I am in the process of cleaning out my attic right now, in order to add more insulation. I am on a ‘green’ kick that I have not begun to write about yet… that’s another miniseries coming up sometime soon. Meanwhile, we’re heading toward the finish of my blast-of-the-past week of 1960s interiors. Maybe after I finish my attic purge, I’ll then have space available to make it over into a teenage groove pad just like this 1968 Sherwin Williams design. The wall color is “lush apricot.” Dreamy. Click on through for 15 more eye popping interiors from 1968… Heck yeah there is more →
16 mod interior designs from 1968
Posted by: • September 27, 2010
1960s time capsule house on DeluxeVille
Posted by: • September 14, 2009
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 →
Mid-century American Standard Gracelynn sink
Posted by: • August 6, 2009
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.
Gina’s 1960s mosaic splatter tile bathroom
Posted by: • June 30, 2009
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 →
The Gonce House and their fabulous 1960s Bass sofa
Posted by: • May 6, 2009
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!
Flower power 1960s Drexel bedroom set
Posted by: • April 28, 2009
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.
Jan 2010 update:
A flickr friend has identifed this AWESOME bedroom furniture as Drexel Heritage ‘Plus One’ circa 1970. She has a catalog, which said that Drexel interviewed girls via SEVENTEEN magazine to design the line.
Click first image to launch slide show:
Original Eichler paint colors for your ranch or contemporary home
Posted by: • March 14, 2009
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. Heck yeah there is more →
My vintage wallpaper collection from the 50s, 60s and 70s
Posted by: • February 20, 2009
I finally 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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