Reader Sara is mid-mod-mad, but she is biding her time in a rustic farmhouse while she and her husband finalize their plans to build their retro ranch house on the same, large property. She can’t wait any longer to get her fix, though: She has been in the farmhouse for five years and wants a jolt of retro in her kitchen NOW.
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So, Sara has asked the Retro Renovation community for our suggestions on how to retro-fy the kitchen without spending a lot, as they will not live in this house for a lot longer. The cabinets are from an old chicken coop, she has been told. That sink is original. Oh, and wait til you see the highly sought after Armstrong 5852 flooring. She’s also provided an “inspiration photo” from our archives.
What are your ideas, Sara asks: Paint the countertops? Paint the cabinets? Paint the bottom cabinets? Change the wallpaper border? Change the wallpaper all together? Paint the window casings? Curtains? What about painting the lower cabinets and the counter red to match the sink and replacing the wallpaper with a small print that has red and aqua in it (have the turquoise fiestaware)?
Go to it, readers! I’ll wrap it up on Tuesday with a mood board.
Here is Sara’s inspiration photo:
Click on the first thumnail to start the slideshow. There are descriptions below each photo, along with arrows to move you back or forward:
And here is some more background:
Hi Pam. I’m so grateful (in advance) for all the practical and down to earth decorating advice I’m hoping to get from fellow “love the house you’re in” folks. We’ve been here 5 years now and it’s been a lot of work inside and especially out. Nature can take over pretty darn fast when a place is left vacant! Anyway, I’ve included a lot of photos so you can pick through them. Just thought you might like some outside ones to get a feel for this place. As you can see, the setting is beautiful. And you know my hope and plan is to build a mid century modest home to live in for the rest of our lives (next 40+ years). This place has no foundation, old everything, and not one of those “solidly built” homes you have back there plus we worry about the fact that it’s basically kindling. And with one bathroom off the utility room and 4 bedrooms upstairs it doesn’t suit an aging couple. It is actually the 2nd home to be built on this property. But in the meantime, I want to enjoy it. It is my husband’s dream property and he’s always wanted it. So for us it’s all about the location and the lifestyle it gives us. We will be making a smaller footprint by taking down (recycling old wood) the house and outbuildings and building smaller.
Hey, this place was “retro” when “retro” was modern! I’m thinking a western direction would work. Keep thinking how everything “western” was so cool in the 50s. Movies, clothing, ranches, even the Mickey Mouse Club had a western story line. I’m a little overdosed on the whole “lodge” theme. My grandma went from a farmhouse to a pink mid-century modern home. I think I know where she was coming from! I hope people have fun with it.
Many thanks! Don’t know anyone else who doesn’t want to gut something and put in “updates”.
Sara
CindyD says
Sunflowers in a pail on the counter and call it done! You have a charming, authentic, one-of-a-kind kitchen!
Red says
If you are not going to live there much longer and want to snaz it up on the cheap, I would paint the island base the same turquoise color as the plates and replace the below the sink curtains with either turquoise and white gingham checked or turquoise and white country plaid fabric. You could also paint the backsplash a brilliant white to brighten up the kitchen and made a nice background for the turquoise and red.
If you wanted curtains at the window, you could use lace curtains with turquoise or red tiebacks. Lace would match your doilies and would also let in the light.
midmodms says
I agree with everyone above that says don’t paint the wood if it’s not already painted. It’s pretty classic mid-century as-is, plus, personally, I love the look of aged, varnished wood. Take out the wallpaper, and especially that border. It’s at least thirty years newer and doesn’t fit the fifties look you want.
I couldn’t tell in the pictures whether the counter-top was real wood or a wood-grain laminate, or something else. If it’s not real, you might consider replacing it with red laminate to match the sink. I like an island that’s different from the rest of the cabinets, too.
MrsErinD says
I have to agree with Gavin, I wouldn’t change much at all!
I would absolutely Not paint the cabinets, they are gorgeous, love the handles too, and the red sink base is great too, I would only paint the pinkish island base since the color is off, or cover in wood like they said.
If you want aqua countertops like the inspiration pic they have that aqua boomerang laminate at home depot, that would be real cute, but otherwise I would stay more 50s early american rather than mod. You could even just put it on the island for an accent.
I think the curtains are fine, it depends on whether you rewallpaper or paint, I would rather see cute kitchen wallpaper but I know vintage style is hard to find nowadays I was looking for new 50s inspired and couldn’t find any (does anyone know of any?) but if you decide to paint (I’d do aqua) then I would bring a pattern in on the windows, any cute vintage style you like with red and aqua, that fabric on the sink skirt looks cute.
My other two suggestions are 1~ some vintage accessories, you could find a clock similar to the insp. pic on ebay easy, vintage or new and some cute planters for the windowsill, etc.
2~ I think above your dining room table, which is beautiful by the way, if you can, a early american style pull down light would be great!
You have a beautiful kitchen to start with, I would keep most as is and just add a tiny bit to make it more like your insp. pic!
Belinda Gomez says
I vote for vintage cowboy, too. Black wrought iron latches and pulls, bandana curtains, cowboy granite-ware, and a bunch of little buckaroos galloping around!
Vanessa Bugge says
LOVE the Sink!!!!
First Color~
I’d go with the Red of the center of the sink doors, Turquoise, and Yellow (a bit lighter than the canisters in the inspiration pic.)
I would repaint the island turquoise and the wall behind the microwave Yellow. If you are taking out or painting over the wall paper I’d go with the same yellow there too, but not paint any more of the wood. If you are near Portland check out Metro paint, if I remember correctly they have a nice yellow that I think would work. and it’s recycled and really resonably priced(I saw you are going to stick under $200 which I think you can totally do)
Then (if you can sew or have a friend that will do it for you) I’d do a scallopped valance in the kitchen in a red or yellow fabric, plain cotton or cotton poly blend comes in lots of colors so you should be able to find the right ones and it’s not cost prohibitve, oh! you could even do one side red the other yellow so it’s reversible if you get bored and you get a peek of the other color when you see it gathered onto the rod, or a red edge on a yellow curtain . I like your curtain on the cabinet you could keep it or make a similar one to the valance above, or closet curtain I am about to describe. For the closet I would put a curtain that goes straight across above the top of the opening (you’ll have to move the pic and scoot the clock up. I’d use the red n yellow with a sort of scalloped edge border along the bottom maybe 12 inches, where the top fabric has a scallopped edge that is stitched on top of the lower edge piece (i’d use red at the floor and yellow for the rest cause the floor edge will get dustier faster and the red will hide that better than the yellow) wish I could find a pic of what I mean. you can put a hold back on the side of the opening near the canning shelves to hold the curtain out of the way when you need it.
*optional depending on cost* I think it would also be pretty to put new laminate on your counters, you can go right over the top of old laminate and I would use turquoise, but leave the island with a wood grain top since the bottom is (in my imagination) already turq. I’d do turq on top of the dishwasher as well to unify the outer cabinets as much as possible, not sure that would fall in your price range but it would be pretty! 🙂
then I would get red dish towels and potholders etc to pull the red around the room as the primary red will be the sink (which I love and think should be featured!) might be a hard red to match so splashes of red around the room might work better than another large red area. A vintage table cloth would be pretty on your “perfect” table, placemats and that sort of thing in the 3 colors would be fun too.
I also must say I ADORE your canning shelves and all your gorgeous jars of lovingly canned foods!!!
Well I don’t mean to sound bossy just trying to say what I envision.
Best of Luck and have a blast!!!
Vanessa
Mark says
Paint the island red to match the sink.
Add some color to the back splash.
I like the idea of a more retro wall paper border, or maybe you can find some cowboy paper?
jkaye says
Wonderful home! I looked through the photos and immediately thought of old TV shows like Lassie and My Friend Flicka. Those were set back in the retro days, and I seem to recall that the windows were dressed out in nice, crisp gingham. Since you have a red sink, and aqua fiestaware, you could use a sunny yellow gingham at the windows of the kitchen and dining area and under the sink — you’d be well on your way to having a great retro aqua/red/yellow color scheme.
Here is a vintage wallpaper border with those colors from Rosie’s that could replace the roosters and mooses:
http://www.rosiesvintagewallpaper.com/servlet/Detail?no=406
Thoughts of cheerful cherries keep popping in my mind. Cherries are very retro. Here is a blog that shows a kitchen with a cherry border:
http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/2010/02/rednesday-wallpaper-border.html
That little storage area that you want to figure out a covering for — why don’t you just change out what you keep stored in there, and leave it open? Instead of keeping your current cooler and practical supplies in there, find a vintage Yogi Bear wicker picnic basket, and some old coolers in plaids. Here are some on ebay:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=plaid+coolers&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Then, you’ll see those things all the time and think, hey, let’s go for a picnic. What fun! Nothing more retro than a picnic.
Next, it’s time to replace the hearts, a classic ’80s decoration, with something a bit more retro. How about paint-by-numbers? Not too expensive. And for a fun reference to the old TV shows, here is one of a collie, a la Lassie, on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/FRAMED-VINTAGE-H-PAINTED-PAINT-BY-NUMBER-OF-COLLIE-DOG_W0QQitemZ350339744191QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5191e041bf
I like that painting over the open storage area, by the way. Looks like it has a cool frame. I would keep it in the kitchen. And if you like those kinds of landscapes, there are paint-by-number landscapes aplenty on ebay and elsewhere.
Lastly, you certainly will need a big red geranium in the window, and maybe some bright yellow cannisters, like the happy woman has in your inspirational photo.
These small changes should blend in with your dining area. They won’t take a lot of work or money, so you can save up your cash and and energy for the house you plan to build someday.
Now, I think I want to go on the hunt for a paint-by-number picture!
Rene' says
I, too, must agree with Gavin et al. Spending too much money on a temporary space is something that may be regretful later. And besides…this kitchen is already fantastic, and to me it already says ‘retro’. Maybe not in the mid-modern way, but definitely in the mid-modest way. Your fabric covering under the sink already has your red and turquoise in it, yes? You might want to try getting a matching valance for over the sink window. Then, just have fun with your beautiful turquoise fiestaware and throw in some solid red or red-and-turquoise canisters. Your wallpaper border may not be what you’re going for at the moment, but it has the right colors…so let it ride! I think your home is beautiful. Love the house you’re in…and save your money for the mid-mod house you’re planning for the future!
TappanTrailerTami says
Sara,
Seeing the photos of your property just make me homesick!!!! I’m originally from WA, now in CA.
I have a new motto for you (takeoff of Pam’s) – I think you should:
Love the Lodge You’re In!!!!
I sure do 🙂