Remember the table that Laura made from a vintage suitcase?

All across DIY-land, you see crafty 2012 folk making things out of vintage suitcases: end tables (remember Laura’s?), dog beds and recently I saw wall shelves. But our grandparents were already well ahead when it came to innovating with suitcase conversions. LoOk: Here is a true, vintage tall dresser made from suitcases — which converts to usable suitcases. In fact, the piece is branded “Lug-A-Ture“, according to reader Cindy, who spotted it in an antique shop and good girl, had her camera handy to report back. “Lug-A-Ture” — get it? — “Furni-Ture” that you can you can break apart and use as luggage when you need to get a move on. Cindy writes:

One of the most curious things I’ve ever seen, from Midway Antiques Mall in Sacramento CA. They specialize in the mid-mod stuff. A 1950′s luggage dresser by Lug-A-Ture. Take one or all pieces of luggage as needed. They have a lot more cool stuff, including a stash of pink plastic bathroom tiles.

Indeed, Cindy, not just “curious,” but one of the most odd and wonderful consumer products from midcentury America — woddities — that I have ever seen. Well, maybe just a teensy bit under push-button plumbing and of course, the Electro-Sink (bow down to the almighty E-S!)

Interestingly, I found a modern day reconception of this idea — “suitcase dressers” from the British designers JamesPlumb.  There are also “suitcase stacks”. The website explains:

A selection of old suitcases are housed individually in antiqued steel and wood cases that have been tailor made in Somerset. Every case is carefully and painstakingly repaired and repurposed – relined in Swedish linen ready to recieve their new contents.

I love upcycling and yes, this seems to be a fantastic way to repurpose vintage suitcases. Even so, I am now on the eagle-eye lookout for the one-and-only, original Lug-A-Ture.

Related posts:

1. 50s bedroom – a very typical bedroom set of Drexel Inspiration I have a lot of great advertising for 50s bedroom...
2. French provincial bedroom Here’s a slightly larger image of our bedroom-week photo –...
3. Drexel Plus One bedroom set circa 1970 The Drexel Plus One bedroom furniture suite is the most...

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?
Upload photos to this slide show:

• Tips: (1) PLEASE set your camera to no bigger than “medium” images, so files aren’t too large — large files really slow down the slide show and over time increase my costs to run this website. 
• (2) Uploader DOES work but message you get on screen *may be* funky and confusing. Upload ONCE and trust the image it there — I just need to “set new photos free” from my control panel and will be checking hourly to do so. 
• (3) Terms of Use apply – please read them before you share. Submitting photos = consent.

Related posts:

1. Decorating ideas from a retro 60s avocado and orange time capsule basement How to add light to your basement? This wonderful 60s...
2. 6 ideas from Karen’s retro kitchen remodel — including pink terrazzo countertops! There are at least six different things I like about...
3. Jon & Trixi uncover a 1962 retro kitchen under layers of ugly remodel I first *met* Jon when he wrote to ask me...

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?

Related posts:

1. Kelly’s attic retro renovation: Ideas for vintage fans, mid century sofas and steel kitchen cabinets Kelly C. of Virginia recently wrote: Hi Pam, Great web...
2. 2 retro exhaust fans LAST YEAR Nutone discontinued the satin chrome grille its classic...
3. Midcentury home design and renovation ideas from 8 retro housebloggers This year I want to give even more visibility to the...