To follow up on our kaffee klatsch with Mel Kolstad, I asked Kate if she could go into our archives and pull together all of Mel’s “Love the House You’re In” collages into one final collection page. Looks like we have a baker’s dozen — 13 collages in all, created starting around March 2010, with the final one published May 2011.
What a wonderful way to enter into the holiday weekend, don’t you think? Hey, on that note: Kate and I need to unplug completely from the matrix over the holiday or our heads will explode (well, mine, I shouldn’t speak for her). So at day’s end today, I will flip a switch and direct all comments for the next few days into moderation until we return Monday morning. Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone! Drive safe, and eat more pie!
Note as you are looking at these: (1) These are all custom collages representing readers of Retro Renovation and their houses — sometimes folks wanted their personal, family or pet photos included… (2) These are actually just 4″ x 4″ collages. The size of a bathroom tile. So you are likely seeing them enlarged on screen… and (3) We enlarge the scans for the blog because I want you to see the excruciating detail — Mel cuts out the itty bitty pieces by hand or with a punch and then applies them. *Some therapy,* as I like to say. Starting after the jump, we display the series as it was created — so we can see the progression of Mel’s work. For the lead photos, though, I show Mary Ellen’s house, featured October 2010 because it is my favorite *of the moment*.
Joe, Anthony & Bella — July 2010
Mary Ellen — Oct. 2010 (repeat of lead photo.)
Looks like we did not publish one Nov. 2010.
I love these so. And ya know, I think it is really pretty cool how this random selection of reader houses — chosen monthly in a little contest — ended up showing quite the diversity of mid century modern — but mostly modest — housing styles. It might right be a pretty darn good approximation — statistically, even — of “what’s out there.”