Retro Renovation » accessories

15 cafe curtain designs and ideas

pam kueber — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:00:30 +0000

I have two large brochures of mid-century window treatment designs, published by Conso, the Consolidated Trimming Corporation. The booklets are not dated, but based on the furnishing and other hints, I put them early to mid-50s. Following up on the mega-post last week about fabrics for kitchen curtains, I scanned the brochures for design ideas. Above: Very classic… A picture window flanked by two double-hungs gets an austrian style cornice at the top, and pinch pleat cafe curtains below. The orange trim is terrific.

Above: I bet this is the exact same window. The cafe curtains here are called scalloped pinch pleats. The instructions are next:

Above: I will find out this week how to post this as a PDF so that you can get to these instructions enlarged. If you need a sewing machine – they are super easy to find at estate sales.

Above: These look to be scalloped pinch pleats as well. The functional idea with cafe curtains, is that you let light come in on top, but still have privacy via the cafes at the bottom.

Above: More cafes in this guest room / office combo. I’m calling it that, because that couch-like sitting area surely must be a mattress, with the idea that it can provide seating when it’s not being used by guests. Notice with these curtains that the fabric and trim are “reversed” top to bottom. Kind of clever.

Above: These cafe curtains were made out of Morgan Jones kitchen towels. Towels also were used to make pot holders and a toaster cover. Great idea. I think a toaster cover made from some leftover valence fabric might be in my future…

Above: These are great, too. Small cafe shades give the room a little softness. They are topped by a shade – repeated on the door.

Above: Here are instructions to make your own valence,. Plus – several designs to consider.

Above: “Tall” cafes installed under sheers. Honestly, I’m not sure how crazy I am about this look. This booklet is from a company pushing its products, so I think there are some experimental ideas going on.

Above: A nice drawing showing how a cornice / valence can be covered in the same fabric as used for a bedspread. A very nice design effect. Another classic designer trick: In a living room, cover at least one chair in the same fabric as your draperies.

Above: Lovely.

Above: Umm, not liking this too much… Short cafe above bench. Long cafes to the right and left. I think that this window would have looked better treated as one unit, like the very first image in this post.

Above: This window is actually quite interesting. There are glass shelves behind the curtains. Kind of cool.

Above: This is the third time (at least) that I’ve used this image on the blog. I love how they’ve used window treatments to unify the windows. This is GENIUS.

Above: Finally, here’s another “problem solving” page. The idea was to make the window treatment look good from the outside as well as the inside. Honestly, I don’t think it they were successful. That said, I like this image because it brings us full circle to illustrating that: Cafe curtains can provide lots of utility in controlling light – and adding some design flair at the same time.

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Hoover constellation vacuum cleaners – modern and new

pam kueber — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:59:55 +0000

How cool, Hoover has reintroduced vintage style Constellation vacuum cleaners. They include modern technology like HEPA filters, and yes — they apparently float! Two colors – a pearlescent white (shown) or in stainless steel. They are currently listed on Amazon for $230 from Allergy be Gone — I added them to my Pamazon store.

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Weiserlock door sets – a good midcentury choice

Pam Kueber — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:00:35 +0000

If you want to upgrade your door set, these choices from Weiserlock are beautiful and very classic — they definitely have a retro feel to me. When you are out at estate sales and inside mid century houses, make sure to notice little details like this. I remember one sale about two years ago just down the street from me… the modern house had the most gorgeous door sets… identical throughout the house – quite similar to the Weiserlock Troy above, although smaller. I remember that the slightly smaller scale, the repetition throughout the house, and the great “hand feel” made them so special. I am sure I looked nutso, pausing among the frenzy to adore them.

In terms of finish – I need to pay more attention to what I see in vintage homes, but in general, I think there weren’t many choices. Go brass in the main house, chrome in the bathrooms. In a 40s house and for some reason – Capes, I think that crystal knobs are delightful. Little touches like this — like diamond earrings — can make our little boxes oh so delightful.

This post was originally published on June 30, 2008.

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Where to find vinyl upholstery fabric, with the vintage naugahyde look

pam kueber — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:51 +0000

I RECENTLY STUMBLED upon this company, C.F. Stinson, which seems to carry upholstery weight vinyl in about 2000 styles and colors. I am not kidding. For example, this very classic, retro-style “Avant” line, which reminds me of vintage naugahyde, comes in 110 colors alone. Surely one is just right to reupholster your vintage Daystrom or Arvin dinette? In addition, there are many other more ‘decorative’ styles.

Interestingly, I also seem to get questions from folks renovating their canned hams (trailers) about where to find vinyl or naugahyde. The catch, however, is that this C.F. Stinson supply is all “contract” – that is, sold only to designers, “the trade.” And I fear you may need to order 30 yards or something. To check this out, I suggest you work directly with an upholstery shop. The website is pretty terrific – lots of fun to browse around. There’s also an outlet store with smaller yardages available (contract only).

If you’re looking for vinyl and want to try other routes… Well, I have not done any more research on this question, but I think that you can have some luck at very large upholstery stores. Every region seems to have at least one. There’s a really big one an hour from me in Springfield, Mass. Osgoods. Blinding inventory. Be sure to eat protein beforehand or you will pass out from the exhaustion of it all. We also used to have a big Waverly outlet about 45 minutes north. They had GREAT stuff. It went out of business but I think that the chain still exists. If you’re looking for a specific fabric – vinyl, or vinyl in a specific color, best to call first before driving an hour. I’ve generally found the folks who work at these stores very nice and helpful – but alas, quite overworked. So, sometimes, you just gotta get in the car and drive and see what the retro decorating gods want to send you.

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More photos from Alice – a Retro Renovation re-run

Pam Kueber — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:00:14 +0000

Remember Alice and her yellow Geneva kitchen in Richmond, Virginia? We’ve stayed in touch, and she sent some additional photos of her time capsule house.

Here’s her update:

You see I got busy with the camera. Attached are a couple of photos of the wallpaper in the dining room of our new, old house..I love the paper and am keeping it! In case the colors aren’t clear, it’s pink and blue pheasants on pink, blue, green and cream flower stems – all on a metallic silver background! The colored areas of the paper have a feel and look as though it’s hand painted…just lovely!

And because you asked, and knowing your crowd will enjoy, this I have included a few photos of our den with what appears to be a hand-made tray ceiling; a cute little bar/liquor closet that was definitely a handy-mans delight (fyi – I would love some photos/info regarding tiki bars – or whatever bars were typical of the ’50’s); a couple of ceiling fixtures that we have inherited; and did I mention they are the most fabulous closets? I’ve included a particular closet – a top-to-bottom cedar lined closet that is approximately 12′ x 12′.

And, Alice sent photos of her aqua (mint green?) bathroom with great yellow sink and original wallpaper. Thanks again, Alice, I’m mint green with envy!

Click photos below SEVERAL times to get to largest possible version:

This post was originally published early May, 2008.

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11 window treatments for midcentury homes

pam kueber — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:59:45 +0000

WITH SO MUCH RESEARCH on resources for a retro renovation accumulating, I’ve started pulling together mega-posts. So following my recent window treatment blitz, here are my 11 main posts on vintage style curtains, drapes, pinch pleats, blinds and roller shades. (I’ll also transform this into a new Fast & Easy page.)

Window treatments are something that scare a lot of people… we always procrastinate on this… Me, too. They’re intimidating. Yet, once you follow through with a plan, great window treatments can make a huge difference in pulling the room together — giving it that last little bit of design polish. I am very pro-window treatments, even for homes where big windows that bring in the outdoors are a big selling feature. They dress the window, can block out the heat or cold, and are great at night to block out the abyss. Keep that bogeyman away! Good feng shui!

Still intimidated? Another rule of my thumb: If it’s expensive, choose conservatively. If it’s less expensive, take a risk – try something bold or out of your comfort zone. For example: New 2″ aluminum blinds made to measure can be costly. So choose a color that’s neutral. But, it’s not too hard to find vintage barkcloth pinch pleats to fit or rework to fit over the horizontal blinds. So have some fun with that barkcloth. If it doesn’t work, you’re not out too much. (Guess what: The first valence I made for my kitchen was totally wrong. I only got the Melinamade atomic stuff on my second try!) On the other hand, if you are having someone make custom pinch pleats for a big room — that can cost thousands. I have to admit, I’d be pretty conservative on a purchase like that…

What are the other options for windows? I’ve gone through my archives and here are my classic posts, researched to help you to create authentic, midcentury-style window treatments:

2″ horizontal blinds… in aluminum… a classic window treatment for your midcentury home. There is just something about the scale of these 2″ blinds that suits the profile of our homes and their windows. I have horizontal blinds in my kitchen, and one bathroom… and could easily see them on other windows as well. I’m a big fan of Hunter-Douglas. Pricey — but I’ve always experienced great quality — and we open and close these guys every single day, so quality counts.
Vintage valences… If you use horizontal blinds on a wide window, you might want to hide the assembly under a vintage pinch pleat valence like this. If you watch and wait, you can find these on ebay at great prices.
Homemade valences… I made the valence in my kitchen myself with just one yard of expensive barkcloth by (1) piecing the fabric together including creating a few carefully positioned pleats to hide the seams and also give the piece some design flair (2) stapling the assembly to an 8-foot-long piece of 1″x2″ piece of wood from the hardware store and (3) then screwing the whole thing to the ceiling, attaching to studs. Ok, it will be hard to remove and clean but it’s not near the stove – so far so good 2+ years in.
Pinch-pleat draperies… Embrace your inner traverse rod. I am a pinch pleat proselytizer. Pinch pleats can be found vintage – that’s how I got mine, really big ones, too. You can piece vintage panels together. Or, you can make your own from scratch.
Spray paint your traverse rod… Tip: You can spray paint your traverse rod to blend with your wall color. Just extend the traverse rod to the proper length (including stackback) first to minimize scratching after the paint is on.
Reproduction barkcloth… You know I love Full Swing textiles barkcloth, if you can swing the cost. This fabric would be great for pinch pleat draperies in virtually any room. If you’re looking for a repro barkcloth that’s lower in cost, readers have suggested several other sources in the Comment section.
Vintage barkcloth… You can also watch for vintage barkcloth on ebay. Mind you, you need a lot to make full-length pinch pleat draperies – you might find enough online to make two pairs of sash-length drapes for a bedroom…
Online fabricators… Reader California Kathy shared these sources for pinch pleats with us. The second site mentioned might work well for custom-sized sheers — which I love to see underneath printed or woven-fabric pinch pleats.
Roller shades… Roller shades are also an authentic choice for any number of windows – I have them in two bedrooms. You can also put a cloth valence over these, if you like.
How make your own fabric roller shades – It’s not too hard and readers have good suggestions, too.
And woven wood shades…Woven wood shades can still be found new, or vintage. Pom poms – like the ones below in a fantastic time capsule home – optional, of course!

Other posts with design ideas and inspiration:

2″ metal horizontal blinds: The perfect window treatment for midcentury home When I went to order window treatments for my...
3 ways to recreate a vintage style roller shade ARE YOU LOOKING FOR an authentic midcentury window treatment...
15 cafe curtain designs and ideas I have two large brochures of mid-century window treatment...

For mis-matched windows: How about cafe curtains with a valence?

pam kueber — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:00:20 +0000

Do you have a dining area with one window smaller than the other? Perhaps this solution — from a 1959 Consolidated Trimming Company’s “1,001 tips” booklet — will help. And if you’re looking for good solid cafe rods, the line available from Rejuvenation look pretty nice.

Read on for a close-up of the booklet’s explanation…

15 cafe curtain designs and ideas I have two large brochures of mid-century window treatment...
10 ideas for cheery 40s or 50s kitchen curtains Stephanie asked for suggestions for window treatments for her...
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3 ways to recreate a vintage style roller shade

pam kueber — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:00:40 +0000

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR an authentic midcentury window treatment that is “simpler” and/or less expensive than pinch-pleat draperies or horizontal blinds — especially when it comes to a smaller window? Roller shades are a great alternative to add to your stable of choices.

Here are three ways to recreate the style:

Simple, “pull-down” shades are available at many local hardware stores, and the big-box hardware stores have them, too. In both places, they cut them to your size, on site. When you go in, be sure to know whether you want to install them inside the window frame, or outside, and be ready with your measurements for both height and width. Roller shades from the hardware store are generally very inexpensive, but the options can be quite limited – white or almond-colored vinyl only, with kind of cheesy trim (as I recall). You might also find these at estate sales — used or unused — and if you can be patient, you can find them for a song.
Another alternative is a fabric shade custom made to your specs from companies like Smith & Noble. I have these in my bedrooms, with a scalloped edge and tassel-y trim (called “gimp”). I also paid for the cassete upgrade – which allows me to lower and raise them with a pulley system. Fabric roller shades are available from a wide number of manufacturers. And, they can be ordered in all kinds of fabrics. In the main image above — from 1952 — you can see “oatmeal” and “shantung” fabrics — these kinds of fabrics are still very commonly available today… they’re what I used.
If you are really handy – you can sew your own shade from fabric, or glue fabric straight onto an inexpensive shade cut to size from the hardware store or an estate sale. Watch tomorrow for a post on how to make your own fabric shades based on vintage 1959 instructions.

Notes:

I ordered my bedroom shades, I labored over whether to buy the “black-out” design that totally blocks light, or the more translucent design. I decided on the translucent because we thought it would be nice to be awakened each day by the light slowing permeating the room. I think this choice is very personal… but it’s one more issue you will want to think about before making a final choice.
And in my bedrooms, I ultimately added pinch pleats over the roller shades. This layered effect is wonderful. And, if you are new to your home…and need immediate privacy…but want to wait to find the perfect set of draperies…you can install the roller shades right away and then take the time you need to find draperies (thrifted, new or home-made.)

1959 instructions to make your own fabric roller shades IT *LOOKS* PRETTY EASY to make your own fabric...
15 cafe curtain designs and ideas I have two large brochures of mid-century window treatment...
11 window treatments for midcentury homes WITH SO MUCH RESEARCH on resources for a retro...

Wood paneling — time for a comeback?

pam kueber — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:02 +0000

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 unpopular. Please don’t rip yours out unless it’s truly pedestrian! When we bought our 1951 “colonial-modern embankment ranch” seven years ago, another of the selling points was its original cherry paneling in the basement. The room itself needed some work – insulation, better heating, lighting, ceiling, carpet…but there was never a doubt about the paneling. Today, it’s the favorite room of my husband and his guy friends — a classic.

Methinks it’s time for paneling like this, to make a comeback.

This post was first published Feb. 19, 2008

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2″ metal horizontal blinds: The perfect window treatment for midcentury home

pam kueber — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0000

When I went to order window treatments for my kitchen, Colleen from my local hardware store took one look and recommended 2″ aluminum blinds. “It’s what we rip out of every other 50s home,” she reassured.

We chose from the Hunter Douglas “Macro” line. These horizontal blinds are PERFECT, and from my reading of scores of midcentury magazines, I know that “venetians,” as they called these then, are totally authentic. About two years ago – when I originally ran this post — I even saw that Hunter Douglas has come out with a new color palette with circa 50s colors. I chose a soft neutral metallic, as my window is quite large and I didn’t want the shade to overpower the room.

Other tips: I ordered “traditional” slat styling – that is, I wanted the holes in the middle of the blind to show. The alternative is “blackout” style, but that, I believe, is a too-new innovation. Also, I chose the “wand” rather than the cord to adjust the slats horizontally. Finally, you get a self-colored valance free as part of the order. Go for it. However, I later added a fabric valence that I made myself.

Lastly, on logistics, I have a few pieces of advice from my experience:

I really do not like Hunter Douglas’ website. It is way too complicated. On this one, my advice is to go to a good window treatment store that has all the catalogs and color samples and check everything out there.
These things are expensive but I think the quality and service are worth it. For example, after I ordered my kitchen window shade I found that I needed to have it cut down by about 1/2″ on each side. My local sales rep got it done for me at no charge. Be nice – and the niceness comes back around.
One final idea: If you are installing a new window – talk to your contractor about adding a support behind the drywall all the way horizontally across the window top and even beyond if you think you will need a stack-back (for pinch pleats). That way – you will not have to hunt and peck looking for the studs (which will always be in the “wrong” place) when you go to install. Oh, this is also a good idea in a bathroom, in a tub — even if you don’t think you need that grab bar now — you may eventually — so if you have the space opened up, add the support now and make a note of where it is so you can add a grab bar if you need it…

This classic Retro Renovation post has been updated from the original, which was first published on March 19, 2007.

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