Retro Renovation» attic & basement

DIY stair rail ideas for Heather’s retro basement remodel

pam kueber — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:55:14 +0000

Heather and her husband need to install a new stair rail along the stairs to the basement in ther 1970 ranch house. They want a design that they can build themselves and have asked for our ideas to help. I have an immediate idea — but read on — and I welcome reader ideas, too! Heather writes:

We have a wonderful 1970 brick ranch that has some great retro touches. My husband and I are currently renovating our basement and I need some help with what to do with the stair railing. Could I submit a photo to you for your thoughts and help from the readers? Your site is a recent discover for me and I so enjoy it!

Well, sure, Heather. I ask her for some more info on her “Retro Renovation story” and she quickly responds:

Thanks for taking a look at this! We bought this 1970 brick ranch two years ago just after we got married. Funnily enough, neither of us wanted a brick house or a ranch, but when we first saw this one, it called our name! It was a great decision! The bones of the house were in great shape, especially upstairs. A fresh coat of paint and refinishing the original wood floors (hidden under some nasty carpet) were all that was needed before we moved in. The basement has been a different story! After gutting the existing stud walls and paneling due to water damage – and fixing said water infiltration – we are now in the process of rebuilding. I am looking for your help on the stair railing. You can see from the attached picture that a portion of the stair will be open to the den. The shaded areas show where the new walls will go. All the rail/ picket combinations for purchase at the big-box stores are traditional, turned-wood pickets that do not fit this house or my style! Any suggestions? Our budget is modest and we will probably do the work ourselves – so a hand-crafted, wrought-iron number is probably out of the question! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

By the way, perusing your site has given me all kinds of ideas for the rest of the house. I’m not sure my husband is going to like you

Thanks,
Heather

Thank you for your nice comments, Heather. Hope I don’t get you in trouble with DH, but that’s what marriage is all about, isn’t it? The honey-do projects…. On to your question…

My idea for a 1970s style stair railing:

I immediately *knew* what my suggestion was for your stair railing: It’s like the one shown here. (Note, I cannot use this image on my site as it is copyrighted from istock.com. I tried to find it and buy it from istock.com but could not find it.)

Update: Reader Joel created this design for Heather in response to this post. Yes! Perfect 1970s -- just what I was thinking!

I think that this style of railing — which we still see on decks today — was quite common on the interiors of 1970s homes. And I bet you could replicate it yourself, pretty easily. Walking down the stairs you are not going to see the “pretty side” of the railing, but you will see it from the basement room itself. I’d look for good wood that will take a stain well, I think that’s key, along with general craftsmanship. And, of course, check with your local building inspector to make sure you are designing and installing the rail according to current building codes — and safely.

Readers, what do your stair rails look like?
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7 ceiling fans for a midcentury home

pam kueber — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:30:52 +0000

Roseana writes:

I’ve looked and looked on your site, but I’m not seeing much in the way of what folks have done about replacing ceiling fans in their ranch or modern homes. Here in Texas, they are just essential. I’ve used fans from Modern Fan Company (the Ball fan) in a couple rooms, but I’m looking for something that’s less “minimal” than that design. And NO light fixtures in the fan, please! Who’s got some great leads on ceiling fans that aren’t garish and still fit in with the retro look we’re all after?

Okay, I started poking around and came up with some thoughts:

Roseana, one of the first stories I ever wrote on the blog — back in Nov. 2007 — provided some ideas to Kelly about decorating an attic in retro style. Haha, I had NO readers! Back then, I found Emerson Traditional Fans. I still like the look of these.

Also, the Prima Deluxe.

Roseana, as you have said, the Modern Fan Company fans are very… modern/contemporary … they are not what I’d call “retro – authentic”… not that I know exactly what retro-authentic means. But what I “tend” to believe is that they would be… simple and traditional: Wood blades… Chrome or probably even more so, unlacquered brass base.

Where else to look for a traditional / retro ceiling fans?

Some very nice looking classic – traditional – therefore, retro — designs at the Monte Carlo Fan Company.

Above: Fanimation seems to have some basic ceiling fans.

Above: Hunter has a number of traditional ceiling fans, but I think their styling with those pfoufy attachment-to-the-blade designs are a big much.

This Sterling Manor design from Kichler is pretty basic.

Progress has a basic design.

Readers, do you have ceiling fans original to your house?
What do they look like?

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1950s cowboy basement bar — from a house where $45,000 was discovered in the attic — Yeehaw!

pam kueber — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:24:37 +0000

Retro goodness is indeed bountiful in Bountiful, Utah. Reader vintigchik gets snaps for spotting this cowboy themed basement bar for sale and emailing me about it. I reached out to the seller — and in our exchange, he mentioned how this 1950s house had held another treasure: $45,000, which he found in the garage attic right after he bought the house — and which he promptly returned to the original owners’ heirs. Yowza. Is there anything else we really need to know than: Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You.

Here are the Cowboy Chronicles. First, vintigchik writes:

Pam, Just a quick note to send you the link to this awesome bar I found for sale out here in Utah…. The owner has the good sense that this is unique and should be saved! I also emailed the seller with info about your blog in hopes they’ll send you pics before the rip out all of this 50′s greatness. Enjoy! -vintigchik

Then I called Josh Ferrin, the owner of the cowboy bar for sale, and he emailed me back right away:

Hey! Just got your message about our cowboy bar.
We’d love to have you blog about it. Do you need larger pictures? Also, you might have heard of this house before. See here. So excited! Thanks!

Now, first: No one will be permitted to get into a Comment tizzy because Josh is selling this set. He totally appreciates the set, and says there is plenty of other retroliciousness going on in the new/old house. This just doesn’t fit their vision. So — he’s putting it out there into the retro universe.

Moreover, this a family that discovered $45,000 in the garage attic when they bought their house — and then promptly returned the money to the heirs of the owner <—[be sure to read this story] from whom they had just bought it. These folks are putting out seriously good karma!

One more link: Josh is a professional illustrator and designer. His etsy story is Ginormous Robot.

Do you want to buy the cowboy bar? –> Contact Josh via the classified listing here. ‘Tis $350. I’ll also archive the text, for posterity:

Antique 1950′s cowboy bar. Large, retro and unafraid of its western roots.

Bountiful, UT - Aug 4, 2011:

This has got to be one of a kind.So, I just bought a house built in the 1950′s and this is in the living room downstairs. It doesn’t quite fit with our vision of the house. But it is so unique I had to find a home for it.This bar is in pristine condition — the varnish top is still shiny and smooth. The bartop features a fantastic retro country pattern with cow skulls and brands. There’s a second shelf on the interior of the bar with the same pattern as the bartop.

One end of the bar attaches to the wall and rotates upward to allow you, in your cowboy regalia to go behind and serve up brewskies, ice-cream or whatever you and your posse are hankering for.

The faux-leather front is accented with similar patterns and a giant horsehead.

The bartop has been partially disassembled for easy transport but the base is still attached to the floor. So, bring a truck (it’s at least 8-feet long), a friend, (solid wood, my friends) and a prybar (still attached to the floor with a few nails).

This is something of a wonder. Take care of this beauty, she could be the last of her kind.

Also included, a pair of antique saloon doors that match the bar.

Thank you, vintigchik! Thank you, Ferrins!

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