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Home / The Museum of Mid Century Material Culture / time capsule homes

1970s vintage lighting and more in this 1974 time capsule home

pam kueber - January 23, 2011, Updated: April 22, 2020

I went to my first estate sale of 2011 last weekend — and stumbled into a jewel of a 1970s time capsule home. The lighting fixture above the kitchen-dining room table was mod-meets-70s-kitschtacular, and I kind of went crazy photographing it. The house itself — the layout, size, scale, location and even price for our area were darn sweet, too!  Onward for 26 more photos!

Yes, the light was one of those that moved on a track along the ceiling.

A view to the kitchen. This table and light were in the area transition to the living room. The area was open concept — but in an “L” so you had some separation.

Dig the pinch pleat draperies in the background. What a lovely design — and color.

Straight on into the kitchen.

I am seriously in love with woven wood shades like this.

I was even digging this backsplash tile. I think it was tile, rather than some sort of vinyl. The laminate countertop looked like pressed leaves – a very faint design. It suited the kitchen perfectly.

The slider door by the refrigerator led to this sun porch. In retrospect, I wish that I had bought this vintage plant stand. It was marked $5. But, you know my problem with acquiring More.

Another plant stand, this is heading into the living room — look close and you can see where the kitchen floor ends and the living room floor begins.

A lovely living room.

I am really truly kicking myself that I did not buy this teeny Victorian fainting couch. I coulda woulda upholstered it in something mid mod and made it a daybed for Astro. I am going to call Teresa — who ran the sale — and see if it is still available. Drats and double drats! Sometime I just go to far in my mood swings. Buy everything! No — buy nothing!  I am always black or white, high or low, all or nothing, will I never learn moderation?

I didn’t buy this smallish modern coffee table — the glass was amoeba-shaped — either. The prices were good, too.

I tried to buy the kitchen light and this hall light, though. Fortunately — or unfortunately — they were not for sale.

This couch did not sell. My friend Ron from Berkshire County Used Furniture picked it up at the clean-out. Dig the draperies. I am using the word “dig” a lot, did you notice.

The basement was jam packed. $5 for this set of cannisters.

The vintage GE refrigerator and freezer also did not sell. They seemed to be in fantastic shape.

Remnant flooring. Luv.

What a lovely house.

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CATEGORIES:
time capsule homes

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72 comments

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  1. dkzody says

    September 12, 2015 at 1:46 pm

    Just came to this post. Love it as it’s pretty much what our 70s house still looks like.

    We took possession 35 years ago and everything is just as it was the day we moved in. We’ve replaced dishwasher and fridge a few times but we still have the harvest gold cooktop and oven. I’m waiting for harvest gold fridges to show up again. I will go right out and buy one, same for the dishwasher.

    We really are living in a time capsule!

  2. Stephanie says

    February 25, 2015 at 8:44 am

    Those woven shades that you are loving were originally designed by some on that was at Cranbrooke during the golden age of design. I think it was Saarinen’s wife, but I am not sure. She got the claim to fame so to speak as a fiber artist and designer by selling them to the Big Boy restaurant chain. They had them in every single one across the country.

    • pam kueber says

      February 25, 2015 at 9:26 am

      Hmmmm… I looked up Saarinen’s wife — wives, actually.

      First wife Lilian Swann Saarinen was a sculptor. Wasn’t her.

      Second second wife, Aline, was a writer, it wasn’t her.

      I have written about Maria Kipp — she did gorgeous woven wood lampshades — but she was not at Cranbrook, and I have never seen her connected to Big Boy Restaurants — ? — https://retrorenovation.com/2014/10/27/maria-kipp-textiles/

      • pam kueber says

        February 25, 2015 at 9:33 am

        I’ve been researching. Must be Ruth Adler Schnee! Still designing at age 90!

  3. Jan says

    July 4, 2014 at 10:13 am

    I would kill for the yellow sofa!

  4. Joe Felice says

    April 14, 2014 at 2:32 am

    Hello, ’70s! But where’s the macrame?

  5. wendy says

    February 10, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Pam that house looks like one that i just went to
    for a estate sale i bought all the light fixtures and much
    more. I even bought the vintage clothing.
    the house has been with the same family for 95 years
    and i don’t think they through any thing out.
    i have a light that looks like the kitchen light you
    took pics of but mine has fruit on it i’m going to try
    to sell all my lighting on ebay. i have never been on
    ebay before but i heard its great for buying and selling

  6. LeAnn says

    August 4, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    When I saw the curtains I thought, “Oh cool, my grandmother used to have some of those in her living room!” Then I saw the second plant stand and said “Wow, she had one of those too!”

    But the absolute coolest thing was when I saw the canisters. I inherited a set exactly like those from my mother. Unfortunately they broke before I ever got to use them, but it’s cool to see so many things I recognise from my own childhood all in one home.

  7. Lynne says

    February 1, 2011 at 10:54 pm

    I would KILL for that coffee table!!!

  8. Eliza says

    January 26, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    We recently bought a 1965 ranch in Overland Park, KS and it is so similar to this house it is scary! Even the same floor tile. The house languished on the market for months because everyone who saw it didn’t want to sink the money to modernize it – but we snapped it up at a bargain price because we loved the fact that everything in it was original!

    • pam kueber says

      January 26, 2011 at 3:53 pm

      Fantastic house — I adored it! You are lucky and it sounds like so is your house — for you!

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