A Lustron house for sale — and I spy: a renovated kitchen that includes Retro Renovation® by Wilsonart® Rock ‘n Roll Ruby boomerang laminate countertops. It’s so nice to see this yummy red boomerang countertop in this cute historic house! Thanks to Andrea Kubachko of Urban Durham Realty, who has listed this Lustron house for sale in Durham, N.C., and to photographer Jed Gammon of Jed Gammon Photography for permission to use these photos. And thanks to Virginia, who tipped us to this house via our Facebook page.
Our laminate collection was introduced a little over a year ago. There are seven colorways. Kate and I were super happy with the way Rock ‘n Roll Ruby turned out — these photos make me like it even more.
- How to get samples directly from Wilsonart.
- You can buy the laminate easily from Home Depot.
- Read the launch story with all the details.
Oooh: Look closely at the open wall cabinet — looks like our laminate was used as backing there, too, to give even more pizazz to the dinnerware on display. Great idea!
Over the Facebook page, reader Kelly suggested this was a rare-ish three-bedroom model. We’ve written a wee bit about Lustron houses over the years:
- Lustron house #549 — reconstructed inside the Ohio Historical Society.
- The story of Lustron house #549 — including a 38-page booklet chronicling its disassembly.
Pretty! I will add, I kinda named this one “Ruby” not just because it was red, but also because I knew a Ruby once. She was fun!
Link love:
- Lustron for sale, Durham, N.C.
- Contact realtor Andrea Kubachko
- Thanks for photo permissions from Jed Gammon of Jed Gammon Photography
Karen says
I love reading about Lustron homes, and it seems that the dish/clothes washers were a fun idea but did not work well in real life, and were usually replaced pretty quickly with something that worked better.
Heart says
Pretty “Green” idea if you ask me. It is a sanitize-r after all.
If one could get over the’ mind set’ & perhaps change our laundry habits a bit.
It is a completely innovative euro/small space/green design!
Evan Allen says
I have been looking very fondly at the houses from Fallout 4 (http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/The_House_of_Tomorrow) since it came out, but my only personal experience with this sort of construction has been corner burger joints (https://coredetroit.com/spot/telway-hamburgers/). I wonder how reasonable it would be to buy three or four poor condition houses, repair the components, and rebuild them into a new floor plan to suit me (it’s basically erector set, right?).
Susan Halla says
There are many Lustrons here in St. Louis. In fact, in grad school (I have my Master’s in Historic Preservation) I wrote an entire research paper all about the rise and fall of Lustron.
While I was doing my research over break, I went by a few of the Lustron houses near my home and was taking photographs when one of the homeowners saw me and invited me inside. It was completely untouched – it even had the original washer in the kitchen that did both clothing AND dishes (but not at the same time). (The Thor AutoMagic!)
Lustron was based in Ohio and the Ohio History Museum even has a complete Lustron house on display at the museum. Which just makes me think that my husband and I need to take a trip some weekend….
One last tidbit: one of the most complete residential installations of Lustron was actually at Quantico marine corp base in Virginia. Unfortunately they were demolished in 2007. Sigh….
Pam Kueber says
Woah: The Thor Automagic! I need to research this! See the links in this story to get to my two stories about the Ohio History Museum Lustron.
Kylllikki says
Thanks so much for the blast from the past! I live next door to a Lustron house in Ithaca, NY! And I have since 1964 – so I remember when the kitchen looked like this one – only completely original! (It had that pass through to the dinning room!)
The current owners redid the kitchen & bathroom about 10 years ago, unfortunately, but the rest of the house, inside and out, is original. It is fun to look at the Lustron brass name plaque in the utility area – where there are also lift out panels to get at the plumbing in the walls, a good feature!
Heart says
Hats off to the laminate use Pam!
Also kudos to the stage-r. Well done!
lee says
I meant to post this when you first announced the Retro Renovation laminates here, but congrats on that whole deal with Wilsonart. You know your blog has hit it big when the WORLD’S LARGEST LAMINATE MANUFACTURER wants to co-opt its name and image for their products!
This is one of the better-preserved Lustrons I’ve seen – too many have had the outside and/or inside steel panels covered with something more conventional and less interesting. If not for those panels I’d never have recognized what I was seeing here – I really am only familiar with the common model with the covered porch in the front corner with that cool squiggly pier/downspout. The colonial-style windows are all wrong for this house though. (also, there’s strangely few exterior photos on the realtor’s page).
Do you know if the cabinetry above and below the pass-through to the dining room is original? They look like the real thing to me, radio-dial cabinet pulls and all, but the cabinets on the outside wall are obviously newer. Not many of these still have the original cabinets and even fewer the original appliances, including one that washed both dishes and clothes. I’ve never seen one – i’m guessing homeowners ditched them right after seeing their guests squick out upon learning the tableware they were eating from was washed with their undies.
I’m fascinated by Lustrons though I could never live in one unless it had a basement, something that wasn’t part of the plan but many builders added anyway.
Rich C says
The Thor Automagic washer/dishwasher… where the dishes come out without a wrinkle!!?
I have one and can tell you that they are done in separate tubs. Completely sanitary!!! Lots of fun to watch!!!!
LN says
Is that a pass-through between the kitchen and the dining room? Because some photos show it open and some do not. Just curious.
GlenEllyn says
I think it is a pass-through. If you look carefully at the photo of the dining area that looks toward the kitchen (I think it’s photo #9 on the listing), you can see the stove through the pass-through.
Lynn says
This is cute! I like that your countertops are in the kitchen. If it were mine, I would have more true vintage instead of retro decor, though. Everything looks new and perfect and very white. I guess it’s to appeal to everyone. It’s interesting to see that these pre-fab homes are getting the historical props they deserve. We have many National homes in my neighborhood. They were built for the same reason–to give people quality homes at affordable prices. There were several builders after this time period who gave pre-fab a bad reputation, but the earlier ones were great quality and rock solid. Those in my neighborhood are at least 50+ years old and look fantastic!
Karin says
Lovely kitchen. And what a cheery house. I just looked at the pics of the rest of the house. It’s so very perfectly staged. I’d like to hire the person who decorated it. Great post, thanks.
William R says
This is a mid-century update that truly sings. Flippers should take note of how to do it right.
Of course, with a Lustron, you’re starting with something unique and special.
And yes, those countertops are absolutely smile-worthy!