Retro is rockin’ — even in Korea, where consumers can now buy this LG Classic TV in orange or woodtone for the equivalent of US$215. Snaps to readers Jane and Alisa, who both sent in this tip hours apart yesterday. Oh my. Love, of course. Here’s more info that Jane picked up on the radio and her web research:

Hello!
I heard about this new retro 1960s television from LG on NPR this morning. Since I’m a huge fan of mid-century gadgets and decor, this  sounded like it would be right up my alley. I looked it up as soon as I got to work and am now in love.  So far is only sold in South Korea. You can bet, though, that when it comes to the U.S., I will be purchasing one!

It is called the Retro Classic TV and it’s a 14 inch CRT. It looks like it’s straight out of the 1960s and even allows the viewer the option of watching television in black and white or sepia instead of color!  The screen is fairly small and the television is not so compact, but I think it would be perfect for any vintage home.  It also has a remote and is compatible with a cable box or dvd player. Apparently, though, the rabbit ears are designed for the Korean broadcast system and wouldn’t work in the U.S.  Hopefully, they’ll modify it and send some over!

You can read more technical details about the LG Classic TV at PC World. And, you can get more photos of this retro style television at this Korean shopping site. Keep the tips and finds coming, readers — this is fun.

Meanwhile, know that you CAN get reproduction Predicta tv’s for sale in the U.S. They are costly, though — so much so, that they don’t even seem to list the prices on the website. Or at least, I can’t find them….

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Look at these two – “Bronwyn the Bad Visualizer” and husband Greg. I have to say: They are even cuter than the vintage pinch pleats in the background. And you know how I feel about pinch pleats. Bronwyn wrote to me … in July (gulp, I’ve been overwhelmed.) She tells me it’s also taken this long for her to get a contractor on the line – so there’s still time for us to muddle up her brains with alternatives

Hi Pam,

Love your website (and your love for Stephen Colbert)!  My husband and I are in the midst of partially redoing a 1950’s kitchen in Culver City, California (i.e. Los Angeles).  We’ve got a tiny galley kitchen with the original wooden cabinets and also black and white checker floor tiles (which we are keeping).  We are definitely replacing the countertops with Formica Aqua boomerang.  My first question is about backsplash.  I notice  that in most of the 50’s photos, the kitchen sinks usually have windows over them and therefore just a 4-inch Formica backsplash.  Ours is up against a wall. We’d like to have a full backsplash because we are…well, splashy. We were thinking of putting in white tiles with some black accents to mimic the floor.   Do you think tile would make sense?  Would that pattern look appropriate next to the boomerang countertops?  We’re trying not to be “too busy” as the kitchen is rather small and we don’t want to look too circusy in there.  Any suggestions?  Also, our walls are currently painted aqua and I feel that that is going to be too much if we have the aqua counters.  Any good, simple, contrast ideas?  Thank you so much for any suggestions.

Most Sincerely,

Bronwyn the Bad Visualizer

Of course, I asked Bronwyn more information about her house – and of course, there are some great stories. So keep reading to get to that part.

Meanwhile, regarding the backsplash:

• I discussed this with my number-one go-to source on color issues — my husband David, who has a really great eye. He has made the point that given the small size of your kitchen….that it opens into the dining room where there is more going on… that you’ve got a beautiful new Fridge coming… and the fact that you will soon have aquamarine countertops – a simple, calming-force backsplash is advisable. I looked at it from every angle (literally) with him, and agree:
• Plain, satin finish, 4×4s – running horizontally (not in diamonds as now), will allow other more important aspects of your kitchen to shine.  We don’t think that even little splashes of black are advisable – the black wants to dominate too much.
• Regarding wall color, first keep the aqua that you have and see how that looks. But, for the wall, calming white might also be the best. You can add accent color in any number of ways via your accessories.

Gosh, no one will actually believe I am finally recommending: White!

So now, more from Bronwyn, who tells me that her name is Welsh, although she is not. Her father named her after a character in “How Green Was My Valley”:

Hi Pam,

I love our stove too!!  It is an O’Keefe & Merritt Stove. I believe that O’Keefe & Merritt was a big Los Angeles stove company, but alas is no more. I had the stove repaired recently and the repairman said to NEVER replace it–it would last forever.

We don’t have a pink bathroom–we have a funky green one!  If you’re up for it, I actually have some tile-related questions on the bathroom too, but since I don’t want to overwhelm you, I’ll hold back unless you’re really interested…:) [ Post to come - Pam]

Greg is a musician and works on scores for film and television.   I…currently work at a health policy organization in an editorial capacity (that’s the shortest way to describe my job).

As for why we like retro stuff….I was born that way. Greg and I love the detail and thought of past eras. People put so much more effort into architecture, clothing, hair…anything. We love that attention and love for detail that defines Americana.  Although I love the 50’s, my favorite is the 1930’s-40’s.

Also–Pam, I should have mentioned. We had those polka-dotted curtains in the dining room made when we moved in.  Not sure how “authentic” looking they really are, but we just thought the that the material was cute and went for it.

As for the story….we purchased the house in 2005.  Shirley had died in 2001 so there was one other owner Paula) before us.   Back in 2005, the LA housing market was hot and buyers practically had to beg to buy houses.   We looked at all available (10) houses on this side of LA  that day.    We were depressed because all of the houses in our price range were right on the side of the freeway or literally the last house before the end of the runway at the Santa Monica airport.    The only house that we liked (actually loved) was this one!     Paula had decorated the living room like a 1950’s beauty salon (I actually thought an old lady lived there and had a business). The house was on the market 5 days–never had an open house–and Paula had to move immediately.  She had 3 offers.  Right before we made our offer, Greg and I were sort of stalking the house and managed to “run into” Paula and introduced ourselves.   Long story short, we eventually got the house.  We found out from our agent that we didn’t even have the best offer, but Paula liked us because she knew we’d maintain the integrity of the house (i.e. not tear it down and build a McMansion)

Shirley didn’t get married until she was in her 50’s so she never had kids.   When she died, the neighbor sold the house and just left the dining room set with it.  It just fits the room and wouldn’t make sense anywhere else.   But since she has no children, Greg and I like to pretend that we are her kids!

When we moved in, we inherited the dining room set, the original blueprints, the original contract on the house (it’s about 10 pages), Shirley’s wedding album (Shirley married Ferdinand in the 1970’s), several slides with photos of the house, and Ferdinand’s extensive record album collection!    We don’t know much about “Ferd” other than he LOVED music.  We have his fantastic record collection–complete with his hand-typed index card filing system–of big band, Christmas music, Reader’s Digest albums, and Elvis! Last year for my birthday, Greg bought me a record player and we are known to push back the furniture and dance to Ferdinand and Shirley’s music.

Bronwyn

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1959 — and see how colonial decor is still be running strong, as evidenced in these Drexel lines. “Litchfield” is in the bedroom, “Dutchess County” in the living area. Hey, how could you not be comfy cozy in this setup, guys! Now that it’s August I will do my single, monthly repetition of this Pam-ism: Mix up your interior decor! All modern is a bore. Keep your friends and family guessing what a nutcase you really are. Be a mystery!

This photo also excites me because (1) I found this exact same color carpet for my basement living room. Harvest gold rocks. And (2) we get to see more of that weird and wonderful paneling which we originally saw in this scary photo-post, also from 1959. I will have to see if I have periodicals from that year which identify what this paneling was all about – what would we call it, a “peeling bark white birch”?

Finally: I will reiterate another 50s Pam rule: No guns displayed in your homes, please. Very bad feng shui. Honestly, so are dead-people images (like that painting), especially in the bedroom. And, that iron arrow pointing toward the headboard, also probably a F.S. no-no. See, the longer I do this blog the more dogmatic I really do become. Stay tuned for August isms on pinch pleat drapes and wallpaper in your bathroom

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I am now the proud owner of a binder of large, vintage 1954 Armstrong advertising comps — created by Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc., and signed off by Max Banzhaf in Floor Division National Advertisements. Pretty cool, huh?

Meanwhile – readers had been asking for more living room ideas — and I found some great ones in here.

In this modern-yet-classic interior, the designer begins with a very neutral brown/wood backdrop, adding medium blue, chartreuse and smalled punch of red to the mix. Overall – a delightful yet easy-to-live with look.

Click to enlarge and there are some fun things to notice:

• Horses here and there
• Pinch pleats that don’t take themselves too seriously
• A peak into the kitchen, with the chartreuse carrying into that space
• Look at the floor as it also transitions into the kitchen; there’s a change in the tile color to redefine the new spaces.

Check out the two books of Armstrong interiors — Inspiring Interiors from Armstrong 1950s and Interior Solutions from Armstrong the 1960s.

Meanwhile, I’ll feature more from my proprietary stash (different from what’s in the books) over time.

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This 1952 living room dining room comes courtesy the interior designers at Armstrong Flooring. To be sure, this company had a massive influence via their advertising in establishing the postwar look. Seems like they were among the first to figure out that if you employed interior designers to finish a whole room — especially as it was a new look for America — it would be lots easier to sell the pieces — starting with the floor.

There is so much to love about this room, including:

• The floor, of course – interesting how the neutral grey works just fine with the orange and chartreuse paint, fabric and accessories
• The fireplace wall is cork, the ad says. Very cool
• The wall-to-floor pinch-pleat draperies are retro necessities
• I love the built in just left of the chartreuse slipper chair, foreground left
• The plants are very modern – remember, a Monsterosa is a must for any god fearing mid century interior!
• That’s a paneled room behind the drapery to the left.
• And check out the headless statue in the extreme foreground at the right. Freaky!

Freaky head aside – how could you NOT be happy in this room? Banish the beige, guys!

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Femme 1 sends us our item of the day – coincidentally, from reader Ronn Ives’ shop, Futures Antiques. Femme1 says:

I’ve just been looking online at some of the older furniture sites I used to check. You might like this sofa. This is a great site–Futures– and the guy who runs it has been around a long time.

Thanks, Femme1: Here’s Ronn’s listing along with the link…this is indeed a beauty!:

Early 1950’s sofa

Early 1950’s “strawberry-chocolate malt” colored herculon sofa, with stylized leaf/floral pattern. One small stain on the underside of one seat cushion. Everything else is 100 point condition. 29″ high, 31″ deep, 76″ long. 275.00, HO29939

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Click all photos to enlarge.

Note all the details – the mix of horizontal and vertical siding, the bracketed eaves, the decorative roof supports and the jutting roof line, the coach light, the shutters, the roof shingles and window ledges and different mullions on each window…and is that brick under the bay window? This design is all in the details! The living room is a 50s classic, too.

This just might be the most awesome 50s house of all time.

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click to enlarge both images

The smokey gray walls of the living room in a recent post on Chinese Ancestor paintings really struck me as gorgeous — and not something you’d really see a lot of today. The illustration above is from vintage materials – also really beautiful. It would be so easy to put this look together using colors straight from the Sherwin-Williams Suburban Modern palettes (both interior and exterior.)

Colors to experiment with to achieve these looks:

• Classic French Grey
• Pink Flamingo (maybe – for the coral)
• Sunbeam Yellow (I also love New Colonial Yellow)
• Fairfax Brown

Also note from the illustration:

• A pair of chairs in your accent color – no matter what their lines — is always great.
• Nice use of color inside the bookcases, and nice arrangement/variety of collections
• Dishes on shelves pick up the bright accent color, coral, in a very pleasing and understated way
• Pinch pleat, traverse rod draperies with upholstered valance in a large floral barkcloth tone down the formality of the room. So does the lamp – both are tailored, like the rest of the room, but with some whimsy
• Black laquered tables keep your eyes moving, but they are not too big so it’s not overdone

Another timeless room — and a horse of a different color for those of you who don’t want….well, the stereotypically ”exuberant” 50s colors. Hi, Mary-Frances!

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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 oversized furniture can be very comfy, especially if you are tall. But postwar furniture was modestly sized — “long and low” — to fit the lower ceilings, the more defined architectural spaces, and in many cases, the long narrow living room-dining room combinations. By lines, I mean fitted backs, the availability of skirts, rolled arms, and backs that were kind of split in two with piping – as in both the 1954 (above) and 2007 models (below).

The manufacturer I’ve found so far that has several possible choices is Lee. This is an “apartment sofa”, it looks pretty good – 34″ high, seat 24″ deep. But the online dimensions do make me question whether it angles back too far. That said – the basic lines of this sofa will never “go out of style.”

The advantage of buying new, and from a major manufacturer, is that you get, well…. new, and easy. With a gazillion fabric choices. My husband, as an example, has a real aversion to smelly old sofas. Unless I rip the guts out and totally reupholster, he won’t let me bring ‘em in the house. So, cost for new is probably pretty similar to buying vintage then having to reupholster. The downside to new, is that everyone says that the old sofas were made better, with harder wood. And, the exact lines on vintage sofas are often that much nicer, that much more perfect – as in the vintage ‘54 Simmons. And if you find get mint with vintage upholstery – oh my.

In either case, though — it’s good now to have more choices.

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