The winter is starting to feel like it will never end, here in western Massachusetts. I am not complaining – it’s very pretty, and the rush of spring is like no other. Even so, it feels like time for a BLAST OF COLOR from the 50s. How exuberant are these 1955 Crawford garage doors? To be sure, by ’55 a family’s car was nearly as important as their house, it seems. So following that logic, why wouldn’t their garage door deserve the royal treatment, too?
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6 pages of ideas for garage doors from the 1950s 
Retro kitchen paint colors from 50s to early 60s Geneva, Republic, St. Charles and Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets 
Fencing for a mid century house 
Colors for a 1956 Motorola tv console – a good reference for midcentury wood paints, stains and finishes 
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Ronn says
Hi,
TYPO correction: “I repainted the house-body and garage door wood pale aqua (the trim work is white), and hung darker aqua fabric inside the garage door windows. This way I can, should I ever choose to do so, change the color of the windows themselves”.
Doh!
(I was thinking of earlier, sorry.)
Ronn.
maggie says
Some good garage door samples here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43476754@N00/
From the Westlake district south of San Francisco.
An area of small MCM homes that we used to make fun of when I lived in San Fran in the ’70s, and that has now become very appreciated. They’re built vertically, rather than ranch-y, on narrow lots in the typically San Franciscan manor. There’s a book out about the nabe now, “Little Boxes”.
Had original steel kitchens, too. Check this photo of one with a cool chrome strip running through the wall tile:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomwatson/143801276/
Just searching “westlake” on Flickr yields oodles of goodies.
Robert Powers says
There’s lots and lots of these in Chicago, though I think… RayDoor? Raynor? Something like that — provided most of them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/repowers/sets/72157604837187419/
atomicbowler-dave says
Oh my, my ,my…
How could I never have found this before!
One of the features needed for the AtomicBowler Family Dream House is definitely a cool garage door, whether it comes that way or not! I have my mind’s eye on a horizontal diamond theme, personally.
But what to put in front of it? In the drive?
I am not a motorhome guy, just not.
I never thought I’d say it in my life, but I’m sick of boats as owned items and sick of sailboat cruising as a vacation. Laura spent plenty of time on voyaging boats and doing coastal-cruising, too, so there is no conflict there. Besides, you can’t park the boat in the driveway and look cool.
Yes, this IS still about my garage door…I need something to complete the tableau once a year before vacation time!
Even ‘who-cares’ vintage cars are real expensive anymore, so I am thinking to the last on my list here for relative affordability and also looking to fuel economy as well (at least I owned a ’69 Caddy once in my life. Sigh…). Am thinking of a tiny Airstream trailer pulled by something totally goofy like an old AMC Matador or a Plymouth Valiant 4-door with an inline 6 and the push-button automatic trans! Any other suggestions?
Just remember, it has to look COOL, I mean BOSS (!) in front of my garage door for a week before and a week after vacation time before going back to storage!
Dave
Rachelh says
Those doors are great! So exuberant!
And the T-bird is a nice touch. We have a ’55 t-bird in our garage, but I think the neighbors might be a little put out if we painted our garage door with such gusto.
Joe Felice says
Is that T-Bird hot or what? The house is a little bland for the ’50s. Wrought-iron was a big accent feature.
Jason says
I think that the woman in the red dress is hot, Hot, HOt, HOT!! I just love how sexy a well dressed woman looks. It seems that woman’s clothes desingers of the time accentuated the bustline…and the gloves are great.
JonathanJones says
We recently purchased a ranch built in 1950. Updates have not been done to period, including a generic vinyl garage door with that all-to-generic “sun ray in clear window” pattern along the top panels.
Would love to do something like this. Can anyone tell me how we would go about painting vinyl? Any special type of paint or pre-treatment required?
Thanks!
cass says
a lost art, great minimal design
Jeff Alterman says
The 1950’s paint jobs on the garage doors are often quite tasteful. Too bad many of those garage doors have disappeared. However, if one has such a garage, one can perk it up with a colorful paint job.