Readers and their... Archives -

Category: Readers and their…

Lots of stories and oodles of photos showing real reader home projects.

Kristen and Paul’s midcentury modest Florida getaway

Kristen and Paul are at it again. Winner of 2014 Hard Way Award for their fabulous aqua bathroom, built from scratch, they recently bought a..

Whiskey barrel a Go Go: Inside Trixi and Jon’s retro genius midcentury modest house

After lavishing loads of time-consuming TLC on their adorable midcentury modest ranchalow, two of our favorite Retro Renovators have put their house on the market. Trixi and..

Midcentury modern doors galore inside Mike and Lindsey’s House of Good Taste

We’re in the home stretch of our series chronicling Mike and Lindsey’s Edward Durell Stone ‘House of Good Taste’ remodel. In this seventh installment, the couple..

Mike and Lindsey gut remodel the kitchen in their 1965 midcentury modern house

In this sixth edition of the series, Mike and Lindsey have called on the help of their friends at L&D Construction — the same guys that custom built..

Amy’s 1930s bathroom remodel — classic and elegant

My sister-in-law Amy has a lovely 1930s Tudor house — and exquisite design sensibilities to go with. She recently remodeled the guest bathroom — and..

This house flipper goes retro — with immediate success

We’re now — often painfully — accustomed to house flippers whose first step is to strip charming original features to create a ‘blank slate’ that..

Maile remodels a dark 1970s kitchen into a sunny 1940s delight

Maile’s tiny 1970s galley kitchen was dark, narrow and covered with years of grime — but that didn’t stop her from seeing its potential to be delightful...

Mike and Lindsey’s House of Good Taste renovation — the first unexpected cost

Report #3 on their new Retro Renovation journey While Pam and I were off enjoying ourselves at The Hukilau, Mike and Lindsey were up to..

Amber’s 1961 knotty pine kitchen before and after Retro Renovation

Remember Amber’s pink toilet trafficking antics during her quest to retain the vintage charm in her retro pink bathroom while also meeting current day water usage requirements? Well, she’s..

A family rebuilds and restores a 1953 kitchen to its former glory

Reader Luke’s parents’admired the 1953 ranch home next door to their house for 18 years, and the day it came up for sale, and they..

Mike and Lindsey’s Edward Durell Stone “House of Good Taste”

Their first report on their new Retro Renovation journey Mike and Lindsey — known here as the careful caretakers of two vintage pink bathrooms — have started..

LuRu’s midcentury sci-fi dream kitchen — with art tiles she makes by hand

Reader LuRu, a ceramic artist, has been a lontime a fan of midcentury design in its many forms — from tiki to atomic sci-fi. When it came..

Molly’s cross country kitchen cabinet crusade

“…I knew it’d either be an expensive disappointment or a way cool kitchen with a great story. I’m happy to report, it’s the latter.”Fasten your..

Craig and Mike’s fast and affordable 1952 bathroom remodel

One of the great things about a retro bathroom remodel is that the most appropriate material to use are generally "unpretentious" -- and affordable. Craig and Mike gut-remodeled their 1952 bathroom using basic but colorful 4" ceramic tiles and fixtures from Home Depot and Lowes -- and it looks great!

Meghan and Will’s midcentury modern ‘Jetsons’ kitchen remodel

Take a look back at all of the reader home remodeling stories we’ve covered and you’ll notice one common theme often surfaces: Unless the renovation..

Retro Design Dilemma: Choosing colors for Michaela’s knotty pine kitchen

Reader Michaela needs no convincing when it comes to loving her knotty pine kitchen — yes, knotty is nice! However, she’s at a loss when..

Dave and Fran’s beautiful, functional black and white tile bathroom remodel — 1930s vintage style

Ever since readers Dave and Fran bought their 1938 home, they have wanted to fix up their second story bathroom to complement the original architecture..

Cullen’s vintage Dishmaster kitchen faucet — installed

In 2012, I anointed Cullen Meyer the “Crown Prince of Kitsch,” in amazement at his Brooklyn time capsule apartment, which he has decorated with all..

Decorating ideas to add light to a dark kitchen — Renee’s Retro Design Dilemma

Reader Renee loves her 1956 home because of its many mid-century design details such as the walls of windows and exposed brick. What Renee is..

Sarah’s “super economical” retro kitchen remodel featuring salvaged vintage wood cabinets

Sarah loved the vintage charm of the original kitchen in her 1950 mid century modest home, but after years of service it was looking tired..

Jessica decorates her rental kitchen, adding retro charm to the classic linen and white paint palette

It’s simple but true: Combining white with off-white — be it a soft beige, a yellowy linen, 1960s “bone” or a creamy vanilla — makes..