Posts tagged as:

50s

NOS kitchen, bath and more

by pam kueber on September 21, 2009

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Mick’s backyard drive-in theater

by pam kueber on September 11, 2009

micks-flamingo-drive-inSo what are you doing this weekend? Mick most likely is entertaining friends at his Flamingo Drive-In, the amazing backyard theater that he created behind his 1943 cabin. Ain’t got no plasma, ain’t got no hot tub — just good old-fashioned lawn chairs, a projector and click on through to see a little classic Hollywood glamour, too… Heck yeah there is more…

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Vintage auto upholstery

by pam kueber on July 22, 2009


This vintage auto upholstery for 50s and 60s Fords, Chevys and Chryslers would be good for any number of upholstery projects – and each design appears to be available in multiple yardages, at a reasonable price. There is certainly nothing more durable than auto upholstery. I love the colors and textures, too.

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midcentury-pole-lamp-landscaping-lightsmidcentury-outdoor-lighting-illustrationHERE IS A REALLY GREAT SURVEY OF VINTAGE OUTDOOR LIGHTING, from my 1961 Progress Lighting catalog. I started with this photo because: Just look at the little umbrella landscape light. It is phenomenal! The careful addition of outdoor lighting can be one of the easiest and relatively cheapest ways to improve the curb appeal of your midcentury ranch house, Cape, colonial or contemporary. At minimum, think: High quality, well maintained wall lanterns adjacent to or above the entry door and garage, and a lamp post either at the front of the driveway or closer to the house next to a walkway heading toward the door. Landscape around the lamp post – this is also a great piece of ‘hardscape’ to launch a decorative fence. Light are “sentinels”. Use them to ultimately draw attention toward your front door…they are tools to make your house say a big, warm “Welcome.” Heck yeah there is more…

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Vintage 40s and 50s reproduction shoes

by pam kueber on May 31, 2009

remix-vintage-40s-shoes

A girl can never, ever have too many shoes. Now, to alternate with my reissued vintage PF Flyers, I neeeeeeeed these:  ReMix Vintage Shoes — actual reproductions from the 1940s and 1950s. There are oodles of styles and colors available – for men, too. Heck yeah there is more…

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octagon-and-dot-tile

EXCITING NEWS: We have a newly discovered resource for porcelain ceramic floor and wall tiles: American Universal Corp. I love their website — it’s easy to make your own octagon-and-dot combinations, for example. Like my peach, raspberry and grey floor tile combination above — what do you think? Heck yeah there is more…

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bw-bathroom.jpg

Palm Springs Stephan is a wealth of info, and provides this info on a Southern California company still producing the 50s pink tile so common during this era. Don’t use any other pinks – they are not right! I am so excited at this find – a big one for the retro renovation community. Heck yeah there is more…

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body-paint-colors-for-your-ranch-home

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

accent-colors-for-your-ranch-home-eichler


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40s-style-barkclothSeveral readers have pointed out that Melinamade’s website seems to have gone away… But just in time, I recently heard from Suzanne at Full Swing Textiles about their product line. The company has been making barkcloth for some time, she says, but it was only offered to “the trades” – professional designers. In October, the company launched online, retail sales. They have an absolutely wonderful selection of barkcloth and lighter weight “birchbark” designs.  The material is not inexpensive…so I asked Suzanne to explain their process and their story. Here it is…. Heck yeah there is more…

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retro style bathroom faucet

Reader Nathan ordered three of these Gerber 4″ lavatory faucets, which I spotted for their simple retro style. He has installed them – and says they are great with quality that is “superb….better than most.” Thanks, Nathan, for the report from the front lines of retro renovation!


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