Retro Renovation

This vintage dining room set is up on Last Day ebay - but I love it so much I have the feature it down here for posterity. I’m hammering away at this issue right now: Mix up your decor! This set is so eclectic - the color, the scalloped table edge, the upholstered chairs with [...]

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Portland Amy wrote to ask about paint colors and I requested more info — so that we can all continue our 50s voyeurism. Amy writes:
Here is the story on our house; it was custom built in 1953 in Portland, Oregon. We are fortunate enough to have the original blueprints. The man who had [...]

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Magbot writes:
Pam, I’ve been following your saga since you first found your kitchen cabinets (can’t recall how I found out, probably mentioned in some other design blog), and swooning over your gorgeous reno. I fervently hope to someday redo a mid-C ranch as impeccably as you have.
My question: I’ve owned several of the [...]

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So what kind of vintage flatware do retro renovation readers prefer? I am going to be tied to the computer all day Saturday - so send me an email and/or photos and I’ll post them throughout the day. We did this with dinnerware a while back, and it was lots of fun.
Me? I use vintage [...]

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Continuing the theme of the week, another great interior to scrutinize and learn from.

This 1952 living room dining room comes courtesy the interior designers at Armstrong Flooring. To be sure, this company had a massive influence via their advertising in establishing the postwar look. Seems like they were among the first to figure out that [...]

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I feel like I’ve been very focused on kitchens and bathrooms the past several months, so for the next several weeks I will be trying to spotlight a greater selection of 40s 50s and 60s living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms.

Let’s start with this amazing living room dining room from 1952. The color combination [...]

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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 [...]

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This Danish Modern take from Heywood Wakefield is beautiful, don’t you think? Again, the company is so well known for its iconic blonde furniture, we forget they were a full-line manufacturer. This ad for their new, 1959 Contessa line says there are 45 pieces in all, including for the bedroom.
A pretty vignette, altogether — and [...]

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Anne & Gary have a lovely house in Oregon and updating it in true retro renovator style! They have a blog — now on the blogroll — and did a post on their dinette find recently. I love it! While, the popular chrome-edged ‘diner’ style tables and chairs are really great, there’s also lots of [...]

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I received a number of emails from readers on their everyday dinnerware. Here’s what Mitzi of Vintage Goodness is into:
Hi Pam, I wanted to throw my 2 cents into your discussion about dishes… I am a die hard Corelle fan. It is lightweight for easy washing (no dishwasher here, unless you count me!), it is [...]

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