pam kueber says
Thank you, Amy xoxo