Retro Renovation

Hi Pam,
I love your website.  It is truly one of the most valuable resources for a mid-century home owner…keep up the amazing work!
Anyway, I’m writing to ask you a strange question, and any answer you may have will assist me in making some decisions with regard to a future restoration project in my 1958 living [...]

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Jan asks:
We are having the hardest time trying to find a replacement faucet for our 1950\’s Crosley kitchen sink. It is a wall mount faucet on the cast iron sink. Can you help?
Jan, these are around - but the first place that I’d check, is deabath.com. They seem to be real experts in finding plumbing [...]

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A while back a reader sent me a question about how to re-chrome some of her bathroom hardware. I asked Palm Springs Stephan if he could help - as he has experience in this issue with vintage cars - and very recently, with re-chroming sink legs that I found for him at my local [...]

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Jennifer in Orlando asks:
Hi I have a 1953 home in orlando florida and it has a Malm “Firejester” fire place. I am to understand it is quite rare and in very good condition considering the care of the home. It is terra cotta and quite ugly. I want to paint over it [...]

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Hello! I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on a fabulous website! Very informative and groovy to boot! I was looking at your catch all page of retro things in your home to answer all our ?’s but one thing I have had trouble figuring out isn’t on that list.
Have [...]

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Hey Pam,
I am building a new house and I am doing a 50’s theme kitchen. I have a 60″ Beauty Queen sink base cabinet that needs to be restored. I am trying to find some replacement plastic rollers for the drawers and some new hinge springs as well as the rubber bump stops for the [...]

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Following up on the FAQ regarding Heywood-Wakefield refinishing, Palm Springs Stephan shares his wealth of experience on the issue. Thank you, Stephan!

Heywood Wakefield (HW) furniture has become almost synonymous with Mid Century Modern design, largely because of its simple lines and lack of “fussiness.” The pieces are usually solid birch (no particle board [...]

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I’m looking for green 1950’s tile. Do you have a contact for Olympia Tile? — Karen
Bad news, friends, but the Maple Leaf tile sold by Olympia Tile has been discontinued. As you will recall, I really liked some of their colors. I am told, that we may still be able to get the tile until [...]

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I thought this may be a great place to ask if anyone knows of a professional refinisher with experience with Heywood-Wakefield pieces? I just bought a lot of 9 and one piece needs some attention. Do you know of anyone in the Portland or Washington area who knows this stuff? I figure someone out there [...]

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Seems like the #1 issue for new retro renovators is: What to do with my pink bathroom? And I say: What a great problem to have! Mamie pink bathrooms — along with vintage steel kitchen cabinets and 9″x9″ vinyl tiles — are arguably my very favorite things about the era. Not that I don’t have [...]

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