by pam kueber on October 2, 2008
High-res scan - click to enlarge
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 that are pretty darn good matches to the 10 SW mid mod interior colors.
Virtually all of these colors were used on postwar kitchen cabinets by about 1955, lilac and rose red/pink flamingo a little later.
A few notes:
- The Rose Red appears to be a really great match for the S-W Pink Flamingo. On my monitor, though, the color does not show up true. The kitchen below is a better capture of the true colors. And click on the kitchen for that complete, Rose Red post.
- I really could find no good Arpa match for SW Pearl Gray. The Arpa alabaster is much lighter, but tonally in the right direction.
by Pam Kueber on May 16, 2008
Fridays are shaping up (informally) to be the day we think about sprucing up our postwar jewel boxes – on the outside. Today, this terrific 60s paint palette from reader Ronn. Not only are the colors great, but the graphics of the paint chips themselves are yummy. Ronn admits, this is a treasure he keeps in his NFS (not for sale) treasure trove.
Other recent posts about painting your mid century home:
by Pam Kueber on May 9, 2008
Laura B. sent some fun scans of color combo’s for mid century homes after the post on curb appeal for Sarah in Madison, Wisconsin. Thanks, Laura, these are great especially now that it’s painting weather across the USA.
Hi Pam – Since your blog touched upon curb appeal yesterday, I found this awesome link to Sherwin William’s exterior and interior color palettes inspired by the 50’s. Also, I’m attaching some photos from an old issue of Better Homes and Gardens showing some pretty neat color combos, as well as a photo I scanned in from my Atomic Ranch book that hopefully could inspire Sarah from Madison, WI to look past the flat roofline and see the potential with the right paint, landscaping and front door!
Thanks so much, Laura B.
Readers: Be sure to click the images a couple times to enlarge them – the scan is very high resolution…keep clicking and you can read it at 100% magazine size.
by Pam Kueber on January 19, 2008
The winter is starting to feel like it will never end, here in western Massachusetts. I am not complaining – it’s very pretty, and the rush of spring is like no other. Even so, it feels like time for a BLAST OF COLOR from the 50s. How exuberant are these 1955 Crawford garage doors? To be sure, by ‘55 a family’s car was nearly as important as their house, it seems. So following that logic, why wouldn’t their garage door deserve the royal treatment, too?
P.S. Be sure to click the thumbnail for a really nice big image. I’ve learned a new blogging trick.
by Pam Kueber on November 20, 2007
“Vintage_Kitchen” recently wrote to ask about repainting her 60s white steel kitchen cabinets and I also promised this post with suggestions on paint colors for your mid century kitchen.
Note: Click on photos to enlarge for better color scrutiny!
From all the advertising material that I own, it appears that kitchen cabinetry was mostly white into the early 50s. Until then, ‘white’ still communicated “sanitary” – which was very important. But… we made it through that phase of kitchen concerns, and in the mid-50s, “exuberance” kicked in big time — giving us flamboyantly colored cars — and kitchen cabinets, too. The trend continued well into the 60s, when wood including natural finishes conquered. But that’s another story for another day. I promise.
I’m posting several photos of beautifully colored 50s to early 60s kitchens. A couple of things to note:
- Notice how it’s not the just the colors that are unique — but also the way they are combined. For example, in the blue kitchen above, we get a green-yellow (chartreuse even) sink.
- In addition to the colors I show here, also pick up the print version of the Sherwin-Williams Suburban Modern palette for interiors (also shown thumbnail above). For cabinets I love the: Pinky Beige, Appleblossom, Sunbeam Yellow, Holiday Turquoise and Chartreuse. If you want to repaint your white cabinets — and for trim — use the Porcelain. This is a palette that never stops pleasing and must be a key part of your mid century renovation arsenal! I recommend getting it in print, because my scanner and all our computers can only do so much re: actual color resolution.
- Finally, remember that there are plenty of examples of mix-and-match color schemes. That is, one color on the base cabinets, another usually but not always ‘lighter’ color on the wall cabinets. This was particularly true the later you go, and really, you can see the idea in many kitchens of the period if you count the countertop as a major color element …. lots of contrast … and embrace of color!
by pam kueber on November 19, 2007
Click to >
Immediately coming out of WWII, colors in American decorating were very sweet, cheerful, optimistic. If you have a 40s or early 50s retro bathroom or kitchen – lucky you! — you can choose from a palette including the delightful shades pictured today.
Aren’t the combo’s put together for the bathroom fabulous? In particular I love how they’ve introduced strong contrasting colors in the towels, the shower curtains and accessories – low risk, big payoff.
This design advice came from a promotional booklet from Church Mfg., the company that claims the technology that created the first white toilet seat. You know, why wouldn’t they be excited about such an accomplishment, and about toilets in general? After all it wasn’t until after the war that indoor plumbing finally made it to virtually 100% of American homes, especially those in rural areas. That would make choosing a toilet seat — and decorating your new bathroom — a memorable event indeed.
The thumbnails (click to enlarge and toggle over them to see names) above are from Dal-Tile’s Natural Hues and American Olean (various) collections. I think they’re pretty good matches for some of the Church Mfg. 40s and early 50s hues. I always favor 4×4’s with 2×6 contrasting trim, although for the 40s you can also go with subway tiles. Make sure you also see the marbleized laminate I found (Wilsonart Tearose Illusion, Beige Illusion and Bleu Windrift [a 50s color]), as well. These are not promoted, I think they are awesome choices for bathrooms.
One final note about toilets in general – including for 50s and 60s loo’s. There are several toilets I’ve recommended, but I forget to mention — that you should buy the chrome connecting hardware (the little latches that connect the seat to the toilet, and also the flusher handle), not the white. Yes — it is very important to get the right toilet connecting hardware!
by pam kueber on September 26, 2007
I love the Sherwin Williams Suburban Modern paint palette. I’ve used a couple of the colors in my house, and they’ve always been spot on. Note, they have separate interior and exterior palettes – but don’t let that stop you from using an exterior color inside your house, and vice versa.
See my post on using these colors for retro kitchen cabinets. And importantly note: These scanned image do not really get the colors exactly right; please pick up the printed palettes from your local dealer — and keep them on hand at all times!
You can also check out their web pages – and be sure to download the entire brochure – it’s a great feature and let’s you see good-sized color chips, I’m really impressed. When I buy their paint, I’ve always purchased the best quality possible. If you want to save some money, wait for a holiday weekend, it seems like there’s always a decent sale.
