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Ted wants our help: “I just purchased a house because it spoke to me, only I can’t quite figure out what it is saying yet.”

Pam Kueber - Updated: August 17, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

streamline modern ranch househomeownersTed and Marzie just closed on their “new” 1948 ranch house. But… do we really call it a ranch house, when the facade also has some delicious Streamline Moderne married to it? And… how should they decorate? Ted wants our ideas — and has sent photos to inspire our input. The invitation is out: time for all of us to put out thinking caps on and play decorator-designer!

vintage carstreamline house design
Ted writes:

Hi, I have a problem I’m hoping you and your readers can help me with. I just purchased a house because it spoke to me, only I can’t quite figure out what it is saying yet. It’s giving me mixed messages. The house is a 1948 ranch with the typical long, low horizontal lines of a wide, single story house with a hip roof and big overhangs, combined with the strong vertical lines of a curved glass block and brick Art Deco “Waterfall”, or “Streamline Moderne” entry. So is it a mid-century modern ranch, or is it Art Deco or just plain eclectic? 

curved glass block window wallround entry way foyerglass closet doorsromantic revival door knockerhall waysteel kitchen cabinetsbackyard barbequevintage pink bathroom

Some details have been lost over the years, but some remain like the original pink and blue bathroom, and there was a swinging kitchen door found up in the attic with a round port in it reminiscent of a ship (think Streamline). The bathroom addition to the right with its high, small windows is totally wrong, and the rest of the interior is just plain vanilla post war ranch with its plain, narrow trim and 8′ ceilings. 

kitchen that needs renovation

I have some ideas, many actually, but I’m struggling to come up with a cohesive direction to go with for this house as far as design inside and out. Do I use the remaining original bathroom with its worn tile as my inspiration, and match the new kitchen to it, or do I go with a more modern (1950’s/1960’s) feel throughout? Personally, I’m seeing red countertops and light birch cabinets for the kitchen on the inside, and sunny yellow with bright blue doors and grey trim for the exterior. I admit, I’m typically drawn to Arts & Crafts/Revival houses of the 1930’s with their warm, custom crafted details, so I’m a little out of my element.

I’d love to hear what ideas you and your readers have, including directing me to vendors that might fit the bill.

streamline houseTed, whatever you call it, I love it — thank you for sharing; congratulations; and hooray that this house has made its way into thoughtful hands. And I love your sense of humor. Yes, readers say they listen to their houses, too, and sometimes it even gets… spooky! Okay, readers, here’s your chance:

  • What to call the style of this house?
  • How to remodel in a way that suits the original architecture — kitchen, bathrooms, colors for the exterior, and general ideas welcome!

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255 comments

Comments

  1. Neil says

    The architect/builder must have thrown back a few too many martinis and decided to use his favorite elements from 3 or 4 current styles; all those ones he’d been denied expression for too long.
    But…it’s charming as all get-out.
    I say…forget trying to find it’s category and simply accentuate it’s innate cocktail hour mad-cappery by increasing it’s mid-century beauty, of which is has tons.
    That living room window wants to be a single-pane picture window.
    The garage door Must be replaced with something closer to 1950. The facade, when it steps back to the garage part, looks whacked off, which thwarts it’s ranchy whoosh; build a high wall – curved to complete the lines of the the curved glass blocks – to the edge of the driveway – and turn the corner to the house wall – using some great, square mid-cent decorative blocks.
    Clad the brick front steps and curved brick wall in mid-cent tiles that are compelling but aren’t too loud; ideally square to echo the shapes of the glass bricks (which are fab-u-lous).
    Take down some of the interior walls, such as the one between the entry and the living room, Without making the inside an empty blank box; looks like that original flooring shouldn’t be too hard to match.
    Take the living room ceiling to the rafters, if possible.
    Paint the exterior in some great colors. Replace the grass with a low-water look with succulents and rock.
    Have fun!

    • Diane Miller says

      Neil,

      I LOVE your style! It shows in your colorful writing and awesome suggestions! I wish I could hire you to look at my house!

      Diane 🙂

    • Ted Crocker says

      “…innate cocktail hour mad-cappery…” Love it! The way the garage is situated is weird to me, too. I really like your ideas for a curved wall extended from the house to carry the line.

      Originally I had planned to move the kitchen where the dining room is and open up the entry/living area. Then we were going to build a curved settee along the front room’s glass blocks. The problem is the cost due to load bearing beams, etc. So I came up with a different idea to move the living room to the back where it is not under the hip of the roof and I could open the ceiling up. I’ll post some conceptual images elsewhere.

  2. Joe Felice says

    This house is cutting edge for the ’40s. It definitely shows a move toward the ’50’s style. I would keep the pink bathroom, if at all possible. What is that kitchen in the bottom pic? (There are metal cabinets in an earlier pic.)

    • Ted Crocker says

      The metal cabinets are mounted in the back hall. I was wondering if they were originals and possibly left over from the original kitchen? Obviously, the existing kitchen was done over in 1980’s oak cabinets and they will have to go (probably to the garage).

  3. Cindy Beeman says

    I feel your pain. My 1959 home is halfway in the ’50s (salmon bath) and birch cabinets and beige tile with scalloped wood valance across the soffit over the sink), and halfway in the ’60s (aqua bath, sandstone fireplace, big huge sliders in the living room). We’ve decided for thrift reasons to live with the baths as they are, but replacing the floor to fit the era because it was a Home-Cheapo wrong choice when we bought it. Based on what you so graciously shared in photos, I’d leave your pink and blue bath alone (the tile is loved, not worn?), and make your kitchen go late ’40s in the color scheme with that cornflower blue? bath color incorporated into curtains (red, white and blue with some ?yellow), see if you can keep the cabinet boxes if they are located where you want, and just have new faces put on more fitting with your era. I love your floors and the blocks that let in the light. Can’t wait to hear what you decide on! As Pam says, Love the House You’re In.

  4. Rick G says

    I don’t think I’d worry so much about trying to label it, I think it would be best to think about what room/rooms attracted you to the house in the first place. Was it their colors, or style?….. or both? ….. Use those as the starting point & from there, make a plan that gives you the flow of design & color, to bring it all together. There will be things to eliminate & things to add; don’t allow yourself to be distracted by what previous owners have done – this house has a lot to start with & most changes I see, for my taste; would be easy cosmetic solutions. Look through readers pics here at RR & get a bunch of vintage home mags also for ideas, Perfect project house !!!

    • Ted Crocker says

      We were drawn to the unique architecture – especially the curved glass block walls both inside and out, the generous sized rooms, the bonus area of the breezeway, and the wonderful back yard. I loved the pink and blue bathroom and had intended to restore the shower back to original and look for a pink toilet to match, but sometimes the best laid plans, well, you know… I do also love that this house is a project and challenges my creative side. There are so many directions I could go, but I can only chose one. It’s been really great hearing the ideas from so many.

  5. Renee says

    You need a matching set of a Brandt ranch oak living room! I’d ditch those kitchen cabinets that scream 1980s my 107 year old house has the same and is crying for me to rip them out.
    I love the bathroom colors and I would just restore it so it looks 1950s enjoy your lovely house!
    I just sold my 1955 front to back split to go to my 1910 American foursquare

  6. Joel says

    Haywood-Wakefield (new or old), if you can afford it, is a perfect complement to a late 40’s home.

  7. William R says

    I think it’s great that Ted is being so open with us about his intentions and plans for this house. I haven’t been able to catch up on all the comments, but clearly this house and this project have struck a chord with readers.

    Reversing the orientation of the house will be a challenge. At first I was dismayed at the idea since it violates the original design intent of the building. But when Ted posted the current floor plan, it was clear enough that the “original” idea was basically a series of boxy rooms with little/no character of their own. They could be anything.

    Thus changing their orientation doesn’t violate what essentially wasn’t there to begin with. (Am I rationalizing too much?) Recreating the bathroom tile and spirit shouldn’t be too hard.

    One thought — can the darkness of the entry hall be remedied with a skylight? Breaking through the brick for a porthole window might work, but if it isn’t necessary…

    As for the style, it’s not that unusual in my experience. It’s not commonplace, but there should be other, somewhat similar houses in the Bay Area and Central Valley of California.

    As the original owner/builder was a doctor, I’d look for an office building in town that has some similar characteristics. If one can be found, it may then be possible to track down the architect.

  8. Ted Crocker says

    One of my favorite quotes:

    “Old buildings are not ours. They belong, partly to those who built them, and partly to the generations of Mankind who are to follow us. The dead still have their right in them: that which they labored for…we have no right to obliterate. What we ourselves have built, we are at liberty to throw down. But what other men gave their strength, and wealth, and life to accomplish, their right over it does not pass away with their death.”
    —John Ruskin

    • Elaine Schuster says

      Perfect and is exactly how I feel about my MCM Trad ranch in Florida. The sellers said Granddad built it. We even have Granddad’s furniture that he picked for the house, and the grandfather clock he brought from Philadelphia. Everything we’ve done to the house has been with Granddad in mind. I am sure he would be comfortable with the changes. 🙂

  9. Ted Crocker says

    This is the color scheme we are thinking of going with. Note the added banding to help tie in the horizontal line of the front. Some low, linear hedges (such as box brush) across the front under that banding will further this look.

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BVOfdOLTc809EuVYiVeO2klv61moUby5clDg0yi_q6rtDFnQj6HRTPcaIxqv2u6KDzASvpLuTrSyIZrHFOC-KcuLAzltlCTBkxJl_FniKVexBjo70NcsjdnjF8QmcOs0VX8AvHTlEkTt06aXVUCezfB-_ot2TY1RPWYL44MjrKqGUYyTiX5iydc80jJtqMtKBilCzRfGno4zb3pLuN-C0eRYBbwURD89aiItY0FFC6ZUwL2MuvPnBoG5j-yvXbR2N35JsGbb3BmdEjvpWB-r1z0UGLxzObUNwCOq9wbQNnlXmff12xmwttui-cY45NdTsnEf7c0wQM5Nb8dlLow4xPJjJ_Ac0YS_DUqZov1cjvlIUWBm8_0DwZV1UQyTywgh9xEFkA_z-xBy76kBwxQCs5yc4IQT2JjsMhmRZmAvfJ0sydS9Pv3UHQmS5_FkGxnJA_cJhqV18i7dEu1VsmbveJsTd6pxIOwTb4q6HSg-EP30t0UUpBXpvjpW5HalC9Tw0R1zQW93mWxLPki3nv11bITn5WPkGC6xeO3OqtvMYue93fMzs2r0iQC6XvdiiZTBpSPBRvtVs4S6mA7Pn3PJQwIqSYNxkllOch6UN72U88QFwtY1j9ltOzynoq0dNZUTNkhcHB2tDpH2Jy53VJlDSwWPDDZ4YJj86LcEvGjiXXdmwA=w1229-h948-no

    • Joe Felice says

      Buttercup was a popular color. I would make the band a different color than black, and I would make it wider.

  10. Renee says

    I love the color scheme you were thinking about using in the kitchen. The 40s post war kitchens were very colorful. So I say go with what you like.