Welcome to Retro Renovation® — your regular dose of mid century and vintage renovation and decorating resources… design inspiration… fun finds… and an archive of stories from an enthusiastic community of people all interested in cherishing their mid century and older homes.
Our focus here, first and foremost, is to help you find the products and sources you need to help remodel, renovate and decorate your house in authentic mid century style. We feature some sources for pre-war and post-modern homes as well. We’re here to help you get the job done — doing the research so you don’t have to.
Note: After 15 years — 3,000 stories! — this site has entered a new stage. Today, my focus is working to keep existing resource stories up to date so the site remains a solid reference. And, I want to continue to improve the site as an historical reference around things like steel kitchen cabinets, a longtime passion. To make time, I don’t blog as much, and comments are closed.
How can you make the most of the blog and its archive of 3,000+ stories about resources & inspiration:
- Dive into all our categories (in the navigation along the top of the page) and you will see, we have lots of research into all the products you might need to remodel and decorate. Along the way, we have lotsa other fun, too — always showing great gratitude and respect for the houses — and their owners — who came before us.
- And, important for anyone taking on an older home:
Renovating, remodeling and living in our midcentury and vintage homes can be gratifying, but please always remember, there can be safety and environmental hazards in the surfaces, layers, materials and products in our homes. Anything old, even New Old Stock, that you buy also may have issues. We all care very much about managing safety and environmental issues properly, so when moving into a home … when undertaking cleaning, repair, remodeling or restoration projects … or when adding old materials (salvaged, used, new old stock, etc.)… be sure to get with your own properly licensed professionals to determine what you are dealing with/working with so that you can make informed decisions how to handle, become familiar with and use recommended best practices, and also learn about the proper disposal of debris, etc. Read more: See our Be Safe / Renovate Safe page … the EPA hosts a website on lead paint in the home and a website on asbestos in the home, etc. Consult professionals regarding these materials, and also about the proper disposal of debris, etc.
<– I’m Pam Kueber. That’s me with my crazy wallpaper office … that’s my kitchen above — and this my blog, oh I luv it so. Doing all the research to find products to backdate my 1951 colonial-ranch house in Lenox, Mass., is what got me into this online escapade. In the course of my endless hunt to find products and design ideas sympathetic to my house’s undeniable mid-century bones, I got…. obsessed… I learned a lot… and I figured, why not share all my finds with other folks undertaking the same journey. And now – you have arrived!
This blog has lots about *modest, mid-century, middle-class* homes — ranches, Capes, Colonials, split-levels, contemporaries, bungalows. I also write about sleek *mid-century modern homes*… I love them all, but admit that I tend to worry more about the modest homes (themselves full of charm) being at more serious risk of being gutted, with regrets to follow later. Interestingly, both mid-century modern and mid-century modest homes shared many of the same technological features and design cues (like pink bathrooms) inside. For further info see my Mid-Century Modest Manifesto and my micro-site SaveThePinkBathrooms.com.
What’s covered here? Well: The design aesthetic of retro interiors, exteriors, culture, people, steel kitchen cabinets, colors, pink kitchens, pink bathrooms, hudee rings, pecky cypress, illustrations with people playing accordians, wallpaper, pinch pleat curtains, mint-in-box items — and readers’ fabulous jewel box houses, too. Get ready to be sucked into the retro vortex.
More info:
Above: As featured in the New York Times — yup, read all about our escapades in this 2,200-word feature story that appeared on p.1 of the Home & Garden section on Aug. 18, 2011.
Fast forward 10 years and another New York Times story called me “…the godmother of midcentury kitchens and baths, steering a new generation of homeowners to the four-inch square tiles that dominated homes for decades.” teehee
Oh, and here’s me showing off one of my office remodel. My friend Denise and I pasted about 200 squares of vintage wallpaper on the four walls, creating a crazy patchwork quilt (note: there is method in this madness) of 18 different designs of wallpaper. We celebrated by getting all Love American Style Gothic with the photo.
Hey, see me talkin’ about Mid Century Modest in this etsy.com video:
Press Coverage
2018 … I kinda stopped keeping track
2017
- Wall Street Journal: Big story on time capsule houses. I am the “subject matter expert.”
- Washington Post: Hey, we got a shout out!
2015-2016…
- HGTV.com: In Defense of Pink Bathrooms — A Q&A with me
- Chronicle TV: Big story on my house and my kitchen and the Retro Renovation Revolution!
- Washington Post: The TV-watching public’s long love affair with tray tables
- The Times of London: Something is happening in smart bathrooms — Designers say pink is back after a long absence.
- WFMJ-TV: Effort to Bring Back 1948 Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets
- Ummm: I got out of the habit of updating press coverage of the blog…. I’ll work on it again at some point… maybe.
2014
- New York Times: “When Blogging Becomes a Slog” (but not for me — I am the wise old owl)
- Huffington Post: The 10 Best Renovation Websites for Living out your Dream Home Fantasies.
- Der Standard newspaper profiled the blog. It was in German, so I’m not sure what it said. But I asked on Facebook, and a reader told me it said that, “You are now as loved as David Hasselhof in Germany.”
2013
- Fixing to Die: Retro Renovation® and a reader remodel featured on the blog inspired the setting and story line for Elaine Viets’ “restoration comedy” murder mystery, Fixing to Die. The book debuted #9 on the Barnes & Noble paperback list.
- Yankee Magazine: Six-page story in Sept./Oct. issue — 1.7 million readers! — about the blog and my house. “Fifties and Fabulous.”
- Globe and Mail: Loud and proud 1970s chalet
- Columbus Post-Dispatch: Back to the bones: Restoring ’50s homes
- California Home + Design: Celebrating Midcentury Modest
2012
- Ft. Lauderdale Magazine: Midcentury Modern Architecture Makes a Comeback
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Vintage Vibe
- Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator: Kitchens Cook Down Memory Lane
- msn.com: What we can learn from 1970s homess
- The Daily Mail (London) online: Give your Home the Mad Men Look! How one blogger inspires retro renovating tips.
- Blog Aids in Renovation of ‘Mid-Century Modest’ Homes. Nationally syndicated story appeared in newspapers including:
- Akron Beacon Journal
- Seattle Times
- Miami Herald
- Detroit Free Press (twice!)
- Palm Springs Desert Sun
- San Antonio Express
- Baltimore Sun
- Kansas City Star
- Toledo Blade
- Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
- Ogden (UT) Standard-Examiner
- canada.com
- …and more.
Summer 2011
- New York Times 2,200-word profile about Retro Renovation and its readers: Restoring the Retro House
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch — Preserve the Pink (bathroom)
- msn.com — New Respect for the Ranch House
- Portland (Oregon) Monthly Magazine Online — Sofa Shopping
- The Oregonian/Oregon Live — The Retro Queen
Feb 2011
Jan 2011
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Bathrooms Still In the Pink
- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Name that Home Fad
December 2010
October 2010
- AP interviews Pam for story, Used Building Materials a Hit Among Home Owners, that runs in news outlets nationwide.
August 2010
- Arizona Daily Star: That 50s Tile with Style
- Home is a Four-Letter Word: Penny Pinching with the Stars
- Home is a Four-Letter Word: Lovin’ the 50s
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
- Etsy.com video profile.
January 2010
- Knoxville News – Maribeth’s 1970s retro renovation
- Finalist and 4th place winner in Apartment Therapy’s annual contest to name the best home design blog of 2009
June 2009
April 2009
March 2009
- Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard on retro revival and home show talks
- Our tour of the St. Louis 1995 time capsule home covered by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- Desert Living Magazine
Dec. 3, 2008
- Pam talks with the National Kitchen & Bath Association about retro kitchen design popularity
Sept. 29, 2008
March 2008
- Pam’s kitchen on Apartment Therapy
Winter 2008
Fall 2007
November 8, 2007 — News Release, PRWeb
Thanks and Credits: Many thanks to the many folks who have helped, and continue to help, make this blog possible. Including:
- The rockin’ readers who help feed the blog day in and day out with their tips and projects!
- All the advertisers who make doing this work fulltime possible.
- Margaret Roach, for all your support. AwayToGarden.com, Margaret Roach Media.
- Brad and all the Webdev and Maintainn team, for keeping the online bogeybots at bay. WebDevStudios.
- Erica Berger, for making me look good. Erica Berger Photography.
- Kit Latham, for helping me get into the dot.com world. KitLatham.com.
- Suzy Massey, for design support. PhoenixMassey Studio.
- WordPress, for a great blogging platform that has made it possible for so many new voices to find their communities. wordpress.com
Mid Mod Pam says
S – I did not approve your comment. New readers, please be aware that we have only one rule (so far): Be respectful of everyone’s choices.
Thank you!
just gettin started says
I happened on your sight looking for info about painting wooden kitchen cabinets. I love everything you have done. We lived in a tiny 50’s ranch from 1990-2004. When we wanted to renovate the kitchen I had the feeling that I should embrace the style and go with it. Unfortunately practicality and resale-ability won out, but here’s what I had…original white wood cabinets with chrome handles, deep glazed sink with original fixtures, dove gray counter tops with stainless banding, white plastic tile back splash, and my personal favorite…a stainless Thermador in-the-wall double oven and counter top range. We also had the progress pulldown light fixture in the breakfast nook.
Ed T. says
OMG, this is just fantastic! Kudos on a spectacular kitchen!!
billgbuds says
Just purchased my first home built and it was built in 1949. Pam, those are my steel cabinets right down to the original glass inserts on each side of the kitchen windows. Cannot believe the glass is still in one piece after 58 years. Large white sink with slotted tops on each side for drying and the slotted piece beneath the sink labeled Geneva. Even have the tall floor to ceiling cabinet. Countertops are original too however they desperately need replacement. The white cabinets are in excellent condition however they need a little paint around some of the edges of the cabinets where they are worn. I am interested in restoring them. Bathroom cabinet is an original too. I read the post about powder coating the cabinets. I was able to look inside of the doors because the handle was removed and I could see something that looked like cardboard in the doors. Do you think these original steel cabinets could be painted like the ones on your pictures? I know the painting topic has already been covered in depth however a quick response with your advice on restoring these Geneva cabinets would be appreciated. What method of painting would you suggest? Should the cabinets be removed before painting? Any what not to do advice would be appreciated as well. Pam your kitchen looks terrific! I can supply some pictures if it would help.
50sPam says
Hi Anita. See the Cabinet Hardware Category – and you’ll find every single recommendation that I and readers have made in this area.
anita says
Hi – I’m brand new to this website & love it! I live in a new construction (5 years old) home in central Calif. Been working on the kitchen/dining/family room areas to be 1950s but never fully came together due to constant travel with work – just quit my job (yay!) and am back at it & having a great time. My project for today is to find retro cabinet pulls for my kitchen (too many to try to find enough vintage ones, I’d never find enough & just make myself crazy trying….)
Went to the Concourse d’ Elegance at Stanford U this last Sunday and saw gorgeous vintage travel trailers from 1940s-1960s. Would love to see more pics of some. Got to see the retro Boomerang fabric that Pam used on her valance in one of the trailers, but it was in pink, love it!
Great space here!
Anita
Chris says
Sharper, please send along images of your trailer to Pam – she’s right, we ALL want vintage trailers! I’m tracking down a beautiful Airstream at the moment. 🙂
50sPam says
Hi sharper —
The atomic barkcloth in my kitchen valance comes from melinamade.com. It’s a great match to the aqua Formica boomerang laminate – which I also used. What do you think? Please make it into pinch pleats, sir!!! No rod pockets!
And, send me a pic of your trailer. We want to see! We all want vintage trailers, too — to go with our vintage houses! Pam
sharper says
Hi all,
That kitchen is great!
I’ve got a project of a teardrop trailer, with the same feel as that kitchen, and trying to find 50’s and 60’s furnishings for the kitchen and sleeping compartment.
What I need specifically is some aqua or turquoise fabric with boomerangs on it, to match or coordinate with the same turquoise with boomerang vinyl I have on the countertop. I don’t need much, just enough for the two tiny windows on the doors, and perhaps some for throw pillows. I’ve looked everywhere that I can think of, been through hundreds of sites from google searches, but can’t find what I want. There is ONE fabric that is aqua with boomerangs, but it doesn’t have the right “feel” to it. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!