When Margie moved to Buffalo, New York, about a year ago, she purchased an 1960 original owner time-capsule house with lots of great features — including a full-service bar in the basement. Margie didn’t mess with any of the bones, but to make the space her own, she chose new paint colors, added vintage furniture and, our favorite part of this story: She connected with a seller of gorgeous vintage barkcloth to reupholster the furniture and make lots of pillows. What a fabulous space!
Margie writes:
This was a professional move for me, from Birmingham to Buffalo, and I’m pretty tired of moving! I just wanted to buy a house and call it a day! The housing market in Buffalo was a great perk.
The house was built in 1960. I live in an area of Buffalo, which happens to be chock-filled with these sort of “mid-century fancies.” Every house is a party house with a bar! The previous owner was a local builder and they were the original owners. The owner, in his nineties, was quite a character, right out of “Good Fellows.” This was quite a party house, with an additional kitchen in the basement for caterers to heat food. A few more details on my tiki bar – the actual bar means business. Beverage refrigerators, a second compressor in the basement, and a vented grill, in case I want to make burgers while I’m mixing drinks!
The room originally had white walls. I didn’t like the sharp contrast between the white walls and terra cotta tiles, it just struck me as wrong. This lead me to Sherwin Williams Invigorate Orange (6886). I’m thrilled with the results. I wanted something warm, enveloping, cozy, and tropical, against the background of the Buffalo snowscape.
The style of the home’s original barstools lead me to the Paul Frankl pretzel style chairs and table. It all came together when I found Florida Bungalow’s ebay Store
> [affiliate link] — with an amazing collection of vintage barkcloth. He has an amazing eye, and it’s been awesome working with him.
I bought the barstools from the original owner. They have been reupholstered in a 50’s MCM take on fatigue modern. The print is called Congo and is a commercial grade silk shantung.
The Frankl chairs are upholstered in an MCM commercial silk shantung called design Yucatan — a marriage between two jungle prints Eames style. Even the boxed sides of the cushions are made from a never used solid green barkcloth with a crazy cosmic metallic gold thread streaming through it…recreating 1955 in current day!
Above: Pillows in 50s dancing palms barkcloth.
Above: The pillows on the bench are called “Pattern Doric” and are a kaleidoscope of abstract shapes that can make you question your sobriety! A barkcloth from 1950 and cut straight off the original bolt…paired with a warm chocolate solid barkcloth.
The table lamp, ashtrays, are all Royal Haeger. The planters are Gainey.
The African masks are from Ivory Coast, purchased in Cape Town.
We think that Margie’s eclectic tiki lounge decor works so well because she mostly kept her color palette controlled — that is — she limited it to a few key colors that she repeated throughout the space. The terra cotta-colored tiles that line the bar and sections of the wall, along with her warm-wood-toned floor and bamboo furniture were her fixed starting points. For this room to work, all of her color choices had to harmonize those elements and in particular with the coppery color of the tile. To start, the orange walls add brightness, but in a rich way and in the same color family. All of these colors are then repeated in her many barkcloth patterns, plus she’s dialed in rich chartreuse green and emerald green — [ red and green are opposites on the color wheel, so work well together ]. Even with a few deviations in this limited color palette — the aqua pottery and yellow planters — the room feels like a unified whole because Margie carefully controlled her palette. Beautifully done, Margie!
Margie, what an inviting space you have made. I love how you mixed in vintage barkcloth, plants and mementos. Thank you for sharing this inspiring space!
Laurie Louise says
Fantastic job! So warm and cozy while simply oozing sophistication. Looks like a wonderful place to curl up or to mingle with the Sixties beautiful people…who surely mingled there back in the day!
Margie says
You just might have! There was a major sale one year ago. There might have been others prior to that.
Thank you all for your lovely comments.
tammyCA says
Love it! My decor wish would be to recreate and live in a ’40s/’50s tropical bungalow. I’m slightly obsessed with ogling Florida bungalow’s eBay store..and, his descriptions & stories are terrific & entertaining.
Laurie Louise says
Florida Bungalow’s eBay store is one of my happy places. I bought a few things there a couple of years ago and became a fan (and friend!) for life. You will not get better customer service anywhere. Brian has been rescuing fabric–literally–for decades. I googled him and found stories about his stepping over drunks in good-motels-gone-bad to save the drapes. He’s the person Michele Mancini chose to take her archive when she closed Full Swing. Needless to say, he’s an expert and a kind and generous spirit who has deep passion for authentic vintage fabric. His descriptions do indeed often turn into delightful stories. (One fabric I bought had been in a movie!) I heart Brian and his gorgeous fabrics! Perhaps a story is in order on The Blog?
pam kueber says
Quote of the week: “I googled him and found stories about his stepping over drunks in good-motels-gone-bad to save the drapes.”
brian says
Laurie I adore you 🙂 more often than not it was the drunks and drug addicts who became the righteous owners of those boarded up buildings…without them I had no one to haggle with or escort me around…they were paid handsomely 🙂 🙂 oh memories…where has time gone…xoxo
Laurie Louise says
Hugs and kisses, Brian! And Pam and Kate, isn’t this just begging for a story? I’d offer to guest it for you if I weren’t so busy teaching first graders everything they need to know but didn’t learn in kindergarten. Pretty please with tropical barkcloth on top?
pam kueber says
yup, i put it on the list
Laurie Louise says
Woo hoo! Can’t wait!
Debbie V. says
Fabulous! And, best of all, the tablecloth is exactly the same one my mother received as a wedding gift in 1951. I’ve never seen another like it. I still have it – in excellent condition, of course, because it was used only on Thanksgiving and very special occasions. Your house makes me very happy!
magnarama says
Debbie, that tablecloth caught my eye too … because I have the exact same one, found on eBay a couple years back. Those colors are woven in, not printed. I love it so much I have it hanging on a wall, and I keep dreaming that some day I’ll paint my all-white refrigerator in that pattern. I’m so glad your comment allows me to date its actual age!
…Maggie
Nikki says
Oh my goodness, what a fabulous space! I just love what you’ve done with it! I also live in Buffalo and must admit – I feel like I may have visited your house in the form of an estate sale a couple of years back!
Mary Elizabeth says
Love your space and what you did with it, Margie! I hope you never have to move again. I especially like that you can show off your collection and glassware and family photos on the glass shelving. Do I see a set of triplets in there???
Margie says
Sharp eyes!
Those triplets are three years old now.
Mary says
Gorgeous! Is that a walkout basement? The full-size windows are unusual for a basement.
Margie says
Mary – This is the “barroom”. The second party kitchen is in the basement, strictly for “the help”.
Ramona Dahl says
Link in article to ebay store not working.
pam kueber says
Fixed it! Thanks for letting me know!
Jay says
I believe that Ralph Kramden uttered “humma humma humma” when rendered speechless.
Miya says
Looks wonderful! The barkcloth is gorgeous! I wanted to know if the leather sling chairs are new or vintage and if new where she purchased them from.
Margie says
The sling chairs are new. Design within Reach.
Barb says
What a fabulous space! Your parties must be something else.
Margie says
LOL!
I’m such a nerd. I only party in my imaginary life!