Readers: This is how timeless midcentury modern design IS DONE! What a fantastic amazing mind-blowing find: After the New York Times story ran last week, I was contacted by a realtor who has listed for sale a 1962 house in Montclair, New Jersey — with original interiors, still in place, by the renowned and super important midcentury interior designer William Pahlmann.
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These interiors are a veritable primer — a treasure trove of inspiration and ideas — about how to create stunning — yet timeless — interiors for your midcentury home. Linda, the real estate agent, writes:
Hi Pam,
I loved reading the article in the NYTimes! I’m a Realtor in Montclair NJ and have a house listed that is the most amazing home that I have seen in 25 years of real estate. Built by the owners in 1962 and decorated by Wiliam Pahlmann, a Manhattan decorator w/a newspaper column in the ’60s. The house is exactly as decorated when new… It looks as if it was done yesterday! The jelly beans in the bowls in the living room are color-coordinated to the “summer” slip covers and they will change with the season!
-Linda
Now, I must admit: Until I received this email, I didn’t know anything about William Pahlmann. I am sure that students of interior design must study him. But his name does not seem to be mainstream widespread like many of the most famous architects from back in the day. By the way, I find this to be true time and time again — the names of many professionals who were incredibly influential in the world of interior design and consumer goods in the postwar era have faded — and it’s time that they are resurrected! Another of my goals!
I started to do some online research, and quickly found that Pahlmann was incredibly important in the history of interior design.
He is credited with launching the “eclectic style” that, for the most part, permeates our culture today.
That is: Mixing modern pieces with vintage and exotic pieces. I think these interiors are ALL incredibly livable. And, they look as current Today as ever!
I will write more about Pahlmann coming up. He is someone We Need To Know!
Sigh.
Christy says
AHHHHHHHmazing!! They should turn it into a bed and breakfast!!!..lol..I wonder how many other gems are out there that have gone untouched. Should have been the Draper’s original home. “sigh”
Irene says
The Draper reference is spot-on. I can see this house being “cast” for a Mad Men location.
Jeanne says
Gorgeous! I was so excited to see this post this morning, and filled my coffee cup before I perused (slowly) the photos. I savor this stuff!
That last bedroom is my favorite. I love grass cloth and SO want to do a wall in my home with it. You can tell that every detail and every room in that home was carefully thought out and designed. The colors are fabulous! No bathroom photos?
Engineer-Chic says
I love it. I’m not a fan of inground pools, but if I had $1.4M for the house it would be small money to remove the pool. Gorgeous home. I wonder if children or pets ever lived there? I mean, how did they keep it so pristine for 40+ years?
Sandi says
What a gorgeous time capsule! I love hearing that Pahlmann advocated the eclectic style. It gives me hope for my kitchen which has “horrors” …granite. While granite is trendy and my husband and I installed it years ago before I became a fan of retro, it has served my family well and I diligently work to decorate my kitchen in a way that honors both mid century and current style. And let’s not forget…someday granite will the be retro material, worthy of admiration by those who appreciate the decorating taste of former generations. This is a great article, kudos to the realtor who shared this find with Pam! Hopefully there are more of these homes out there that we can ooh and aah over.
Cindy says
Eye candy times ten…..wow, let’s make an offer………….
Frank says
Super cool! Here is an article from Architectural Digest about William Pahlmann:
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/legends/archive/pahlmann_article_012000
Kelly says
WOW! What a great place!
I want to thank this website, blog and reader comments for the help I have been getting to restore the house we just bought in the SF Bay Area. Speaking of kitchen wallpaper, I am putting Bradbury and Bradbury Googieland gray in our kitchen to replace the lime green and yellow that was there ( and on the ceilings!), thanks to the ad on your website. It has a touch of pink which I just love! I’m not daring enough to do more pink. I have always taken down wallpaper and painted, but these walls were begging me to put wallpaper back up. I’m putting new shag back in where the worn out funky lime green shag was in the dining and living rooms. If the original linoleum was in better shape, I’d keep that but it was too cracked up and sadly, there is nothing like that out there anymore. I’m replacing it with Mannington Adura Vibe tiles which look kind of retro and contemporary. I never thought I would go for vinyl!
I’m also looking at light fixtures from Rejuvenation and some cool starburst towel bars that you featured. Thanks so much!! I would have never found this stuff on my own!
Kathy says
hey Kelly…have you installed the Mannington Vibe? I need to make a decision soon for my high traffic huge entry area that leads in to my 1950s re-done kitchen (Salsa Red Marmoleum floor, white cabinets & charcoal boomerang Formica) and am considering the Vibe pattern, all Graphite, in a “checkerboard” layout. Have you laid your floor yet? No one in my area has used this product yet so I’m nervous….I would appreciate any feedback….K
Lauryn says
Kathy, I would love to see photos of your kitchen. We are supposed to be putting in a Red Amaranth marmoleum floor and I’m suddenly getting cold feet, worrying about so much red … I would love to see what yours looks like. Is there any way to see a photo of your kitchen? Thanks!!
Kelly says
It is being installed currently. We are using the linen color in the kitchen/den/laundry areas and so far I like the look. I will say that if it’s an area that will get a lot of natural light hitting it, you will notice that the tiles oriented one direction look a little shiny and the others look more dull given those shallow grooves on the surface. As a result, they look like a slightly different shade of color. We are using the graphite color in the main entry area which is not installed yet, so I don’t know if that effect would be as strong with the darker color. Overall, I’m happy with how it looks.
Jen says
Wow, fantastic! That Moroccan tile floor is fantastic…the office…Wow!
gsciencechick says
Everything is great, but I agree with you those floors are my favorite. Wow.
BungalowBILL says
According to Architectural Digest Jan 2000: Pahlmann himself described his often astonishing mixtures of unrelated styles and periods and his palette of saturated and frequently clashing colors as “modern Baroque.”
As far as the jelly beans, not only would I want to know where they are but how old they are. lol
Marc says
Great house. It’s awesome that the found a style they liked and maintained it so faithfully for all the years. Please convince them to sell the house furnished!