7 authentic vintage countertop laminate designs still available today
Are you interested in using an authentic vintage laminate design for your bathroom or kitchen countertop? Over the 12 years I’ve been blogging, so called..
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One-stop shopping guide to finding a Retro Refrigerator
I recently did a bunch of work to create a one-stop shopping guide to finding a retro style refrigerator (or true vintage). << Check it..
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The story of Art and Mary’s Santa & reindeer display — and of the guy who liked them
Gerry — knotty pine salvager — has saved another treasure. This story is just… so wonderful. CategoriesFeatured Holiday
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Elizabeth’s 1965 kitchen before and after — from gloomy … to retrolicious
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..
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Retro Renovating for resale when you already have a quality — but wrong-dated — kitchen
Readers Kate and Tom recently asked how to approach a Retro Renovation of their 1960s kitchen — which was updated by previous owners in 1990s style —..
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Making art from broken vintage costume jewelry — Denise & I share our tips
Making gorgeous one-of-a-kind works of art from broken, vintage costume jewelry is not "difficult" -- but it requires a lot of patience -- a lot of jewelry -- an artful eye -- and the appropriate adhesives.
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Wren & Willow’s little bit of perfection 1940s house remodel: Let’s start with the kitchen
This is exactly the kind of story I was hoping to ultimately see lots of, when I started this blog nine years ago: Contractors …..
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34 designs of breeze block in Jack LeVine’s collection — let’s look at each one
Oh, how the retro world loves breeze blocks. That is: Decorative concrete blocks. No one can know for sure how many designs were made, but..
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Kate’s new Vornado “Vintage” VFans — now available in 4 sizes, 4 colors
Ever since our story about Vornado’s VFANs based on Richard Ten Eyck’s 1945 design, I’ve been pining for one. So when heat and humidity returned to..
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The color pink in bathroom sinks, tubs and toilets — from 1927-1962
Every Retro-Renovation-card carrying reader knows that pink bathrooms were wildly popular in midcentury America — thanks in part to First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, who popularized..
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Still in production after nearly 70 years: Acme Dinettes
Yup, these dinettes are still being made from original tooling that goes back as far as 1949. I have lots of photos -- and where you can find these for sale.
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A foolproof guide to choosing bathroom colors — five steps to success
Do you need to choose colors for your bathroom, but aren’t sure where to start? After our recent miniseries we pulled our methods into an easy-to-scan infographic...
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See Jane design: A vintage style green and pink tile bathroom for her 1939 brick Colonial house
“My architect groaned when I told him I was using pink, but I think he secretly loves it now. It always gets ‘wows’…” We’ve been..
It has been five months since I began work on my built-from-scratch 1955 Betsy McCall DIY Dollhouse -- a project that has been labor of love and one that I didn't realize would take me so long to 'finish.'
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42 historic designs of glitter laminate — from Formica, Textolite, Wilsonart, Nevamar, and more
Back in the day, many manufacturers made and sold versions of glitter laminate. Materials historian Grace Jeffers says that the design was pioneered by Formica —..
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1970s kitchen design — one harvest gold kitchen decorated in 6 distinct ’70s styles
As we like to say here, “There’s more than one way to retro.” This circa-1974 St. Charles Kitchens catalog — just added to my personal collection — proves it,..
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Nanette & Jim’s Mamie pink bathroom — built from scratch — to look like it’s always been there
Nanette and Jim won our 2013 The Hard Way Award for their blue bathroom remodel. Now, this dynamic duo is at it again — this..
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Mike makes a U-Bild Santa and reindeer lawn display from scratch — vintage plans still available today
Reader Mike is wowing his neighborhood — he had a carpenter build and install this U-Bild Santa and reindeer lawn display on his front lawn...
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Dawn creates a classic black and white tile bathroom
Reader Dawn has just finished remodeling the only bathroom in her 1950s home — using readily available black and white tiles to create a crisp and classic..
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Kristen and Paul’s 1940s style aqua and black tile bathroom, built from scratch
When we last heard from Kristen and Paul, the couple had a stash of Daltile Aqua Glow wall tiles stacked in their garage and were eagerly..
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14 Places to Buy or DIY Mid Century Modern Front Doors
You only have one chance to make a good first impression -- and fortunately, there are lots more places to get a midcentury modern style front door today. Yup, more mega research!
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