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MARY DELUXE of Welcome to DeluxeVille get the weekend super retro recon award for the photos of the wonderful time capsule open house. Dig this deep pink — salmon? coral? — bathroom with its original folding tub enclosure shower door and octagon-and-dot floor tile. And, oh my, yes, we LOVE the metallic wallpaper. Repeat after me: Yes, we do! Heck yeah there is more…
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YES, I AM OBSESSED with this sink. I have one — in white, although I also love this icy gray — in my garage on hold for my tiny, storage-challenged master bath; I am waiting to see if the retro decorating gods also send me the vanity. Meanwhile, I have finally learned its official name: It’s the Gracelynn Cabinet-Lavatory. The toilet: The lovely Carlyle. You know it is one of my life goals to be able to name every midcentury toilet and sink on sight. This 1960 photo is from flickr friend Java1888, click the image to go straight to his photo stream. Another flickr friend, What Makes the Pie Shops Tick, has a 1965 American-Standard catalog posted where I found the name of this much-coveted sink, and more. Final note, I believe this sink was introduced in ‘59.
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WELCOME TO GinaUSA’s 1960s bathroom. I am really quite in love with this style of mosaic tile — 3/4″ or 1″ squares — and in this case, with little porcelain splatters. I generically call this “Romany Spartan” tile because that’s the company that seems to be in all my vintage magazines. I know of at least one source for tile pretty close to this, still (continue after the jump.) Ooooh, peek at GinaUSA’s door handle, too — crystal. Yes, you can add this bit of sweetness to your house, if you prefer it rather than mod metal. Heck yeah there is more…
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It seems like there are a lot of new readers lately, including those with their own blogs. I hope this means that (1) the real estate market is picking up, (2) midcentury homes – “modern” and “modest” alike – continue to gain appeal and there are people who want to preserve their charms, and (3) you all are having so much fun reading this blog that you want to start your own. Hey: That’s the way it should be! A recent addition to our retro renovation community: Susie, who writes, ” …We recently bought our first home, built in 1957, and we”re having a ball getting settled in and putting our personal touches on everything. I’ve really enjoyed looking at your site, especially the flooring section (getting ready to redo our kitchen, probably with classic black Armstrong).”
Read more about Suzie’s new-old house which includes the fabulous “Exclusive Style Crest Custom Quality by Bass Bros.” sofa pictured above, at her blog, The Gonce House. Welcome, Suzie!
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Thanks to Puddletown aka Cheryl for spotting this 60s flower-power Peter Max-style Drexel bedroom set on Craigslist. It’s in Minneapolis, and it’s not cheap, but oh my goodness, this is the greatest bedroom set in the world! And, thanks to seller Molly for the photos — [link expired]– and click through to the next page for 5 more photos.
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Are you looking forward to repainting your midcentury ranch or contemporary home once the weather warms up? I recently connected with the nice folks at The Eichler Network, and saw that they have identified a palette of original exterior paint colors and accents used on Eichler homes, which were built from the late 1940s through the early 1970s.
The 11,000 homes that Joseph Eichler built in California have been very collectible, and The Eichler Network runs a website and magazine to connect Eichler homeowners with service providers specialized in helping them with sensitive updates.
This paint color research is particularly helpful – because the Eichler experts also have translated them into Benjamin Moore (BM) colors easily available today.
Eichler paint palette and other color stories
All about Joseph Eichler
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Ifinally got around to scanning and then posting my vintage wallpaper collection on flickr. My love affair continues as strong as ever. I think that I now have about 125 rolls. I figure these are a better investment than the stock market. There is no way that I will stop proselytizing the importance of wallpaper to your retro renovation any time soon! And remember, if you are concerned about resale – you can always do “the basics” – like tile, flooring, cabinetry, countertops in a neutral, conservative, traditional style. Then, add your retro zing with with wallpaper and other accessories. If you use a liner paper underneath the vintage wallpaper, you can conceptually remove the vintage paper and reuse it (at least, this is what one expert once told me, it’s worth checking into). If your fixed basics are neutral…timeless… a new owner can work with them to create their own look..
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I have been reading everyone’s suggestions for updates to the blog – many thanks! – and keep them coming.
I already was on course to add many more photo galleries – and I get my fancy gallery tool and tutorial later today.
Meanwhile, I could not hold off from showing this delicious 1961 eye candy – photos from Kentile and Congoleum Nairn ads during the year.
Aren’t these so…70s? It is SO INTERESTING, when you start wading through periodicals, that so many trends were foreshadowed a good 8-10 years before they were adopted by the masses and entered our collective memories now active today. I swear, our 1971 split level had features just like those here. I could be wrong. I need to study the 60s and 70s more. That’s coming, too.
FABULOUS!
Click through to see these side-by-side in a gallery. Heck yeah there is more…
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What colors to use in your 40s 50s 60s or even 70s home? This timeline of Kohler colors is really quite wonderful. It provides a snapshot of why certain colors were common during the wartime years and immediately thereafter… on into the 50s when true exuberance emerged… the 60s with its pop and hippie influences…and the 70s when harvest gold and avocada reigned supreme! The whole postwar period – defined as about 1946 to 1963 was an era when America was really finding its own way from a design perspective. Color does not just “happen” – it’s part of a complex story of social, economic, and demographic factors all interwoven. History. Just like our kitchens and bathrooms and lights — all of it!
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Related posts:
1. Mamie Eisenhower: Unwitting creator of “Mamie Pink”
2. Wilsonart’s snapshot history of 50s laminate including colors
3. Wilsonart’s snapshot history of 60s laminate including colors
4. Complete archive of our midcentury paint color posts
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Special thanks to Scathing Jane for reminding me about this Kohler timeline! She is ALL OVER this era, I am really impressed – and grateful for her continuing help!
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Fridays are shaping up (informally) to be the day we think about sprucing up our postwar jewel boxes – on the outside. Today, this terrific 60s paint palette from reader Ronn. Not only are the colors great, but the graphics of the paint chips themselves are yummy. Ronn admits, this is a treasure he keeps in his NFS (not for sale) treasure trove.
Other recent posts about painting your mid century home:
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Welcome to RetroRenovation.com -- your daily dose of mid century renovation resources... design inspiration... fun finds... and a growing community of people all interested in restoring, preserving and cherishing their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s homes. Kitchens like this 1948 St. Charles steel kitchen...well, this family was living the dream!
