Yesterday, Elizabeth invited us to weigh in on floor tile choices for her blue bathroom Retro Renovation. Setting up the story, I came across an earlier email that I had let fall through the cracks. She had sent me a photo of her pink kitchen refresh in progress. Good news about the time lapse, though: Her work is now finished — and goodness, wait until you see this transformation!
I asked Elizabeth about the kitchen. (It’s in a different house than the one with blue bathroom.) Following is a lightly edited version of our emails:
Dear Pam:
This house is my 1965 house. It is named Diamond Crest because it has adorable diamond shaped windows on the front side panel. (And because diamonds are a girl’s best friend.) I mentioned I was buying it in that old original article–or maybe in the comments thereafter, I don’t remember now. I bought it in October 2014!!! It’s 99% done now, but it took forever because we would get to doing other stuff. I was reading your recent “The Hard Way” awards, and thought, GEEZ! Even when all you do is throw money at a project, it still ends up being hard! My husband, who is NOT a plumber, had to install the floating toilets because no one else knew how.
It is a darling 1,774 s.f. house and my goal was to change nothing, only restore it to perfection. Plus better.
Diamond Crest had been a rent house and the landlord put in that same beige Mexican style tile that is on every current floor in Texas. I had all of that busted out even though it was brand new because THAT’S NOT MID-MOD. (Luckily the terrazzo entry hall and pink tile bathroom and mint green tile bathroom floors were left intact.)
Elizabeth shared the resources she used:
So for the kitchen and adjoining laundry room floor, I found something from the Azrock Collection: Cortina Grande Solid Vinyl Tile in the colorway “Kink”.
The laminate is Abet Laminati Rosa Crazy Horse. It replaced beige (possibly original) beat-up laminate. It was not easy finding pink floors and pink countertops, let me tell you.
The kitchen light is a Saturn Three Light Crystal Drum Foyer Pendant that I bought online from AllModern. [Pam here: Tried to find it, seems discontinued.]
But it was easy enough finding pink appliances, of course —Big Chill!)
And she continued:
The construction is 100% complete. I put in adorable pink window shades because I know it will take me forever and a day to find the fabulous floral pinch-pleat draperies I want. I bought a $5 t-shirt from WalMart about four years ago and IT has the exact pattern I would love on it! I’m never going to give that shirt away! Think Dorothy Draper, I guess. Also, I still need to curate the place with décor. I get busy with other stuff, and it just sits there for a while.
But you have heard much more than you bargained for. Do know that every single purchase was made in consultation with retrorenovation-com-staging.enwf9w61-liquidwebsites.com! (And that was a lot of purchases!) So you were my constant companion through this, even though you didn’t know it!
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Yowza! Thank you, Elizabeth. I simply cannot imagine being unhappy in this kitchen!!!
More stories about Elizabeth (shown above, from our 2014 story) and her other projects:
Jennifer says
I love this!!!!!!! Those appliances and the floor are amazingly gorgeous. I love pink!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thank you, Jennifer! Pink lovers unite!
Ginny says
What is a day house? Like a pied a terre?
Elizabeth from Texas says
Dear Ginny, “day house” is a term I coined for a house to which I could go work when my husband was overrunning our ranch house with employees and business etc.
Pied a terre is not a term that Burnet, Texas, girls know how to use, lol!!
Cindy says
Oh my!! That is FANTASTIC!!! 🙂
Elizabeth from Texas says
I’m glad you like it, Cindy! Thanks!
Heather says
This kitchen took my breath away–in a good way! Amazing!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thank you, Heather!!
Liza says
Yes – not sure what a “day house” is either. And what does she mean that her husband “doesn’t go there” — is this her own house for just her?
Elizabeth from Texas says
A “day house” is where you go to get work done when your husband has overrun your home on the ranch with employees and business etc.
Kate says
Wow! Just gorgeous! And so happy and fresh! Now I want a pink kitchen!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thanks, Kate! You definitely need one to match your awesome pink bathroom!
Debbie in Portland says
I am not a “pink girl”, either, but this is such a sparkly-bright-happy kitchen! I love Elizabeth’s commitment to the color and appreciate the time and effort it took to find exactly what she wanted. Love the pops of “Coca Cola Red”, too.
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thank you, Debbie! My mom who passed away last year loved and collected Coca Cola stuff! So those red pops of color are for her! (Heck, some of it was her stuff!)
Cindi says
Any chance this house if for rent or Air BNB?!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Cindi, thanks for asking! This house is in a small town in central Texas. As much as I adore the town, I don’t think other people would much want to come visit, haha!! Let’s just say it’s not a typical tourist destination…
CarolK says
The “after” kitchen positively glows! Elizabeth reminds me a bit of that interior designer on the TV show “For You Home”, but that woman would never so something so bold and colorful as bland could be that woman’s middle name. Great renovation!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thank you, Carol! I googled her; we do resemble! Except now I grew my hair out and got crazy 1960’s glasses from Shuron.com (made in USA). I figure my glasses needed to be from the same decade as my kitchen!
Joe says
Beautiful and thoughtful vintage “remodel”! Instantly brings back memories of absolutely the nicest midcentury suburban development home I’ve ever been in! The lady of the house specified to the developer that SHE was deciding what HE put into the house, and did she have fantastic style. The massive laundry/kitchen/informal dining area stretch across the entire back of the 6 bedroom/7 bath contemporary colonial. Everything from paint to floor covering was pink. She popped everything with stainless and chrome accessories.
Enjoy your new kitchen! Good job!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thank you, Joe! I’m sure we’d all like to travel back in time and see that house you remember; it sounds awesome!!