Remodeling, decor and home improvement for old homes
Laminate basics: The invention of laminate. How is laminate made? What is laminate made of? In essence, laminate is a skin, supplying a supplemental finish that is both ornamental and lasting. In this way, it is a veneer: a thin surface that cannot be used without a substrate. Laminates are usually applied to a substrate [...]
In the early days of the blog, I recall, there was a bit of a commenting cat fight. I showed a plaid laminate counter top with curved front edges and an integral back splash — it was all curvy, too. You know what I’m talking about — the counter has no edging on the front [...]
“… Planned in accordance with the ‘Balance of Storage’ principle…released to the public in 1934.” How big does a kitchen really *need* to be? How many kitchen cabinets do you really *need*? Well, beginning around 1929, the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company began a five-year research study to investigate this question. In 1934 — after [...]
In the early days of steel kitchen cabinets — the 1930s — the cabinets had a “deco” or “streamline” look… they were always white… and there were only a few brands that we know of so far — including Whitehead Among the very early brands were Whitehead/Monel, Servel, Elgin, and Dieterich. It’s not easy to [...]
Brick veneer walls and back splashes seem to have been a popular feature in 1960 and 1970s kitchens — when the movement to earthy decor took hold. Today, we take a look at a company that sells thin versions of real interior brick veneer, which sounds relatively easy to DIY install — and certainly looks [...]
Woah. This may be the bestest thing ever on the blog yet: Readers Rebecca and Keith not only did an amazing job remodeling their 1960s kitchen in appropriate mid century style — but this creative pair has marked the event by designing a back to the future advertisement — worthy of Mad Men — as [...]
If you buying the traditional-style Dishmaster (M-76) kitchen faucet — or have one already — and want to add even more vintage bling, here’s news you need to know: The folks at Dishmaster still have a stockpile of vintage New Old Stock cover plates for the housing unit. I have three of these designs in my [...]
One easy way to make your kitchen look a little more mid century — while also protecting the finish on the cabinets — is to use a polished chrome kitchen knob and back plate combination. (Hey, Rebecca, how about these for your 1963 kitchen remodel, too?) Our first instinct is always to try and find [...]
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