Jane writes:

I searched your site for any info on driveways… but I think it is a topic you have yet to cover! My midcentury home has been unfortunately renovated with a pinky-grey interlocking brick. I [*h*-word edited by pam] interlocking brick. With a passion. Looking up ways to cover it seems to result in no answers – apparently, everyone on the internet wants to put this in, not cover it or take it out!

Wondering if you have any thoughts on midcentury driveways — I think concrete looks best… but maybe pea gravel would be a cheap way to cover up the interlock… I dunno. I was thinking to maybe post a pic of my Midcentury Don Mills (Ontario) house exterior and have some of your readers weigh in on cool midcentury driveway ideas.

Forgive the lawn, it’s Canadian winter, everything is dead at the moment.

I just got a quote from my family contractor, he said 8 to 10 THOUSAND dollars just to rip out the interlock and put in plain concrete. Ay caramba! Now I know I need some more options! I wonder what else would look good with this house.

Dumping pea gravel over the interlock is looking like the cheapest option… but can you roll giant recycling bins over that stuff? Will it get all over the road? So many questions!

Can you just pave over interlock? I’m guessing the experts will say no…

I also asked Jane for more info on what got her into this lovely home. She responded:

I have always had a fetish for Mid Century houses. Didn’t grow up in one, but I had friends who did. I swore one day when I could afford one, I’d buy one! We bought the house in 2010 after a very loooong search – they say no one leaves Don Mills, except in a hearse. People all moved in in the late 50s when it was built, then loved it so much, they never moved out. So housing stock is hard to come by. Don Mills is the only area in Toronto (within commuting distance to my job) that has these types of homes. First modern planned community in Canada. Lots of great MCM houses. And a great place to live.

Anyway, after 10 months of searching, we found this one. Unfortunately it had fallen prey to some ‘flippers’ who bought it in 2008, put in some cheap Home Depot/Ikea updates, then resold in 2010. I’m in the process of trying to undo all that they did, such as putting fake wood floor over perfectly good linoleum (arrrgh!), painting over wood panelling (gasp!), ripping out kitchen (silent weeping), etc.

I have pics of what the original house looked like in ’58 – but doing before and afters will wait for another time, when I am happy with my interior (but will I ever be happy?) haha.

By the way, the grey in the front was picked from that palette of Eichler colours you posted ages ago – Chelsea Grey. Thanks for that – they have been very useful. I’m picking some more from that set for my fence.

Cheers, Jane

Thanks, Jane, for all this information. This is a good one. Readers: Read more about historic midcentury Don Mills at Jane’s blog, Don Mills: Rediscovering the Suburban Dream.

And now: Let’s hear your ideas… I’m gonna hang back, read your ideas, think about ‘em, and pop in later with an opinion and ideas…

What materials are appropriate for the driveway of a midcentury home?
What should Jane do?

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• Take a look at Margaret’s top canning sources, which include expert advice on Weck and Ball jars… pickling spice… Pick-Your-Own places… and more, including the important USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. 
• In this great story, Margaret gathers lots of great advice about making food that’s cheap in summer last well into the winter. Such as: freezing in jars… making broth… making the most of tomatoes… freezing peppers that are cheap in the summer… making applesauce… even her recipe for baked beans that was shown on Martha Stewart… I think if you took all this advice, and hustled, you could save hundreds of dollars on veggies this winter — and eat very very well.
• How to ripen a tomato… in fact, everything you ever wanted to know about tomatoes but were afraid to ask.
• And how’s this for retro: Make homemade refrigerator pickles. Hey, it looks pretty easy — and very Impressive — I’m gonna try it.

Of course, Margaret’s blog is a feast for the eyes, as well. Even if you don’t grow stuff, it’s fun to look at all the HEALTHY food. Put down those donuts, peoples (okay, you can have one, it’s Saturday morning) — but eat your vegetables later, okay! Thank you, Margaret — nom nom nom.

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I want to make a deck or patio in the backyard. These pavers in Williamstown look to be a great deal, and there sure are a lot of them. I have an email into the seller to check out the situation. We have a small patio at the front of the house made out of pavers like these — I like them a lot. We had the front done professionally. I watched how they did it. It didn’t seem difficult. You just have to take your time, and as I recall there was a tamper involved. If I do something in the backyard, I’m gonna do it myself to save money and for the gratification of it. Golly, if I could get these pavers at this price (or less) – well, you know what I might be doing this summer.

In these here parts, folks use bluestone for patios, too. But these are way more expensive… As I recall, putting down the little pavers wasn’t the worst part of the job — all the prep was what took the time…

No photos. But, the price also seems quite right for brick pavers. I don’t know where Florence is. Also, hmmm. Would all these heavy paving materials — pavers, bluestone, bricks – break my truck axle? I will have to check to see what my payload is.

If I built a wood deck, I could get deck supports for as little as $2. The ad says they are $5 at Home Depot.

This ad reminded me that I want to build an outdoor shower some day. Once, on a beach vacation, I used an outdoor shower at the rental house. It was FANTASTIC! This ad also reminds me: If you WANT MATERIALS, put your ad in this section, too. It’s amazing how many people read craigslist for entertainment. That also reminds me: Back in the day before newspapers lost all their classified advertising to craigslist, the #1 most-read section was: The classifieds!

I don’t need these — except in the sense that, heck, who doesn’t need 2o’ more feet of working space – but they sure seemed like a good deal — $75 for two 10′-long laminate countertops in butcher block style. I like butcher block style, by the way, for retro kitchens.

I don’t need this either — except, heck, who doesn’t need a 200-year old country church to convert to a studio/home office.  Seems like there is a company in south county that buys old buildings and find folks who want them reassembled on another piece of property. I sure like Sister Sarah’s Maritime Meeting House, and wish I had a parcel to put it on. I would make the interiors all hippie-decor — one of my dream houses.

Now how fun is that!

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