Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style
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postwar homes – “modern” and “modest” alike.
I'm Pam Kueber, your mid mod mad guide. Read more
20th century materials expert Grace Jeffers recently wrote a story explaining the difference between vinyl and vinyl composite tiles — including their different grades today — of interest to homeowners with vintage floors or pondering new floors. Grace also reminds that asbestos was a common component of resilient flooring throughout most of the 20th century. [...]
Over at her blog The Home Project, reader Linn and her husband continue to chronicle the remodel of their adorable bungalow kitchen. Recently, they rolled up their sleeves and installed a stainless steel countertop right over the old, existing laminate countertops. The headline: When first considering the stainless steel countertop option, Linn contacted a big [...]
“…Eliminates the final telltale sign of laminate – the brown line.” I am a big believer in the idea that the most significant design shifts tend to come from technological breakthroughs. The advance of laminate kitchen countertops — replacing linoleum and wood in most kitchens in the 1950s — came as a result of the [...]
What has our Retro Tribe been up to this week, and recently? I cruised around all the midcentury house blogs listed on my blogroll, and found some inspiring stories — readers completing projects, getting crafty and generally loving the house they’re in. Above: Kate gets supa props for doing regular postings on her blog Retro [...]
I bumped into this 1958 kitchen over on our Forum, which helps readers buy and sell vintage steel kitchen cabinets and other salvage items to remodel their homes in authentic period style. Reader Nicole recently bought this single-owner, Seattle house. Alas, there is water damage to the cabinets. She is replacing them with a like [...]
Talking recently about vintage Sunbeam mixers, reader Gary suggested using caution with well-used estate sale mixers, warning: Often use and age have diminished or worn away the laminents on the motor’s rotor assembly. Oil also often migrates to contact parts too. The result is a burning or oily smell when the item is powered up. [...]
1940s bungalow kitchen before: 1940s bungalow kitchen after: Wow, Suzann’s 1940s bungalow style kitchen remodel is — fantastic. So bright and cheery, I know this transformation is going to excite a lot of readers. And, after five years of doing no stories at all about Ikea kitchen cabinets, here’s a second one in a row [...]
You know I am the world’s biggest proponent of doing things “the hard way.” But sometimes, I see these Ikea kitchen makeovers, and I think: They look pretty darn good and would be so easy, especially compared to spending five years hunting down vintage steel cabinets. Case in point, above: Jerry has embarked on a [...]
Here is another set of products from the past — still available today — with a fascinating history: ‘Memphis’ style laminates designed in 1978 by Ettore Sottsass, “the greatest Italian designer of the last half century.” These laminates are still offered by Abet Laminati. This is not necessarily a name familiar U.S. consumers, but Abet [...]
These are sure a blast from the past: Glass combination trivets and cutting boards that are installed directly into your kitchen countertop. Yes: with metal rim aka Hudee ring. I think that these built-in cutting boards were all the rage in the 1970s, because there was one in our 1975 countertop, to the left of the sink.
“Fake butcher block countertops” are another one of those original vintage house features that I often hear called “hideous” on other websites. (Crikey, how I have come to despise that word — it is overkill, please refrain.) I, on the other hand, not only have “no problem” with butcher block laminate, I am 100% on [...]
For either kitchen or, especially, bathroom countertops, I believe that Carrara marble laminates are an authentic vintage choice. I blinded myself searching for them among the 8 retailers of laminate in the U.S. today. The number-one choice, I think, is going to be from Wilsonart — their White Carrara, shown above. Read on for some [...]
Maryland Nancy is searching for laminate for her bathroom reno, and alerted me that the colorful Nevamar swirlie’s are discontinued. Alas. So, I did another survey — and here is an update of the laminates landscape for bathroom vanity countertops, as far as I can determine. Scroll over each image with your mouse to see [...]
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