Steven, Michael and the pup is Bobby.

Rochester Steven has completed some drop dead gorgeous updates to his 1957 Alcoa Aluminum house, and shares the details and images. This is the third story on these late-1950s “demonstration” houses. We first featured a time capsule for sale in Wisconsin. I think that’s how Steven found this blog, and we featured his house in New York state, along with the home’s original brochure, just a few weeks later. There were only 23 of these houses built — and Steven, Michael and Bobby are amazing caretakers. This house will knock you off your chair — it’s worthy of Architectural Digest.

Pam, There are three areas that we have addressed in the past several months:

1. Restored the house back to the original color of purple(the front anyway, have to work on the back next spring). It was painted brown some years ago, most likely due to the unsightly fading over the years of the purple that we have seen on a couple other Alcoa houses. We removed one of the aluminum panel pieces from the garage and retrieved the color from the un-weathered side of it.

2. Partially restored the kitchen. When the kitchen was gutted and remodeled years ago the upper metal cabinets were installed in the storage area of the garage. We had them painted the light blue that you see now at an auto shop and reinstalled them. I think that the Auto Body painting worked out great. Especially when it is metal. It was a bit of a pain to cart them all over there!!! Since we only had the original upper cabinets we went with some simple black faced cabinets to complete the lower ones with white Corian for for the counter.  We also reconfigured the layout of the kitchen to more reflect the original kitchen in the brochure. The bottom cabinets are made out of wood with black lacquer paint and aluminum pulls… they were purchased at IKEA and are quite inexpensive. The tiles are new tiles with a vintage feel and were purchased locally. We selected the color of both the back splash tiles and the cabinets so that they relate nicely to the multi-colored ["Mondrian"-style] cabinets [shown just below] that face the family room

(The “Mondrian” cabinets are original to the house. I believe that all of the Aloca houses that were built had these unless another option was specified. They are wood with Formica facing.)

3. Family Room/lounge area has been furnished with many great finds from local shops and online. Still somewhat of a work in progress……….

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Remember Bronwyn and Greg? They finished the updates to their 1950s kitchen earlier this year, and Bronwyn sent me photos. This is a compact, galley-style kitchen — a style that I know many readers share. Bronwyn and Greg kept the original cabinets and a rockin’ O’Keefe and Merritt stove that came with the place. They added new, retro-style appliances, Formica Skylark countertops, a backsplash and above — the Dishmaster M2000 faucet. In fact, it was Bronwyn who first told me about The Dishmaster.

This kitchen layout can be super-efficient in terms of saving steps and getting work done. I love the way the white repeats throughout the kitchen – from the stove to the fridge to the dishwasher to the sink and backsplash. When space is small, it’s probably smart to be conservative about the number of principal colors you use on “fixed” surfaces. You can always dial things up with accessories. This kitchen is cheerful — yet serene, too.

That stove is awesome. Bronwyn says that the countertop edging is a kind of composite material (not metal) that her contractor found. I think these options are out there — used for commercial applications. It certainly has the right look. How is it holding up, Bronwyn?

The light is “deco” rather than modern. I think that’s totally appropriate to the house — which has a “romantic revival” feel to it, as well. And — it’s always great to mix things up.

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Meet Maribeth, her darling daughter — and their 1977 contemporary / ranch house in Tennessee. Maribeth has seized the opportunity and given this house, an original time capsule, a fresh dose of 21st century flair. And yes, avocado appliances! Not only did Maribeth embrace them, she engineered a neighborhood swap to get a matching vintage dishwasher, too.  Maribeth writes:

Dear Pam,

I have finally finished my 70’s (1977) ranch house renovation….

We had corresponded a couple of months ago about my avocado kitchen redo, but I wanted to get as much of the rest of the house finished as possible before I put up more pictures.

The "before" kitchen. Maribeth explains: " The original plan was to paint them. But once the counters were removed we realized that they were not in very good shape and should be replaced."

The appliances are original to the house, (even the trash compactor and central vacuum still worked great!)  but the cabinets had to be replaced.  The original layout was retained.  Other than that, we replaced the wall-to-wall carpet with cork and replaced some of the “updated” lighting that came with the house when we purchased it last spring.

I wanted to furnish with a mix of 50’s through 70’s furniture.  As anyone moving into the house in the 1970’s would probably have a similar collection.  Most of it came from Craigslist and local vintage stores.  My living room Kroehler sofa and chair was like brand new.  The original owner never let anyone sit on it except for very special occasions.

The shades? Maribeth says: "The two hanging lights came from moonshine shades http://www.moonshineshades.com/. I love their stuff."

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my pictures and for your compliments — it is especially meaningful coming from you as your site had been the source of  so much of my inspiration. We bought this house last winter…  Since I was all the way up in coastal Maine, I had to do all of my house hunting on the internet.  We had narrowed our search down to about 20 homes to visit in person the following week (only a few of which were ranch homes) when I saw this house pop up on a real estate site.

A double avocado stove! Just like the one we had when I was a kid.  It was love at first site and I had already picked it to be my house.  (If the realtor had featured those tiki door knobs, I might have purchased it over the internet.)  So we did the obligatory looking at all the other homes but I knew this was the one.  Huge open floor plan, Brady Bunch double entry doors, original appliances, even a pink mini tub and shower all in a nice, suburban neighborhood of similar designed homes.  Sold!

It’s funny to think that the things that sold me on the house were the very things that probably turned off a multitude of potential buyers before me.  In front of the beautiful stone wall and fireplace was an old, cracked wood stove and fire board covering the entire opening.  I had no idea what I would find inside but it turned out they were hiding one gorgeous fireplace.

Maribeth on painted MDF cabinets: "I had a cabinet maker come in and make a template from the existing cabinets with a few improvements. He then crafted them in the shop from MDF... He painted them very well. The entire kitchen PLUS the laundry cabinets were less than $6,000. And this is a really big kitchen." I have been really happy with them, so far. Cost wise, its definitely a good way to go."

As for the kitchen, we had the cabinets recreated in MDF and painted, which turned out to be really economical. I splurged on the glass tile because I wanted to bring in the avocado and orange tones to make the appliances look deliberate and not as though I was saving my pennies for some shiny new stainless pieces someday.  I dragged a like new avocado fridge down with me from Maine.  (Some of the used appliance salespersons thought I was joking when I called to ask them if they had any avocado appliances.)

The only appliance missing was the dishwasher.  Well, there was one but it was new.  Imagine! What were these people thinking? Luckily, my 1970’s neighborhood has many of the original owners still residing in it and I found someone willing to swap their harvest gold whirlpool for my newer one.  I’m planning to paint it avocado at some point.

Furnishing the home was lots of fun.  We sold every last thing in Maine so that we could start over in true design of the house’s era. Amazingly, the mid-century trend has not caught on here yet and I’m finding beautiful pieces that people are selling at prices too good to be true.

But the really fun part has been in the details, or what my husband calls my “props”.  The Britannica encylopedias and Reader’s digest books on the bookshelf, avocado and orange rotary phones, retro alarm clocks and ashtrays- even though we don’t smoke.  I want it to feel completely authentic.

Even our parrotlet Pepe perches on a playhouse made from a 1950’s TV stand.  I must have had some subconscious love of the 1970’s even before we bought the house because, in unpacking, I was amazed at how much avocado and burnt orange bake ware and bowls I had accumulated over the years.  Several years ago, I lived in a 1972 Airstream Sovereign (a literal time capsule) and I had kept most of my tiki paraphernalia from it which is scattered around the house.

We are in the process of transforming the plain concrete slab in the backyard and hope to have it done by the spring.  It will feature a low sitting wall and 5×7 pool with a 3 foot tiki fountain all backed by a wall of bamboo.  I’m stumped on the type of patio furniture to use, though, so I am hoping to get some advice from you and your readers when the time comes to furnish it.

Re the Sputnik, which replaces a boxy fluorescent: "The kitchen had a big fluorescent light that was removed and the hole patched and the sputnik was hung in the center. I was concerned that it would not be enough light but it has been more than enough. We have it on a dimmer."

Anyway, that is the story of our flat roofed, so-ugly-its-kinda-not, late seventies ranch house.  I hope your readers enjoy looking at it and I am looking forward to seeing the feedback.  Helpful hints and advice is always appreciated!

Thanks again!
Cheers,
Maribeth

Maribeth, your house is such an inspiration — there is no question, you have a great touch. And what a lovely, memorable environment you are creating for your daughter to grow up.  Patio furniture? Vintage Woodward, of course. Now that you have the vibes out, the retro decorating gods will send some your way, for sure. Tiny Cinderella tub — it’s of the variety here (these were made by a number of manufacturers, not just Kohler, and small, too.) And you have a Cinderella to go in it! Also, don’t let any magazines come after you for your story, okay? I’m going to pitch it, if that’s all right with you. Your home is picture perfect, a great story. Many thanks.

Meanwhile, readers, you can see a few more photos over on Maribeths flickr stream here.

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Daniel is a college student in California and already a longtime fan of mid-century architecture, decor and collectibles. He wrote in to share his story. I’m impressed!

Hello!

My name is Daniel and I’m a 22 year old college student in CA! I’ve been collecting mid-century furniture and ephemera since I was 14 or so. I visit your site everyday…

I love all the information you give out and all the great pictures… Most people my age don’t appreciate this kind of stuff, so it’s nice to finally find people who do. I’d love to show some of my finds if you’d like!

Sure, Daniel, I say… and can you tell me more about your story? He zips right back:

More about my story, hmmm…Well I’ve been passionate about the 1940s/50s/60s since I can remember! It’s my dad who really got me into it, with music such as Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey. From there I started buying and restoring vintage cars in high school, and would frequently go local antiquing.

I also was good friends with an antique radio repair store owner, and he gave me all the radios he no longer wanted for free! I received 8+ mid century radios from him all in working condition! That really started me saving up and going out to the antique stores to buy different things for the home.

I figured that sooner or later I would need something, so I bought everything from lamps to a vacuum cleaner haha. I’ve kept most of my stuff, giving some things away to make room for others, but I’m continually expanding my collection. My dream is to own or rebuild an Eichler home and fill it with nothing but original furniture, appliances, and fixtures.

There’s something so special about home living in that era, that’s no wonder people are going crazy over it. And although its become a fad again, I feel like I, and people like me, are living in the wrong era in someways, you know? Well I hope you enjoy these pictures, and I’d love to hear more about your story as well!

P.S. If you have any questions about the items in the pictures feel free to ask! Hope to hear from you soon.

I get the photos and I think, oh my gosh, is that really an apartment? Of a college student? It is way tidier than I remember my college apartment. I had, like, a TV, an army trunk, a portable stereo, a wastebasket, and a ratty sofa. Ah, the traveling light years. But, you are way waaaay ahead of me, Daniel.  So… I ask Daniel, is that really an apartment and oh, do you have a photo that I could use, if you want? I forgot to ask him – is that a hamster cage? What is the name of your hamster? He zips back:

Ya it is a rental apartment probably from the early to mid ’60s. Unfortunately it has gone through many renovations since then, so its original charm doesn’t show all too well. I’m a Graphic Communication major concentrating in Print & Image Management…. Funny, I don’t have any pictures of me in the house on my computer haha!

But here’s a picture from last year from a WWII dance my friends and I always go to, hope that’s OK!

Sorry the pictures are such low quality, I took them with my computer because my camera had died. I can retake them for better quality if they didn’t turn out so good. Talk to you soon!

Actually, Daniel, I like the grainy dreamy quality of the photos. And, I didn’t even know you could take pictures with your computer. Like, you walk around with your laptop pointing it and hitting the enter button? I call myself a Geek Girl, but I am such a poser.

Daniel, once you get your diploma, I think you should set the graphics communications thing aside for a few months — you need to be on Design Star. We’ll all vote for you. I’m serious. BTW, is that a hamster cage? What is the name of your hamster?

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Where has Karmi been all these many months? Well, I know. I hear from her via email now and then…she’s been lurking, she tells me. And — she’s a-workin’ on her kitchen. Then, there’s that thing called “life” and “work” going on, too. She wrote me the other day. Says the kitchen is almost done. The main countertop had to go back for rework (oh, we know these things happen…) but this piece fit.  Enjoy this little slice of her aqua and pink kitchen. The whole kit and kaboodle to come soon.

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READER SAMANTHA now is the proud owner of a vintage brochure that includes houses in her own mid-century San Mateo, Florida, neighborhood. I am sure we will all be very jealous, because once you get into retro renovating your home, it seems like you want to know its complete history. Read on for Samantha’s story and for links to her blog, where you can also access the complete catalog.

Samantha writes:

Hey there Pam! Wanted to share my latest treasure, an original brochure from the builder of my home/neighborhood.

My house was built in ”61, so I’d say this is at least circa 1960. It’s full of fun details, made especially wonderful because I see these exact homes every day! I’m so jazzed!

I also have an original newspaper ad for the neighborhood (which came out of our bomb shelter!), and on my website I’ve transcribed the introduction from this cookbook.  It’s a wonderful description of how things were at the very beginning of the community.

I’ve been told that Mrs. Mathias is still a resident in the same house – she’s also the present of the larger Northside Civic Association. I’ve not yet met her, though! We have a small, monthly community newspaper that has been doing a historical series lately, and San Mateo is supposed to be the next feature. Hopefully they will use some of this stuff as well!

Thanks Pam! I visit RetroRenovation every day – keep up the awesome work!

Thank you, Samantha! It’s very inspiring to see and share all of your detective work.

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Reader Averyl is a new owner of a mid-century home. She recently wrote to share how she had researched — then met – the home’s original owners. I asked her to tell us more… Read on for Averyl’s wonderful story.

She writes:

I’ve always dreamed of living in a mid-century ranch house like my grandmother’s where I spent many happy days as a young child, eating lunch at her chrome dinette set, admiring her figurines in her curio cabinet, watching “I Love Lucy” on her large TV with rabbit ears or looking out of her large multi-pane window onto the tree lined suburban street of Fort Lee, New Jersey in the late 1960’s.

Two months ago I bought my dream ranch house in Maine after years of looking. As soon as I walked inside the house I knew right away it would be my home. There had only been a few cosmetic updates and they were compatible with mid-century décor; no one tried to make the house look 2009. I looked outside the large multi-pane living room window and wondered about who had lived there before the seller from whom I would purchase the house. I knew she had been there fifteen years, but what about the original owners? There was an indescribably good energy to whole house. Almost like an episode of “The Twilight Zone” I felt transported back in time and I could almost see and hear “Leave it to Beaver” showing on a black and white television set as a mother cooked in the kitchen wearing an apron and her kids played in the front yard. I decided I wanted to look up the people who had lived there to see if I could tap into some of the history of the house and thank them for taking such good care of it.

After we moved in I called the town office where public records of ownership are maintained, and it turned out that the original owners lived in the house for over forty years! I really wanted to meet them, but I hesitated; what would they think? Would I sound like a nut? To some people a house is just that but to me it’s a home filled with history and stories. I figured, what did I have to lose other than a pretty daydream?

I looked them up and saw they were still living in my town. I introduced myself via email and invited them over to see their house (I didn’t call it “my” house). They were very receptive and offered to bring old photos- bonus!

When they arrived the following Saturday morning we walked around the grounds and they told us about the old neighborhood and people in it. Inside we walked from room to room, and I asked them what was original and what had been replaced. I heard many stories and they said my television is in the same spot where they had theirs and that they indeed watched the first runs of “Leave it to Beaver” and “I Love Lucy.”

The best part of the visit was when we all sat down at my chrome dinette set in the kitchen with the large stack of photo albums they had brought over. I saw pictures of my house being built, family pictures taken inside the house throughout the years, bridge games played in my living room and my favorite, Christmastime.

Although only 1,200 square feet they raised two children in the house, and judging from the excellent condition inside, they were very well behaved. We talked about the changes in ways people are able to finance homes now as compared to then and how a bigger house has somehow come to equate “better.” A smaller house is now usually perceived only as a starting point.

I explained: “I plan to live in this house a very long time, yet people often refer to it as a ‘starter home.’”

“This was our starter home for forty-two years,” the former Lady of the House replied.

I learned about some of the local business history and even saw a picture of the businessman whose name is on the thermometer outside my door. It seemed that back then everything was locally owned and you could shake hands (or even go bowling) with the person whose name was on the shop.

After a lovely two hour visit they needed to get going and they were kind enough to let me scan some of the photos. I plan to have them over for my Christmas party so they can see the house with my 1950’s Christmas decorations.

“We approve,” they said as they left. I do, too.

Copyright Averyl Hill, All Rights Reserved. www.averyl.com

Thank you, Averyl! Averyl also has a blog: The Way Life Used to Be. And more photos of her home in her photosets on Flickr. Check them out.

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Reader Retro Ruth and her husband Tom were recently featured in their local newspaper, The Midland (Mich.) Daily News. Home Editor Lori Qualls did a fabulous job capturing their retro renovation story. I helped Ruth reach out to the newspaper. I think this story is a hot one with lots of potential today … So, readers, if you think you have a good story to tell your local newspaper about why postwar homes are worth preserving and are willing to have you and your house featured, let me know and I’d be happy to help with the initial contact for you, too. Interested? Email me at retrorenovation [at] gmail [dot] com. Meanwhile, read Ruth’s story here – it’s terrific. And congrats, Ruth, you are rockin’.

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Solenoids. Low-voltages. Relays. I have no idea what any of this electrical stuff means. But you guys tell me it’s cool. And these vintage lighting systems certainly are something to look at. So here’s Gretchen’s 1961 GE dual-dial 12-station light control panel circa 1961.

Great looking switches like these were installed with the system. 

And these.

Gretchen’s home is a “half Jetsons, half Flintstones” Eichler design that is really wonderful. See it on her blog – eichlerific.blogspot.com – and see these lighting system photos and more on her flickr stream. Thanks, Gretchen!!!

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Birgitta writes: “I am wondering if this was a common feature in the 1950’s?  It turns on/off nine lights and there is another one in the back of the house.”

Well, this a new one to me. I have never seen this feature in person, or in a magazine. What do you think, retro renovators?

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