Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style
Your daily dose of midcentury remodeling resources…
home design inspiration… thrifty finds… and a generous
community of people passionate about their vintage and
postwar homes – “modern” and “modest” alike.
I'm Pam Kueber, your mid mod mad guide. Read more
This week’s spotlight on busy-bee-retro-bloggers and other relevant home design news starts with nickarmadillo of Mid-Century Midwest, who finally got his vintage sputnik light installed. Nick lives in St. Louis, a midcentury treasure trove, and bought this “for a song” last year at an estate sale. Nick, we all completely understand it when you write, I [...]
Ramblings. I’m all psyched — or is it psycho? — about the blog these days. January was the best traffic month ever — 200,000 unique visitors… and I really loved the stories, too. I also went to a conference, the Alt Design Summit, which got me all jazzed about doing even more to turbocharge the [...]
Charming… odd… funny… gorgeous… sentimental… inspiring… colorful… beyond the main… stuff you can really truly use in your Retro Renovations: These are the things I look for on ebay and to showcase here for you. If you click on a link and end up buying, I make a spiff, that’s part of how I earn [...]
Changing planes on Southwest Airlines last year, I spotted this super creative — and super ambitious — DIY Valentines candy Sweethearts® sculpture at the entrance to one of the gates in Baltimore. Supersize me: This thing is like 12′ feet tall. The creator seems to be Colleen — see her name on the ‘box’ that’s pouring [...]
If flocked red PBR wallpaper does not make you fall out of your chair laughing, you scare me. Some more most excellent “flocked wallpaper” humor: HERE. Tip to using the ebay carousel: To go to a particular item, click on its photo (NOT on the ebay logo) — then, click on the lime green “View [...]
On my recent tour of midcentury modern Salt Lake City with Mony Ty, we stopped a lovely downtown vintage clothing store, Misc. Boutique. That’s pronounced “Missy”, like owner Missy Baber, shown above. I did not have a lot of time to shop… I was on a fast-paced photo tour… but my ears perked right up when [...]
Bitosso Rimini Blu marble Earth. The only one we have. Tread lightly. Images: Highest resolution ever images of Earth from NASA, released recently in January 2011. Follow NASA Goddard on Facebook.
How often do I get to feature such a lovely fuzzy creature on my homepage. LUV. Keep an eye on this ebay seller, s/he has got h/her hands on lots of New Old Stock (NOS) from an old variety story that h/she is slowly but surely getting on to ebay and into our greedy little [...]
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 [...]
I have been on a tear, of late, researching laminates. Considering how Greige and Granite-y 99% of what’s out there is, I want to provide Retro Renovators with the broadest researched selection possible of designs that have a more historical, retro appeal. After I learned that Formica’s butcher block laminate has been in production since [...]
I am updating this Retro Renovation “Classic” post for Tiel, her husband, and all readers looking for classic 50s and 60s metal countertop edging. Trust me – this is the real deal: My husband hunted down the only place left — in Astoria, Queens — that still made the exact stainless steel edging on 50s [...]
Okay, this is the last day of my little fixation with retro laminates. (For now.) As you know, I am a devotee of the Sherwin Williams Suburban Modern palette, both interior and exterior. So, I have gone through Arpa’s line of solid-colored laminates and for the most part, been able to line up 10 colors [...]
In my recent story about authentic 1950s 1960s and 1970s kitchen remodeling products still made today, I spotlighted Elkay Lustertone stainless steel drainboard sinks — made back in the day and still available today. Over the past year, I’ve been in touch with a reader who was preparing to install a new Elkay sink top [...]
© 2012 Retro Renovation · Theme design: Phoenix Massey Studio · Powered by WordPress, Genesis, and WDS
Become a fan