“That’s cool!” my husband said when he saw me pull this photo of a Vornado fan. It is a reproduction of the original, and it’s even in the original 50s “Vornado Green.”

There’s also a “Silver Swan,” a reproduction of a 30s deco design.

Cool indeed.

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Hi Pam - I’m visiting my daughter for the week. Today while she was at work I went to a few antiques stores looking for nothing in particular. I stumbled across an entire unused case of vintage 9″ floor tiles in aqua, the look like the ones on the post you have of the sample boards you got on ebay. I don’t know if you ever do this but if you are interested in letting your readers know about them … Just let me know before I leave here! Thanks, Anita

Hi Pam - The first 6 pics are of the aqua floor tiles. The last 2 pics are of the box of assorted plastic 1/2 size wall tiles. I snapped the photo of all the colors in the box, I don’t know how many of each are there.

Thanks, Anita

Anita, thank YOU! You rock bigtime for getting all these photos!

Readers - To be sure, Kentile was a big name in the 50s, right up there with Armstrong. However:

Legal disclaimer: I see it mentions asbestos on the box. I have no expertise in how to handle this stuff and therefore cannot advise its use! Advisable to check with your State or Federal authorities on this issue.

Nonetheless, aren’t these pretty?

Update - evening - What about this as an alternative? Hold you cursor over the image for the name/series, it’s a Congoleum commercial tile I spotted a bit ago:

Metanoia suggested this feature on Sears’ Harmony House brand several months ago. Oopsy, my email accounts are out of control so I just surfaced it. It’s wonderful! Metanoia, I haven’t heard from you for a while. How are you? Thank you!

The info below is straight from the Sears brand history website, it’s actually quite cool! There are a few more photos on their site - I chose the one above because I have certainly seen a lot of these ‘enameled wall coverings, in my estate sale travels - now I know one of the places they came from. I’ve also seen them in the Armstrong catalog.

I grew up reading these Sears catalogs - so man, this is a flashback for me.

From the Sears brand history site:

In 1940, Sears introduced the Harmony House brand as an interior-decorating scheme that used four basic colors that could be coordinated with each other. (The year before, Sears catalogs featured “Charm House,” a similar program.) Customers were encouraged to use a color wheel that was supplied in the catalog for coordinating colors.

Harmonizing colors had long been a problem for the company. For example, rose-colored draperies made by one source might clash with a rose rug produced by another manufacturer. Each factory used its own colors, and the clashes that resulted were impeding the company’s sales of home furnishings.

In response to customer demand, Sears eventually expanded Harmony House’s palette to include 18 colors that they considered to be the most attractive to customers. Each color came in light, medium, and dark shades.

Harmony House colors were: Tuscan Rose and Wine, Valley Rose, Federal Gold, Cherry Pink and Red, Jubilee Peach, Spice Beige and Brown, Colonial Blue, Sage Green, Aquamarine, Chartreuse, Dawn Gray, Mint Green, Pacific Blue, Sunshine Yellow, Parchment Ivory, Beige, and Brown, Victorian Pink, Rose, Red and Wine, and Malibu Peach, Coral and Rust.

The Harmony House style and color system was not merely limited to carpets and paints, either; the entire house could be furnished according to the colors. Almost any household item could be bought to fit the Harmony House schemes, including: covered upholstery fabrics, draperies, slipcovers, desks, bookcases, bedroom furniture, sheets, towels, table lamps, wall paints, clothes hampers, canister sets, boudoir lamps, shower curtains, garment bags, chenille spreads, dinnerware, wallpaper, lounge chairs, dinette sets, living room sets, mirrors, carpeting, tile, and appliances.

See my earlier post with a complete brochure on Harmony House colors.

Richard and Sali ask:

We have a yellow Borg bathroom scale with a somewhat rounded triangle chrome face at top with a fairly thick glass lens to read weight. Inside the dial it reads, “The Borg-Erickson Chicago U.S.A.” On the back it reads “Made in the United States of America.” What year was this scale made? Thank you.

Richard and Sali and everyone: I again declare, I am not expert in such things like those guys on the Antiques Road Show. What I can do is estimate and dish about virtually anything from the postwar era based on current obsession - and ask other readers who may be true experts to help. So, what I have to say about these scales, is that they were very common, and that yours is quite typical. Borg’s seem to have been ubiquitous. They are all over ebay including really nice mint-in-box ones occasionally. If you Search them on this site, there are one or more featured in the past, I recall. I have one quite like yours, Richard and Sali. I would date it late 40s/early 50s, based on the linoleum, the overall streamlined lines and the heaviness of the piece. Scales got boxier, and lighter, as the 50s went on. In terms of value: $2-$5 at an estate sale where I live; a mint-in-box find on ebay: $35-$45. If there are any readers who can contribute more - please do!

Meanwhile, I do caution: While every retro bathroom can benefit aesthetically from a set of vintage scales, DO NOT actually stand on these things! Fixating on those little numbers is detrimental to your longterm mental health, and your weight. You don’t need a metal box to tell you if you need to eat better and exercise more. Just get to it - taking one day at a time without fretting. Trust me. Today is a fresh new day, take care of yourself - just today.

Finally, if you missed Cindy’s hideway scale - be sure to take a look - the coolest ever!

Yowza.

Even though this blog is about middle-class mid-century homes - it’s hard not to salivate over the moneybags mansions.

This 5,300 s.f. vintage home in Des Moines features the ORIGINAL FURNITURE even — everything is from 1965.

Talk about a time capsule.

On the market for the first time for $1.3 million and worth every penny. You can buy it from Iowa Realty.

The listing agent is HollyCraiger@IowaRealty.com

Spotted by Shawna in Des Moines. It’s beyond words beautiful - and offers us lots of great ideas for colors, lighting, materials, furniture.

Shawna writes:

Hi Pam!

Love the blog. It’s been a great resource for us. We recently purchased a 1958 one-owner blond brick ranch, and love the ideas shared here.

I really enjoy when you share retro home listings. Here’s a local home built in 1963 that I thought you might appreciate.

I will send some pics and the story of our home…we’ve got a fridge that you might meet your approval. We aren’t mid-century purists. However, we do love our home and feel a responsibility to maintaining its history.

…Meanwhile, Shawna also sent along a link a story on the house in the Des Moines Register.

According to the newspaper, the house was built by W.T. Dahl, the son of a South Dakota grocer, and his wife Edna. Dahl opened his first store in 1931 on the east side of Des Moines. By 1948, he was building his first Dahl’s supermarket in the city at the corner of Beaver and Franklin avenues. He died at the age of 97 in June 2006. Edna died a year later. She was 98. Much of the style reflects Edna’s interests and tastes. She completed more than 500 paintings over the course of her life.

Thank you so much for spotting this, Shawna. We want to see your house, too — as we are liking Des Moines a lot.

My husband bought me a nice camera for Mother’s Day and I have only recently started to play around with it. At “the estate sale house” this weekend, I found lots of good subject matter. It was a c. 1910 house, but had been modestly updated in the 50s, when Pittsfield was a-boomin’.

I loved the Kenmore dryer so much that I went back a second time to take more shots. And imagine - it wasn’t til the second time I was in the house, that I spotted the retractable light in the dining room. It was kind of basic - but I loved the little round crystal ball finial, if that’s what you call it.

Teresa Noyes was running the sale. She remembered that I was into 50s stuff. I think I must have been very bemusing, what with lying on the bathroom floor and then all that time in the basement.

Of course, I made it worth their while by coming home with a few new treasures to sneak into the house.

I met Midcentury Keith when he pledged to help Save the Pink Bathrooms and posted photos of his own incredible pink jewel box bathroom on the STPB Flickr page. Oh my, it is a beauty!

Here’s Keith’s story… and hey, everybody, remember to make your pledge (a comment) to Save The Pink Bathrooms.

Hi Pam,

Thanks for the compliment! When I first bought the house a friend threatened me with my life if I didn’t keep the pink bathroom intact … so really, I had no choice but to keep it Actually, I love my 1958 ranch house - very homey. Not much was done to it over the last 50 years - thank goodness. I’m just trying to bring back its shine.

I’m in Steger, Illinois … I’ll fill in my profile today sometime. You inspired me to open a flickr account to post pics of my restoration progress (although I lost some of the earliest pics in a PC crash) - I enjoy seeing what others have done, so I figured I should ad my house to the mix as well. I hope to finish the main house by this fall - refinishing the floors is next on my list (and the last major project to be done!)

I check in on your site every morning with my cup of coffee - thanks for giving me something to get my day started in a positive way!

Thanks, Keith, I can’t wait to see the rest of the house. Here are all Keith’s bathroom photos:

Uncle Jack of Very Vintage Vegas has a wonderful website that chronicles mid century modern Las Vegas.

Extremely fun even though I’m totally scared by this city due to my fixation with CSI original Las Vegas version, the only other show I watch in addition to the Colbert Report.

Uncle Jack recently did what must be the definitive series on concrete block decor - including suppliers - so I am not even going to try to replicate it. He’s given us the link to the whole series - click through here to take a look!

All of these shots also are from Uncle Jack’s. He is as obsessed with all the little details of the era as much as we are. A true kindred soul. Thank you, Jack!

On the topic of concrete block — Scathing Jane also has done a ton of research and sent me lots of info - I’ll feature it soon!

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Hi Pam, Since discovering RetroRenovation.com it has become a “must go to site” each morning! Thanks for all the information and enthusiasm you provide.

I am about to update some aspects of my 1960s bathroom and two of your posts this week caught my eye - I never thought much about my shower base and was considering replacing it…not anymore! I have an original terrazzo base.

I was also thinking of removing my toilet-side magazine rack. After reading your post about the Hall Mack fixture I know why there’s a little shelf but fortunately I don’t smoke! Enclosed are some photos, also one of an ashtray conveniently located on the other side of the toilet!!! I sometimes put a little vase of flowers there! Note the privacy panel above the magazine rack and the recessed scale that opens up when needed!

The bathroom project will involve new tiles in shower stall and bathroom floor, laminate refacing on vanity/privacy panel and paint the walls a different color. I was happy with the bathroom the way it is but the moisture in the shower has seeped behind the grout and has been absorbed by the sheetrock……it can’t be regrouted again, so that’s what got me started. Everything else will stay as is. The wall tiles are oatmeal in color and say romany spartan on the back. I doubt I can find the exact ones so will look for something that will coordinate - I will let you know, and can send you some “after” pictures if you’d like. I’m going to try to retain the 1960s look through use of colors and style. If you know of any vendors I should consider please let me know!

I’m also attaching a few kitchen photos. I renovated 2 years ago and although it’s not 100% loyal to 1960s materials, one thing I did was use laminate for my *cabinets*. I highly recommend it for ranch houses of this era….It gives a wonderful European/1960s look and is incredibly easy to care for.

I also stenciled and painted the backsplash with a wallpaper design I saw in a magazine and tried desperately to locate at many wallpaper dealers including Second Hand Rose in NYC. (If you have a resource for someone who can paint or superimpose my design on the tiles it would provide more protection against spills and splashes than the painted sheetrock.)

The original kitchen also has an indoor barbecue grill with its own damper and chimney flue…..it works beautifully with wood chips and is a constant source of conversation!

It would be great to meet you….let me know when you come this way, I could show you some of the 1960s neighborhoods in Holyoke!

Thanks again for your wonderful site!
Cindy
Holyoke, MA (30 minutes from Lenox!)

Thank you, Cindy, for all these great photos and your retro renovation story. Suffice to say I am quite jealous of all these great built-in features - especially that foldaway bathroom scale and the barbeque! Some responses to your questions:

• You know, I’ve actually seen vintage ads for Romany Spartan tile, I’ll keep an eye out next time I’m going through my 60s ephemera. Regarding tile suppliers: Try S.J. Masters, it’s based in Connecticut, they have some 60s style designs. Here’s some tile of theirs that I have shown before, they have it different colorways. My other reco is always to go to the biggest tile store you can find - and talk to them. My experience has been that there are regional players in the tile business that may have unique stuff.)
• Regarding replicating your ‘vintage wallpaper’ - which is FABULOUS - onto tile - that sounds like a great idea, but I’m not sure how to get it done. There must be sources. Readers?
• Your kitchen looks awesome - and you know what, laminate cabinets ARE retro-authentic. I need to research the exact date I start seeing Formica cabinets appear in magazines - but I’m pretty sure it’s by the late 50s.
• And finally…a tour of vintage Holyoke? I am in!! I am due a trip soon over to a secret retro junk location…to that big garden store in Hadley…and to the Trader Joe’s. I’ll email to set a date, I’m serious!

metal kitchen cabinets/countertops - free (Oceanview, Alaska)

“Vintage” metal kitchen cabinets and stainless steel countertops

just removed from a rental unit that is being remodeled!

Free…please hurry and come get them.

They are stacked up by the dumpster.

Address is 400 Dailey, but dumpster sits on Gregg Avenue.

From Klatt Rd. turn south on Johns Road, go past Oceanview Elementary, take a left on Dailey Avenue, then turn right on Gregg Lane, and the dumpster is there on the left.

Hurry!!!