Vintage catalogs Archives -

Category: Vintage catalogs

Vintage nursery rhyme wallpaper — now reproduced by Bradbury & Bradbury

Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard surely had shelves and drawers wallpapered in whimsical vintage wallpaper -- just like one of these four new/old designs from Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpaper now being reproduced based on original document designs in their archives.

Make a 2020 resolution to: Be Safe and Renovate Safe!

Lead... Asbestos... Electrical, Gas, and Other Fire Safety... Glass Safety... Window Treatment Cord Safety... Latches... Radon... Building, Fire, Plumbing, Electric, Health Code etc. issues...And More. Got your attention? Read more on my Be Safe/Renovate Safe page!

Raymond Loewy, designer of American Kitchens brand steel kitchen cabinets

Raymond Loewy was one of the most important and prolific industrial designers of the 20th Century, so it’s no surprise that he became a contributor..

Hotpoint Aluminum Kitchen Cabinets — introduced in 1948

As part of my continued work on the Encyclopedia, I just published a page on the introduction of Hotpoint aluminum kitchen cabinets in 1948 — rare..

Eljer steel kitchen cabinets from 1955 — I’m now up to 94 brands identified!

I just completed an all-new page for the Encyclopedia on Eljer steel kitchen cabinets. It’s #25 of 94 brands now identified. Yes! 94! >> Get..

1953 Sears steel kitchen cabinets — painted pink — take center stage in Monica’s 900 s.f. cabin kitchen remodel

We love pink kitchens, and we love stories of readers who take a big gulp and dive into their design projects “the hard way” —..

Wilsonart Daisy retro countertop laminate — in Envy and Ice colorways

Deborah loved Wilsonart’s Daisy laminate — a reissue of a 1970s pattern — so much that she used it in two bathroom — one features..

Rare and wonderful vintage Witco hexagonal bar — that opens for storage!

I was in Fort Lauderdale this past weekend for a tiki wedding at the Mai Kai — what fun! While there I made a new..

Vitsoe 620 chair and 621 tables — both designed in 1962 and in production ever since

If I lived like a minimalist, I think I’d get the whole suite: The Vitsoe 620 Chair … and 621 Nesting Tables — both designed..

Anatomy of an original Cinderella bath tub curtain — in Carolyn’s gorgeous 1959 pink bathroom

Do you have a Cinderella bath tub and wonder how, originally, a shower curtain was supposed to work? And what about the shower curtain rod?..

From “tastefully bland” to history-worthy: Steven and John transform their Palm Springs kitchen

The kitchen in Steven and John’s Palm Springs house — designed by midcentury architect Herbert W. Burns — had been pretty nicely updated, albeit, admittedly..

Renovating a midcentury kitchen: 12 key resources to help get you started

Ten years of Retro Renovation, and I have oodles of kitchen renovation research, design and inspiration stories in the archives, including some that feature mega-lists..

Make a 2018 resolution to: Renovate Safe!

Lead — in lots of places Asbestos — in lots of places Electrical and Other Fire Safety Glass Safety Window Treatment Cord Safety Latches Radon..

Home renovation “The Hard Way” — Do you really have what it takes?

Welcoming 2018, here’s the story that is my Retro Renovation new year’s tradition: Sage (haha) advice … err, warning… kind of summing up the bumpy..

Anne Taintor caption contest — my thinking cap is ON

It’s bucket list month, I’ve decided. Remember that time I was a Finalist (!) in the Anne Taintor caption contest? It got pasted up all..

Happy 10th birthday, Retro Renovation!

Yup, today is the 10th birthday of the blog. My first story was, predictably, about a toilet. Over the next few days and weeks, I’ll..

A built-in kitchen banquette and more in today’s Show ‘n Tell

It’s Show ‘n Tell Tuesday (even though it’s Thursday, which makes me laugh and laugh), and today, we get to share vicariously in readers photos..

Open Thread: Retro Renovating with an eye toward resale value: Bringing the 1960s back to a kitchen updated in the 1990s

Here’s a timeless question: Readers Kate and Tom ask how to approach a Retro Renovation of their 1960s kitchen — which was updated by previous..

Happy 9th birthday!

I forget by a day every year — happy birthday to we — we’re nine — yesterday, Oct. 26! That’s like, what — 35 years..

It’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: Be Safe / Renovate Safe!

It’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. I encourage everyone to become super-well-informed about the potential lead hazards in our homes. Anyone in a new-old house..

The new addition to Kate and Jim’s house: Baby Coraline

Several readers have emailed to ask if I could provide an update on our beloved Katiedoodle and her baby on the way. Indeed, there’s good news..

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