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:
Nancy H says
I went to the estate sale and it was CRAZY! As expected, a line down the block to get in, and most of the furniture was tagged as sold by the time they got to my entry number. Still, it was lots of fun! I bought a baby blue vintage Trifari necklace, earring, and bracelet set, an Egygtian themed Christmas ornament (there was an entire room dedicated to King Tut!), a retro Bull/Bear Market cocktail glass, and an awesomely ornate red Chinese-inspired waste paper basket.
I hope when my husband and I sell our 1961 home in the upper Crown Hill/Northbeach area next year, a wonderful mcm-loving family buys it and covets our original kitchen cabinets, blue bathroom, yellow bathroom, and rose quartz fireplace wall as much as we do. The house was build by a local builder for his family, and we are only the 3rd owners.
Tammy says
Nancy, I am glad you were able to get some treasures! That jewelry set has especially fond memories for me. I purchased it in Palm Springs. Enjoy!
Travis says
Where did you get that AWESOME screen door? Really makes the front entry pop!
pam kueber says
Travis, Hip Haven (a longtime advertiser here on the blog) sells these! http://www.hiphaven.com/vintage-style-screen-door-insert/
Tammy says
That’s where I got it!
Graham says
Great house.
Hopefully the future owners will appreicate the character of the home.
Can you tell me where you got the Vegas prints and pictures?
Tammy says
Graham, I looked on the back of the Vegas print, and I cannot find any information about it! I purchased it at a store that is no longer in business. Sorry! Come to the estate sale and buy mine! 🙂
Norma says
Tammy,
Your house is simply perfection. You have created a masterpiece of beauty and nostalgia. And…..LOVE the backyard cabana. That is like going back in time……to a simpler place in time. Whoever buys your house will be receiving a priceless treasure.
Val Vashon says
Tammy’s house will probably be around forever while this one, just a short walk away, is on a lot slated for development of something probably ultra modern and ugly:
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t172/valvashon/2015-04/FEA6F005-EEB5-4DB9-B162-F897D7B1B541.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t172/valvashon/2015-04/B6939BA9-D229-4173-8260-47B31954CBAB.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t172/valvashon/2015-04/09237E4F-AEC0-4EA9-965F-A3E12DC9A416.jpg
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t172/valvashon/2015-04/2334A86B-2926-4A50-A60F-9F21E8D8E066.jpg
Maybe this one is a dump inside and wasn’t well cared for, who knows. I hope they have a knowledgeable salvage person on hand who can what are surely some valuable pieces inside of this one. The brick looks worth saving as well.
Since buying our 1961 Ranch in the Admiral District of West Seattle late last year I have become a big fan of this style of house and its subtle and unique style of architecture.
If you live in the Seattle area or come to visit make sure you head to the “Fauntlee Hills” residential neighborhood of West Seattle. The Mid-Century Modern on display there is truly jaw-dropping.
Val
Maureen says
love your house! My favorite things include your exterior ‘screen?’ door, your pink & black couches and your waterfall bedroom furniture. Looks like you have a whole set! Some waterfall seems to be very ornate but yours is on the simpler side, which I love. And it goes great with your pink walls. I also love the furniture in yellow room. Wonderful taste, have an amazing time on the road!
Tammy says
Maureen, thank you for noticing the waterfall bedroom suite! It is often overlooked or dismissed as not being “mid-century” because it is from the 1940’s. I bought it sight unseen on Ebay with my first bonus check. I am the second owner. When the furniture arrived from Pennsylvania there was a chenille bedspread and two doilies in the cedar chest. When I completed the bedroom friends dubbed it the “grandma room,” but I loved it, and that’s all that matters in your own home, right?
Lauryn says
What a great story and SO timely. My husband and I are currently on an extended road trip and we are also in the market for a truck camper, to dip our toes into the world of living on the road. I am so excited to dig into your blog!! Not quite ready to sell our house, but full time living on the road (we’re musicians) has been a dream almost since we met 12 years ago!
And the house!! It’s absolutely gorgeous. I love how it has such a strong mid-century feel but still has your own personality throughout. Such a fantastic neighborhood, too…I spent many happy years in that neighborhood.
If you are traveling through Iowa and want a place to stop over, let us know. We live in a really cool little town. And if you’re in Seattle on May 30, my husband and I are playing at Egan’s Ballard Jam House…would love to meet you in person!
Can’t wait to follow your adventures. Kudos to you for following your heart. You are an inspiration!!
Tammy says
Lauryn, I’m coming to see you at Eagan’s for sure! We could walk to the Atomic Abode from there!
Lauryn says
Sweet!! Can’t wait to meet you!
Jeanette Ranow says
If you get as far as the other side of the USA, come see me! I’ll make an astro weenie ball since I live by Kennedy Space Center! Happy trails!
Tammy says
Jeanette, I’m fascinated, what is an astro weenie ball? I’ll be in Florida in Spring 2016! I have always wanted to go to Miami and the Keys. I’m planning to do that before hurricane season starts in May.
Mary Elizabeth says
Hey, we used to make a “Sputnik” cocktail party dish that was a cabbage hollowed out enough in the top to hold a small dish of mustard or homemade cocktail sauce. Then we stuck miniature wieners/hot dogs into it with large toothpicks/small kabob sticks until it looked like a satellite. The last time I made it was 1973 or so, and it was a retro dish even then.
Lorraine says
Great Job Tammy. I love the end result and how you mixed elements from past and present but kept the spirit of the house. As I write this I am in the middle of packing up as few belongings as possible so my BF and I can move out of NY and down to NC to the simpler life too. He’ll be giving up the law and I’ll work from home in the middle of the woods in my 1943 cottage. I also gutted and have been re doings the entire house. It was probably more work than building new but I hope I’ve been able to keep the spirit of the house while making it more practical for modern living. As soon as I’m settled I’ll send Pam pics as I promised. I’m counting the days, we’re getting closer :-). Happy and safe travels. If you find yourself around WNC (Asheville, Hendersonville etch), zip down 26 and stop by in Tryon. It’s just like Mayberry.
Tammy says
Lorraine, I think re-doing is always more work than building new, but that’s the fun. One of my major life pleasures is pulling something from the rubble that has been forgotten and forsaken and giving it new life. I’ve done it with cars, campers, houses, furniture, clothing, and collectibles. GOOD FORTUNE to you as you embark on your new endeavor! Hope to see you in NC.
pam kueber says
Yes. This is exactly why I am so little impressed with contemporary interior decorating that relies on going to the normal retail store: “One of my major life pleasures is pulling something from the rubble that has been forgotten and forsaken and giving it new life.” Me, too, Tammy.
Lorraine says
Ditto Pam!
Lorraine says
Agreed Tammy. There isn’t the same soul in new wall board. I love the patina of time. Ive tried taking old pieces and repurposing or restoring them when possible. That said, in the woods we had lots of critters living in our walls (and absolutely NO insulation) so the house is much more comfy and no strange noises rustling through the walls in the middle of the night. 🙂
Joe Felice says
So, Tammy’s the “atomic tramp!”
Tammy says
That has a nice ring to it!