“We bought from the original owner’s daughters….
Luckily we got here when we did —
anybody else would have gutted the place.”
Clive — shown above with dog Chloe, and his partner Mike — reached out to us to share pictures of their awesome mostly original 1952 ranch house — with pink terrazzo floors. Clive grew up in Florida and always remembers playing and running around on cool terrazzo floors — but he had never seen the pink variety until he found them in his house. Pink terrazzo?! Yup, we will add this to our list of woddities. Continue on to see the terrazzo treasure, along with 10 other photos of Clive’s Florida paradiso –>
Clive writes:
Hey Pam,
I read Retro Renovation all the time, and I just love it. I’ve been into mid century style for quite a while now. My partner and I have a 1952 mid century ranch in Florida. It’s all original with clerestory windows and pink terrazzo floors. We have the original tiles in both bathrooms. It was quite the find. I have some great 50s furniture as well.
My house is a modern style for the time, it has open beam ceiling with clerestory frosted jalousie windows which needed many new rivets. The moment I walked into the house the open wood beam ceiling with the jalousie windows made me fall in love.
Then we saw a room that still had the terrazzo floor. My god it was pink. I grew up in South Florida and I had never seen pink terrazzo I had to have it. We bought from the original owner’s daughters. (Both parents had passed away and they were holding on to the house for sentimental reasons.) Luckily we got here when we did — anybody else would have gutted the place.
Pam was curious to understand more about the jalousie windows… Jalousie clerestories?, she asked Clive. He responded:
Yes they are frosted jalousies I had to repair some of the rivets , they work beautifully. I love having them open in the winter. You can feel the breeze though the whole house. It’s a shed style roof so the heat rises and flows out. Good design for the time before home air conditioning.
Clive continues:
I did some research on the architect who built our house and found out he was a prominent architect here in Florida in the 50’s. He designed a wonderful hotel in the 50’s near me called the Entrada.
I own a small pest control company and have been in the business for 30 years. A lot my furnishings came from old houses in Florida. What people give to the bug man! I’m not shy — so when I see something I’m interested in, I ask. Sometimes they say, “Oh that old thing? Take it!”
I once got a 1965 baby blue Plymouth Fury 3 (garage kept with only 50,000 miles) from a little old lady. She had passed away and I was doing inspection for the estate, and I asked the Realtor about the car in the garage. She gave me the information for the lawyer handling the estate and I bought it for $500 back in 1984. I got it home and found the original delivery receipt for the car as well as gas receipts from 1965. I think that was my all time best find.
Thanks for your great site!
Clive
Using two shower curtains in the tub here not only frames the window in the shower nicely, but also lets in more light. An ingenious idea for the many homes that have bathrooms with windows in the shower.
Clive, your house’s chartreuse exterior is dreamy. Luv the Formica dining room set. And of course, I love that you furnished your house (and even filled your garage) with stuff that people were getting rid of and “gave to the bug man.” Quite often, the process of acquiring furniture and accessories is just as interesting as the pieces themselves.
Clive, Mike and Chloe — What a happy home you have — thanks so much for saving it — and for sharing it with all of us.
And Mike adds:
Clive and I would also like to credit and thank Tracy Bowden Lowery for her expert photography.
tammyCA says
What a terrific Florida home! Lots of fun & colorful things to look at & personality…the house must be very happy that you were the next owners to appreciate its history & integrity. Could that be Florida Highwaymen paintings in the bedroom?
Clive Taylor says
Yes they are and I love them. A great Florida peice of art for a tropical home. They are Alfred Hair. I love the stormy sea look.
Of course they were both free collected in my travels and found before anyone knew who the Highway Men were.
Terri Polick says
It’s a splendid house. I’m so glad it wasn’t guttered. Houses like this are true pieces of Americana.
vegebrarian says
Gorgeous! I love the green pendant light and pink floors. The campus where I work was built in the 1950s and has mint green terrazzo floor in all of the old buildings.
Wendy M. says
It’s wonderful that you’ve preserved this house and made it your home. It’s quite beautiful (and I would imagine the original owner’s daugher appreciates how well you’ve taken care of the house, too.)
I love the way you’ve furnished it, too- you’ve proven the phrase “it never hurts to ask!”
Lauren says
LOVE the cocktail bar!!!
Jenny A. says
I’m going to bookmark this for those extra cold snowy days that are sure to come. I will come back to this page and look at your house. It will warm me from the inside and I will momentarily transcend.
Also, I love the blue-green light hanging above the bar. Very pretty.
Mike Wochner says
Jenny,
That’s my favorite as well. The dining room lamp Clive lifted out of a trash can, and I restored it with new wiring. Then had a friend airbrush the copper color.
Tom says
Still got the ’65 Plymouth? How about a photo of your best find ever?
Michelle says
That bathroom! It’s like a raspberry-peach smoothie. What wonderfully unexpected colors. Thank you for preserving this delightful home.
laura says
wow! LOVE it.
Sarah g says
Ah! I have almost the same pair of chalkware lamps that are in your master! The lamp shades are the same shape but mine are trimmed in black. My people on the lamps are off white and black too. The people on mine are a man and a woman that aren’t quite harlequins or woodland nymphs but something in between! Of course mine are in the master too, the bf gets the man lamp and I get the lady lamp!
I’ve always wanted to know if there is any special process for cleaning chalkware…. Any readers out there know? Also if I wanted to touch up some scuffs and chips, what should I use?
Mike Wochner says
Hi Sara,
I used a toothbrush and simple green to clean the lamps. The shades were another issue. I also touched up some chips with gold paint using a q-tip that blended in well.
I’ve learned to live with the stains on the shades as trying to clean them will make it worse. And they are over 60 years old!
Sarah g says
Thanks for the tips! I’ll try them on a lazy afternoon. As for the shades, I totally agree.. Im a professional wetcleaner and even I wouldn’t have any recommendations other than don’t get them stained in the first place! Haha! but really, I just vacuum them with the soft brush attachment.
Dino says
Hey Sara, your lamps sound like the ones I have in my bedroom. My parents bought them new in the mid 50’s, my dad picked them out. And Mike and Clive, your house is incredible. That is one reason to move to Florida, get a place with terrazzo floors!