Hop into the DeLorean and buckle up, because here’s one of our most retro-fabulous design dream houses yet: Nancy’s pool house — all new, from the ground up — but designed to looked like it’s always been there, since, say, 1955. The kitchen, above, is just the start. This family gathering space also includes a great room and bathroom… it’s sparkling with vintage furniture… and it taps a number of the new, retro-style products researched and spotlighted here on Retro Renovation. What’s most impressive, though, is how Nancy has woven the entire design together in such a happy, harmonious way. Clearly, she has great eye — along with the love for and the courage to embrace color, color, and more color. 15 more photos, activate the flux capacitor –>
Now this is what I call a “great room.” Look at all that wonderful space — and more importantly — how Nancy filled it up. As you can start to see, the architectural style of the pool house is decidedly midcentury modern. It echoes the design of the main house.
Nancy set out to add a pool and accompanying pool house to her property about two years ago. She was intent on making sure the new building did not look like an afterthought. Above: Her beautiful coral-orange metal kitchen cabinets are topped off with some of the last surviving stock of aqua boomerang laminate and wrapped with shiny metal edging.
I asked Nancy a few questions about some of the choices she made in her pool house:
Q. How did you choose the color palette for your pool house?
Orange has really been growing on me. Pam had a retro Youngstown kitchen catalog posted one day, and I fell in love with the orange/teal mix of image #9. We live on the Chesapeake Bay, and I thought the colors would be great for this 50’s pool house!
Q. I noticed your dishwasher front matches the cabinets — did you have the cabinets custom painted that lovely coral color as well as the dishwasher front?
I copied the kitchen from the post and then a local auto body shop stripped and matched the color from the printout.
Q. What is your favorite part of your pool house? (If you can pick!)
You know, I can’t say a particular part is my favorite. It just all came together as a “little 50’s gift box”, and I enjoy it as a whole. There is nothing serious about it. My goal was 50’s and fun.
Q. What was the most challenging part of your remodel?
Well, we are transplanted Native Texans living on the Eastern Shore. We learned that things didn’t happen on our schedule but on Eastern Shore Time. Also, Kris our builder was great about trying to make all of my 50’s things fit. I bought all these Youngstown cabinets at Community Forklift & then trying to make them fit in our space. He wasn’t familiar with a Dishmaster, but I told him that was essential. Of course a drawer had to be shortened for the Nutone Center…The 50’s bathroom wallpaper had to be used where it would get less wear since it was paper and couldn’t get wet… But, I guess when you take on a project like this, the biggest challenge is being true to the 50’s (or as close as you can) and really trying to bring out the essence of the time period.
This project would not have been possible without Pam! I can’t tell you how valuable the blog is! There is information there that you don’t even know is there. How do you always know when we need to finish off cabinets, choose a flooring…? It seemed as the project went along, the posts would be one step ahead of me, and I took notes on all of them!! We have just walked our daughter down the aisle (or yard) from the pool house (where we spent all day getting ready for the wedding)! That is a great start to the many memories our family will make in this very happy place!
Wow, Nancy, this entire space is such a wonderful accomplishment — your family must have been giddy. You’ve done your homework and it shows — big time. Thank you so much for inviting us into your pool house — so inspiring!
Resource list for Nancy’s retro pool house interior design:
- Kitchen faucet: Dishmaster
- Refrigerator: Big Chill
- Laminate: Formica boomerang in aqua, now discontinued
- Counter top edging: New York Metal
- Kitchen cabinets: Vintage Youngstown, salvaged from Community Forklift, stripped and repainted by auto body shop. (Remember readers, when working with old materials Be Safe / Renovate Safe.)
- Kitchen pendant lighting above sink: Astron Tri from Rejuvenation
- Kitchen globe light: Rejuvenation Sfera 16
- Nutone food center: craigslist
- Kitchen curtains: Goodwill
- Bathroom curtains: made from Nancy’s barkcloth collection
- Living room curtains: new fabric-can’t remember but think Etsy
- Paint colors: We made the colors up as we went-teal color from over sink light, bathroom color to match toilet…
- Fan: CasaBlanca – Community Forklift
- Toilet and sink: Toilet: Standard; Sink: Maddock (made of Durock), both from Community Forklift (Edmonston, Md)
- Bathroom sink faucet: Mississippi faucets by Strom Plumbing/Sign of the Crab
- Bathroom wallpaper: vintage paper I bought for a previous home (ebay)
- Bathroom tile: Crisp Linen Dal tile (left over from the yellow bathroom redo)
- Fish Plates: vintage Vera (love her!) found on Ebay
- Fish glasses: vintage Ebay
- Exterior lights: (they are an almost identical match to those on the main house from 1957) Primelite Manufacturing Corp. Cat #4670
- Bar stools: Frederick Weinberg
- Vintage furniture and collectibles: as you might imagine, not a lot of mid century modern furniture on the Eastern Shore of Md. But, I would like to say Adam Henderson of Dead 50’s Modern in Lewes Beach, Delaware is incredible!!! He has a shop in the Antique Mall in Lewes, Delaware. This is his facebook page.
- Pink plastic flower arrangement: Everything Vintage Co., Toano, VA & on Facebook
- Orange lockers: Community Forklift stripped & painted with auto paint (color from child’s orange construction paper)
- Chest: $35 from resale store, stripped & painted same colors as island (don’t know if you can tell but each side of the island is a different color (teal, orange, yellow, & the side facing cabinets is a Youngstown cabinet the same color as others)
- The rug came from ebay (affiliate link in widget below). It’s new, from the U.K., shipping costs were a bit painful to the U.S., but Nancy said it came tout suite:
Nancy also wants to add — all furniture is vintage except the 2 teal ottomans & the fan from community forklift.
This isn’t Nancy’s first time Retro Renovation — she’s a longtime fan and reader, one of Pam’s first pen pals. 🙂
- Nancy’s pool house — 10 pictures of the exterior
- Nancy completes her yellow 50s bathroom
- Can Nancy’s fireplace bricks be cleaned? Or should she just paint over?
Kyle Hennicke says
Perfection
Jason says
Wow! I love it! Glad to see fellow mid-atlantic retro fans! I also spot the vintage tuppermade by tupperware bath container – I have the 3 piece set – my Mommom wasn’t using them – so I am!
Nancy says
I managed to get the 3 piece set also! The largest one I use for towels outside & the middle size is for trash! They are great!
Jason says
Awesome! I use my big one for extra towells too! I keep brand new towells that I have gotten as gifts or bought and not used yet in it. The middle one Mommom did use for a trash can, but it’s bigger than I need for my bathroom, so I use it to hold all my rolls of wrapping paper.
The one you have pictured I have used for toilet paper storage or to keep the toilet brush and holder hidden.
They are awesome and better yet to have 1958 stamped right into the handle! What an amazing home you have!
Chris says
I am reading this on a rainy, dark morning. The kind of day where you have to have all the lights on in the house….
What a joy to see the pictures of this happy, happy poolhouse!
I’m smiling!
dipsterdeb says
I am absolutely drooling! Thanks so much for the inspiration to start the week!!!
Diane in CO says
I would love to sit on one of those fabulous barstools and sip a cherry phosphate, in my bobby sox and pop-beads.
What you accomplished, Nancy, is not easy — and it is, well, just spectacular! Thanks Nancy and Pam.
Janet in CT says
This pool house is just fabulous! I love the curtains, the cabinets, the wallpaper, the colors – Oh, I just love it all! And WOW, that kitchen faucet! Was the wedding reception in the yard? If so, what a great idea too!
gsciencechick says
Just awesome!! Love the color combo of the orange with the teal! Congrats on an amazing space. So, when is the RR party?
Andi says
Wow—what a visual feast to go with my morning coffee!! I LOVE all the fabulous colors, and the obvious attention to every detail. Ditto Deb’s comment on that incredible flamingo rug! An amazing place, it would be impossible not to feel instantly happy upon walking through the door.
deb says
LOVE IT! I’d also love to know where she picked up the flamingo throw rug??
Nancy says
deb- It took me about a second to decide on the rug when I spotted it on Ebay!! I love it-very fun! Also, our floor is stained concrete & wanted to make sure we had plenty of rugs (to dry feet) coming from the pool!!
J D Log says
Wow Nancy congratulations on acheiving a beautiful dream project what a blissful way to spend summer