Retro Renovation

It always seems that the most outrageously creative places in postwar homes are the basements. It seems that upstairs everyone wanted everything to be “nice.” But downstairs — all heck break lose, it was party time. These 1949 images from Armstrong Flooring’s squad of interior designers are, as usual, over-the-top, and chock full of great [...]

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I’ve been holding off for a while on posting this incredible 1966 wood paneling, thinking I could find some today-sources for this stylish material. Click the images to enlarge and see the wonderful decorative detail. Alas, nothing on the internet. Does anyone have any other ideas…sources?

It’s so interesting - that this was so popular…then so [...]

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I am so excited - I have not one… not two…but 39 postwar brochures, magazines, pamphlets and more in hand and will be featuring lots of great new material for the blog in coming weeks.
How’s this for a start? An utterly groovy 1956 basement for lounging all weekend long. The decor is just spectacularly [...]

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Another accordian-accessorized interior — from Brian at Atomic Addiction. Now I am really hooked and want to find more more more for our collection! Here’s what Brian says:
I remember seeing this picture awhile ago. Funny how this sort of thing sticks in your mind. I guess its because if someone whipped out an accordian [...]

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It’s nice to see that furniture manufacturers are bringing back sofas and chairs that have more traditional scale and lines like those in the 1954 Simmons ad above and in the thumbnail.
By scale, I mean, not over-sized, like most of the sofas on the market today that are made for new construction home interiors. Today’s [...]

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With so much focus these days on hardwood, tile, cork and here, of course - VCT - flooring, it’s easy to forget that in postwar homes, carpet was very desirable.
In our 1951 colonial-ranch, the long step-down living room had (1975-era) carpet, with plywood underneath. Okay, we tore it out and replaced it with beautiful Berkshires [...]

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Beautiful sofa and chair! These are new. But our good friend Palm Springs Stephan says that he bought his reproduction set from this furniture-maker upholsterer in metro Los Angeles - and that they are great pieces.
“He is located in a little shop down in Hollywood, and he specializes in reproduction mid century modern upholstered [...]

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Okay, I want a humongous plasma TV just like the next person, but frankly, I think I want one of these awesome Predicta models first. These are faithful reproductions — not exact, but faithful — of the original Philco Predictas and there are 8 models — 4 tabletop, 4 on integrated bases. Telstar, the company [...]

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Kelly C. of Virginia recently wrote:
Hi Pam,
Great web site! I’m currently working on a finished attic that’ll eventually have a 50’s retro themed home theatre (14′ x 24′) with a small connected retro-themed diner (10′ x 10′). I’m currently looking for a few retro items. Here’s a short list.

Retro ceiling fan (with or without light)
Retro [...]

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I have two of these braided Capel rugs, and I love them. They are very durable, versatile and affordable — and fit my 1951 colonial ranch home’s decor just fine. Remember, while we may associate modernist ranch houses with the 1940s 50s and 60s, in reality postwar homes were a mix and match…inside and out…of [...]

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