Tammy is poised to launch an exciting new chapter of the American Dream: She’s quit her job, scheduled an estate sale, and this week put her meticulously restored 1961 Seattle house on the market — all so that she can travel the U.S.A. in “Nellie,” the 33′ Newmar Ventana RV that she bought last month. Tammy has lived in her beloved midcentury modern ranch home for 13 years, and her renovations and decorating — impeccable! Let’s take a look — and also hear about her plans to hit the road!
Tammy is a reader of the blog — we first met her when we spotlighted her GE Partio Cart last year — so she reached out to us with her story as soon as her house hit the MLS. We asked her to tell us more about the house and the changes she had made to it over the years. She wrote:
The house was built in 1961 and had one owner before I purchased it in 2002. They aged in place, so the home was in a bit of rough shape at that time.
I built the backyard cabana and remodeled the kitchen in period style with updated modern appliances.
I also took out a wall between two bedrooms to create a master suite, and converted the MIL downstairs into a wet bar.
The furniture is all mine – not staging furniture. Most pieces were estate sale, Craig’s List and Ebay finds! (Although I must admit the Philippe Starck Bubble Club outdoor furniture was purchased at Design Within Reach, and the turquoise outdoor furniture was purchased at Dazzles in Palm Springs.)
And of course, you know about the GE Partio Cart!
My friends and I named the house “The Atomic Abode.” I have loved living here and throwing parties, but I am in the process of selling all my worldly possessions, jumping in an RV, and traveling North America.
Thanks for your interest in my place. It makes my heart happy.
Gorgeous house!!!! But…. tell use more about your new quest! The “sell everything and hit the road” quest. Wow!
Q. What made you decide to leave your gorgeous home and hit the road? We read on your blog that wanted to leave your job as an attorney, but was there a specific moment/catalyst when you decided to take it from a dream to reality?
A. As much as I enjoyed collecting my “curated hoard,” for the last couple of years my possessions weighed on me, and keeping them meant continuing in a career for which I was no longer passionate. I decided that living more simply also meant more frugally, which gives me the freedom not to work and to do the one thing I love most of all: travel!
Q. I see you mentioned that you started collecting midcentury furniture and decor back in 2002 after you bought the house — have you noticed a big change in the market for such furnishings in your area since then?
A. I actually started collecting back in the 1990s, with 1940’s/1950’s dresses, handbags, hats and shoes, because I was swing dancing back then. That morphed into 1950’s vintage, which then morphed into Danish Modern. The good stuff is getting much harder to find (I don’t even try thrift stores anymore, which used to be one of my go-to places back in the 90’s/early 2000’s), and when you do find something, sellers generally greatly overestimate value (especially on Ebay!) Estate sale tips are the best, especially in the Pacific NW – big MCM collectors in Oregon and Washington.
And lookie this! Tammy adds:
I owned a 1955 canned ham vintage trailer, “FiFi,” depicted in the photo above. I recently sold her as part of my quest. It was hard to let her go!
That must have been the cutest vintage trailer ever!
Tammy, you and your story are inspirational — especially since I’ve been reexamining my own relationship with stuff recently. It is obvious that you have impeccable taste and you seem like such a fun person, who I am sure will have some great fun out on the open road. Kudos to you for having the bravery to make a change in your life and begin an exciting new adventure.
Tammy has agreed that she’ll send us periodic updates about her travels so we can keep up with her journey. You can get all the updates on her journey via her personal blog, The Lady is a Tramp.
Mega thanks to Tammy for sharing her story and to realtor Craig Blackmon, R7 Photography and Lance Wagner at Seattle Retro Photography for letting us feature this fantastic property and wonderful photos on RetroRenovation.com.
Link love:
- Follow Tammy’s journey via her blog, The Lady is a Tramp
- House photos courtesy of Ryan from R7 Photography
- Photo of Tammy courtesy of Lance Wagner at Seattle Retro Photography (website appears gone)
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will double in size on screen… click anywhere to move forward and look for previous and next buttons within photo to move back or forth… you can start or stop at any image:
Kathy says
I admire your courage and hope you post pics of your new camper. The whole house is fabulous, from the exterior colors down to the laundry room. I love the kitchen most of all, and the fabulous dressing table. I don’t know why dressing tables have gone out of fashion, but they are a great way to reduce clutter and traffic jams in small bathrooms. I was wondering, is that Space Probe looking thing on the patio a tiny grill, or a space heater?
Tammy says
Thanks for your kind words, Kathy! The Space Probe thing is a propane barbecue, which I called “R2/D2.”
Please check out picks of my RV, “Nellie,” on my website! http://www.theladyisatramp.net
Tammy
Frank says
Hope you’re able to fix up another home when you’re finished with your travels.
Marsha says
Tammy , I read through your blog and loved it all. I never did find who the designer was for your fab MCM home. My sister had an Eichner in Orange Co. CA that was similar, I wondered if it was an Eichner, however most were in a neighborhood of similar homes. I will be keeping up with you. I too sold about everything and am living Fulltime in my 2006 Newmar Kountry Star, currently workamping in the Pisgah Forest of NC. Also a single lady. I will be here for 6 months. You may want to conside workamping. Fun people and you can still moved around, take your time, etc. hopefully FL awaits for my fall/winter gig next! Happy trails!
Tammy says
Marsha, a fellow full-time, single woman RVer, also with a Newmar? This is great! Hope to meet you out there – the RVing women convention in Oklahoma City in October, perhaps?
Cynthia says
Good luck, Tammy! You’re an inspiration. I’ll be following your travels.
terry says
Very good taste!
Beth & Dan says
Hello Gorgeous!
Ballard just won’t be the same without you and your fabulous hospitality. Not to mention the always open bar and world famous Egyptian movie theater.
We will miss you, but look foward to living vicariously through your adventures.
You never know when we’ll be in your rearview mirror in our Silver Spud. Bon Voyage!
Mike says
OMG, this is the coolest house of its type I’ve ever seen! Ever ever EVER seen! Pam & Kate, thanks for the article!
pam kueber says
Yes, isn’t it great! THANKS to TAMMY!
Kate says
Wow – we are totally in love with Tammy’s house. It is a work of art. You can clearly that a lot of love went into that house. Thank you for sharing this, it is such an inspiration!
Douglas Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
Pretty awesome – We’re at the stage where we’re “settling in” to our MCM house and it’ll be awhile before we decide to unload it. But traveling around with just an RV does sound like a blast! Enjoy!
Brian Landreville says
I am a Real Estate Broker who works in Tammy’s neighborhood and I had the pleasure of touring her house yesterday. I got into Real Estate because of my love of mid century homes and her place reminded me if why I love my job so much. It is absolutely stunning!
I know it doesn’t seem possible but the pictures do not do it justice. It is even more stunning in person! The attention to every small detail in the house is amazing, and her furniture and collectibles are as perfect as I have seen anywhere. It is so refreshing to see a house where the owner totally gets it. I looked through the photo album she had in the house of before and after pictures of the work she has done and she nailed everything! Truly inspiring! The neighborhood where it is located is not a mid century neighborhood at all. Most of the homes were built at the turn of the century and right now it is the hottest neighborhood in Seattle. Every day I am amazed at what people are paying to live there. Her timing is perfect and she will most definitely get top dollar for this house and she deserves every penny for the work she has put in. Good Job Tammy!!