Bonnie is the proud owner of a 1958 “dream-home time capsule” and sent us some photos of some of its awesome original details to ogle and envy. I am particularly loving the coral countertop and cast-iron painted planter box — this color looks just lovely with the classic, 1950s natural birch plywood cabinets, don’t you think? Boo to the hoo that Formica discontinued the coral boomerang laminate, but I bet we can find something close in a solid for sure and maybe also in a subtle tone-on-tone pattern. Oh. Bonnie’s kitchen features these fabulous fold-down electric range top burners. Another 1950s innovation that… didn’t make it longterm. We see this occasionally in the wild. So cool to see them in this time capsule kitchen. Party on for more photos … and Bonnie wants our advice on regrouting the pink (of course) bathroom tile –> PAM! Hello!! My husband, boys and I have just moved into our very own dream-home time capsule from 1958. Also attached are images of our original 1958 kitchen with orange counter tops, space age wall oven from Fridgidaire, and flip down range…. We plan to work on the kitchen to gain more storage space and counter space in the future. Currently, though, we are going to live with it to make sure whatever design we come up with is thoughtful and meets our needs. We plan to keep it as original as possible to honor the architecture and time period… We will also be working on an original galley kitchen to make it more large-family friendly. It’s outfitted with a chrome flip down range, fridgidaire space-age wall oven, original cabinets, and orange laminate counter tops with metal edging…
Also, I noticed you love original lighting. All but one of the fixtures in our home is original. We are going to try to restore the finished on the lights to original brass (they are pretty dingy right now). Yet another idea for the blog… 🙂
It has a classic pink, baby blue, and black bathroom that must stay…the problem is MOST of the grout in the shower is cracked. A lot. Any suggestions on how to save the tile and repair the grout? I hunted around for some suggestions on this site but didn’t find anything specifically about the grout situation. Would love to send you some pictures, if you are interested, and possible do a feature about this “save the pink bathroom”. :)Here is my pink bathroom in need of some repair…the grout in the shower and around the vanity is cracked. I was wondering if you had seen this before and if you knew of any way to fix it…we really love the original tile and want to keep it!!
Thanks so much for the inspiration from the blog. We love being in a home with a past! Bonnie
BONNIE! Thank you! What a lovely home, and you are SMART to take your time contemplating any changes (that aren’t related to enviroment and safety, of course).
Regarding fixing the old grout:
I don’t know about the grout. I am pretty sure that I have read that old grout can be Dremeled out. Very painstakingly. Then regrouted. *Some therapy*.
Replacement tile:
If you want replace that edge piece, my key suggestion is to work with World of Tile. Chippy always needs a real live sample to make a color match. But maybe she can tell you before you have to remove the piece to send to her, whether she even has something in the family. Golly, it looks like only a teensy chip. This may be a really lame idea but: Build it up, little by little with nail polish? That color of dark burgundy chocolate brown is popular today, I think! Again: I ain’t no properly licensed professional — on both these questions, best to consult with one.
Readers: You ever dremeled out old grout and then regrouted? Did it work out beautifully, or not?
Regarding your your kitchen:
You didn’t ask me for decorating advice, but you know I can resist: Wallpaper — vintage or reproduction vintage — for those soffits, dear? And the kitchenette wall? With coral in it. Note, I’m calling your countertop and the cast iron decorative piece coral, not orange.
xoxo
Jamie says
Your oven and stove arrangement is absurdly awesome!
Bonnie K says
Thanks so much!!!
Bonnie K says
Pam! Thanks so much for featuring my home! This is so much fun! It’s my house’s 15 minutes of fame! Awesome!!! X
Bonnie K says
Also, I should credit the art in the iron work photo:
http://victorygardenoftomorrow.com/growfood1.html
They are a wonderful company out of Portland, Oregon.
Jan says
What a delightful kitchen, Bonnie! Love the appliances – now you need a dishwasher to match!
Bonnie K says
Thanks Jan! We did install this dishwasher…large family, AT LEAST 1 load a day because we love to cook and my kids are eating lots and growing like weeds. We wanted energy efficient and something that would last a long time…
jmb says
Regrouting is tedious work, but if you do it right it could be a decade or more before you have to mess with it again. The Dremel can save you time, but you should practice before going at it, because if you get impatient or slip you can damage your tiles. When regrouting a it is nice to get grout with sealer included, then you don’t have to go back and paint it after the grout cures. Not sealing your grout is a quick way to ruin all the hard work and you might be surprised how quick mold will settle in and water will leach into the wall behind the tile.
Awesome house! I wouldn’t change anything which is not broken, but if you must make functional changes I would try to stay true to the original materials and finishes.
Some discontinued Boomerang Formica is floating around, so call a supply house in a larger market and let them do the sleuthing for you.
Bonnie K says
Agree! We are going to try to stay as true to the house as possible. We are a large family and have lots of kitchen stuff tho. I’ve been hunting at Habitat for Humanities’s re-store for similar cabinets to fill in a large closet area on the other side of the kitchen where a washer and dryer used to be. There is tons of space over there for cabinetry and storage, we just need to find the appropriate cabinets.
blair says
Bonnie!
We are kitchen cousins, we have the exact same frigidare pull down burners and wall oven. Our cabinets are youngstown a mixture of steel and birch. I love our flip down burners and dread the day they stop working. I wish I could say the same for our bathrooms, some dummy painted over the teal plastic tiles. Good luck on the grout.
Blair
Bonnie K says
Kitchen cousins! So glad to know you are out there! Sorry about your floors tho!
Eartha Kitsch says
I love it all but especially that ironwork!
Bonnie K says
Yeay! Thanks! I had a friend walk though who chuckled and said, “I assume you will be taking this out?” I said, “Heck no! In a few years, you will realize this is a precious antique!”
Susan C. says
The ironwork planter is pretty with the maple leaf. I wonder if there is ironwork on the front porch too, that matches the planter. It looks like two lacy edges that adorn a column of ironwork.
Bonnie K says
No iron work on the front here, but I know what you mean. It is a small stoop-type entryway with no columns. There is a lovely “wing” wall made from stone with cut-outs.
Margaret in Maine says
I get a little misty every time I read “time capsule house…” It means yet another one has been saved. Hooray for you for finding a house you love and celebrating it.
Margaret
Bonnie K says
Well thank you very much! We had some concerned looks from several friends and family members but we KNEW it was just right for us!
Margaret in Maine says
I love to go to open houses when I find an intact vintage ranch – even though I am not in the market – just to see them and their details. It’s sad to overhear other people going through an INTACT vintage house, complaining about it and all the things they would “have” to change….. Why not find a house that’s already been ruined, er, redone?
So glad your gem is in good hands.
Best of luck with it, Margaret
Martini says
Last year my wife & I nearly bought a 1950s time capsule home designed by a famous architect (at least where WE live). The kitchen had the Frigidaire flip down burners and serious 50s built-in stainless double ovens along with real poured Terrazzo floors. It was stunning. Unfortunately, the people who bought it are most likely gutting it. It breaks my heart to think about it.
Chris says
Hi Marti. I would love to know who is the architect of the home you nearly purchased. There is a group of wonderful old PNW architects and it would be fun to know whose design you encountered. Ralph Anderson did my folks home when he was a new grad from the UWa School of Architecture… he was reasonably priced at the time because he was unknown and went on to be very well loved and known for his designs.
Martini says
I can’t recall his name at the moment. He designed commercial buildings and schools. I’ll see if I can find him again. I have ONE photo of an alternate floorplan. I’ll have to find the photos I took, and see if his name is on the drawings.
Chris says
Hi Martini. I just looked at this site again and saw your reply to my question about the architect of the vintage modern house you did not buy. What part of the country was that… as I mentioned, ours was in the Pac NW.
Lee in Florida says
I have those same cabinet pulls, and I always thought the drawer pulls were put on “upside down”. Thanks, Bonnie, for showing me they were always normal!