Retro Renovation

“That’s cool!” my husband said when he saw me pull this photo of a Vornado fan. It is a reproduction of the original, and it’s even in the original 50s “Vornado Green.”
There’s also a “Silver Swan,” a reproduction of a 30s deco design.
Cool indeed.
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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 [...]

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Elizabeth sends this along - with the note that she had forgotten about these altogether. Me, too! Terrariums! I remember those! I had those!
This gives me the willies, though. While the listing says 60s I think it could bleed into the 70s - not my best years. $40 on c’list, reply to: sale-708497589@craigslist.org
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Mary-Frances has respectfully requested some 50s rooms that I ‘hate.’ While I will stop short of expressing this intense of an emotion, I have to admit, I’m pretty close on this one. Here are some things to like:

Black-painted furniture is great, and I like how the color modernizes the lines of the Federal-style furniture
Floor is [...]

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In her comment about the 500th post, Mary-Frances asks:
…Here’s something I want to see…things Pam hates! Give me your idea of what NOT to do in a 50’s house!
So… I saved this 1952 photo because I thought it was kind of… well, not so great. If you read the fine print, the ad is for [...]

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Oriental influences were big in 50s and 60s decor. This Japanese wall mask’s design, color and gilding are fabulous.

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What to put on the walls of your 40s 50s or 60s home? I believe in mixing things up: A starburst mirror, a large framed oil, a clock somewhere, some small prints, a cluster of botanicals. I adore matchy matchy 3- and 4-piece vintage art print sets like this - they are so typical and [...]

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Sorry that my posting has been erratic this week. I’m in Holland, on my “real job” and it’s been a crazy week. This is a post that I’ve wanted to do for a while - spotlighting the awesome “door jewelry” often seen in postwar homes. And the regular jewelry, too!

I’ve been at a number of [...]

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One of my pet peeves is that decorating pundits always seem to associate 50s with only modern…atomic. In fact, colonial was wicked hot and even French provincial was extremely popular. It’s not that I don’t love atomic — I do. It’s just that, well — it didn’t rule. Those of us with Capes and [...]

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I find it fascinating that primitive horse themes were so popular in the 50s and 60s. Why? To be sure, there was a sense of internationalism about modern interiors. Did these horse motifs evolve from Spain…or the prehistoric cave painting in Lascaux, France (at left) - as this 1959 interior (above) seems to clearly reference? [...]

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