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Lug-A-Ture — 1950s bedroom dresser that converts to four suitcases

Posted by: • February 5, 2012
Dresser-made-out-of-luggage-Tug-A-Ture

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 [...]

DIY stair rail ideas for Heather’s retro basement remodel

Posted by: • January 31, 2012
retro stair rails

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! [...]

7 ceiling fans for a midcentury home

Posted by: • January 25, 2012
retro ceiling fan emerson traditional

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 [...]

4 retro carpet patterns from Shaw

Posted by: • January 16, 2012
Calabria by Shaw

Yes, wall-to-wall carpeting is historically appropriate for a midcentury house. In fact, it was very desirable, very popular. My 1951 colonial-ranch originally had wall-to-wall carpet in the sunken living room, for example. I recently did an interview about the history of carpeting in postwar America with Emily Morrow, Emily Morrow, Shaw Floors’ director of Color, [...]

Laundry chute doors — 2 places to buy them, in powder-coated metal

Posted by: • January 13, 2012
Laundry chute door from American Metal Products

Ha! Here is an obscure product you bet you didn’t even know you wanted – but now you do – and now you know where to get: A laundry chute door. It’s available from American Metal Products / Lima Register … made of powder-coated steel … comes in 10″ or 12″ widths … and includes “spring-hinged, [...]

Drexel Plus One bedroom set circa 1970

Posted by: • September 5, 2011
drexel flower power bedroom set peter max

The Drexel Plus One bedroom furniture suite is the most fabulous bedroom set ever made – no doubt about it. And you can Buy It Now, for $485. Based on St. Petersburg, Florida — yay to the sellers, Smugglers Cove Vintage. And: Be sure to see these other pieces, which I spotted and featured in [...]

Update: 28 places to shop for an affordable midcentury modern style sofa

Posted by: • August 15, 2011
mid century modern style sofas researched by retro renovation and readers

Back in March I did a ton of research and identified 19 places to buy an affordable midcentury modern style sofa. Following the original story, readers provided more resources. I now have gone through every comment and incorporated them into an updated list of 28 manufacturers and/or retailers offering unique midcentury style sofa designs. For this [...]

Hangin’ with Lisa LaPorta, obsessing over dog portraits, riding a cherry picker and creating a Design Star room — HGTV Home Shaw Floors trip report

Posted by: • August 12, 2011
pam kueber of retro renovation at shaw floors event

It’s been a crazy busy summer for every single person I know. Me, too — so much so that it’s taken me a solid month to get coverage of my recent trip to see the HGTV Home Shaw Floors lineup onto the blog. This is the second blogger event I’ve been to. It was held [...]

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