Welcome to Retro Renovation® — your regular dose of mid century and vintage renovation and decorating resources… design inspiration… fun finds… and an archive of stories from an enthusiastic community of people all interested in cherishing their mid century and older homes.
Our focus here, first and foremost, is to help you find the products and sources you need to help remodel, renovate and decorate your house in authentic mid century style. We feature some sources for pre-war and post-modern homes as well. We’re here to help you get the job done — doing the research so you don’t have to.
Note: After 15 years — 3,000 stories! — this site has entered a new stage. Today, my focus is working to keep existing resource stories up to date so the site remains a solid reference. And, I want to continue to improve the site as an historical reference around things like steel kitchen cabinets, a longtime passion. To make time, I don’t blog as much, and comments are closed.
How can you make the most of the blog and its archive of 3,000+ stories about resources & inspiration:
- Dive into all our categories (in the navigation along the top of the page) and you will see, we have lots of research into all the products you might need to remodel and decorate. Along the way, we have lotsa other fun, too — always showing great gratitude and respect for the houses — and their owners — who came before us.
- And, important for anyone taking on an older home:
Renovating, remodeling and living in our midcentury and vintage homes can be gratifying, but please always remember, there can be safety and environmental hazards in the surfaces, layers, materials and products in our homes. Anything old, even New Old Stock, that you buy also may have issues. We all care very much about managing safety and environmental issues properly, so when moving into a home … when undertaking cleaning, repair, remodeling or restoration projects … or when adding old materials (salvaged, used, new old stock, etc.)… be sure to get with your own properly licensed professionals to determine what you are dealing with/working with so that you can make informed decisions how to handle, become familiar with and use recommended best practices, and also learn about the proper disposal of debris, etc. Read more: See our Be Safe / Renovate Safe page … the EPA hosts a website on lead paint in the home and a website on asbestos in the home, etc. Consult professionals regarding these materials, and also about the proper disposal of debris, etc.
<– I’m Pam Kueber. That’s me with my crazy wallpaper office … that’s my kitchen above — and this my blog, oh I luv it so. Doing all the research to find products to backdate my 1951 colonial-ranch house in Lenox, Mass., is what got me into this online escapade. In the course of my endless hunt to find products and design ideas sympathetic to my house’s undeniable mid-century bones, I got…. obsessed… I learned a lot… and I figured, why not share all my finds with other folks undertaking the same journey. And now – you have arrived!
This blog has lots about *modest, mid-century, middle-class* homes — ranches, Capes, Colonials, split-levels, contemporaries, bungalows. I also write about sleek *mid-century modern homes*… I love them all, but admit that I tend to worry more about the modest homes (themselves full of charm) being at more serious risk of being gutted, with regrets to follow later. Interestingly, both mid-century modern and mid-century modest homes shared many of the same technological features and design cues (like pink bathrooms) inside. For further info see my Mid-Century Modest Manifesto and my micro-site SaveThePinkBathrooms.com.
What’s covered here? Well: The design aesthetic of retro interiors, exteriors, culture, people, steel kitchen cabinets, colors, pink kitchens, pink bathrooms, hudee rings, pecky cypress, illustrations with people playing accordians, wallpaper, pinch pleat curtains, mint-in-box items — and readers’ fabulous jewel box houses, too. Get ready to be sucked into the retro vortex.
More info:
Above: As featured in the New York Times — yup, read all about our escapades in this 2,200-word feature story that appeared on p.1 of the Home & Garden section on Aug. 18, 2011.
Fast forward 10 years and another New York Times story called me “…the godmother of midcentury kitchens and baths, steering a new generation of homeowners to the four-inch square tiles that dominated homes for decades.” teehee
Oh, and here’s me showing off one of my office remodel. My friend Denise and I pasted about 200 squares of vintage wallpaper on the four walls, creating a crazy patchwork quilt (note: there is method in this madness) of 18 different designs of wallpaper. We celebrated by getting all Love American Style Gothic with the photo.
Hey, see me talkin’ about Mid Century Modest in this etsy.com video:
Press Coverage
2018 … I kinda stopped keeping track
2017
- Wall Street Journal: Big story on time capsule houses. I am the “subject matter expert.”
- Washington Post: Hey, we got a shout out!
2015-2016…
- HGTV.com: In Defense of Pink Bathrooms — A Q&A with me
- Chronicle TV: Big story on my house and my kitchen and the Retro Renovation Revolution!
- Washington Post: The TV-watching public’s long love affair with tray tables
- The Times of London: Something is happening in smart bathrooms — Designers say pink is back after a long absence.
- WFMJ-TV: Effort to Bring Back 1948 Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets
- Ummm: I got out of the habit of updating press coverage of the blog…. I’ll work on it again at some point… maybe.
2014
- New York Times: “When Blogging Becomes a Slog” (but not for me — I am the wise old owl)
- Huffington Post: The 10 Best Renovation Websites for Living out your Dream Home Fantasies.
- Der Standard newspaper profiled the blog. It was in German, so I’m not sure what it said. But I asked on Facebook, and a reader told me it said that, “You are now as loved as David Hasselhof in Germany.”
2013
- Fixing to Die: Retro Renovation® and a reader remodel featured on the blog inspired the setting and story line for Elaine Viets’ “restoration comedy” murder mystery, Fixing to Die. The book debuted #9 on the Barnes & Noble paperback list.
- Yankee Magazine: Six-page story in Sept./Oct. issue — 1.7 million readers! — about the blog and my house. “Fifties and Fabulous.”
- Globe and Mail: Loud and proud 1970s chalet
- Columbus Post-Dispatch: Back to the bones: Restoring ’50s homes
- California Home + Design: Celebrating Midcentury Modest
2012
- Ft. Lauderdale Magazine: Midcentury Modern Architecture Makes a Comeback
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Vintage Vibe
- Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator: Kitchens Cook Down Memory Lane
- msn.com: What we can learn from 1970s homess
- The Daily Mail (London) online: Give your Home the Mad Men Look! How one blogger inspires retro renovating tips.
- Blog Aids in Renovation of ‘Mid-Century Modest’ Homes. Nationally syndicated story appeared in newspapers including:
- Akron Beacon Journal
- Seattle Times
- Miami Herald
- Detroit Free Press (twice!)
- Palm Springs Desert Sun
- San Antonio Express
- Baltimore Sun
- Kansas City Star
- Toledo Blade
- Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
- Ogden (UT) Standard-Examiner
- canada.com
- …and more.
Summer 2011
- New York Times 2,200-word profile about Retro Renovation and its readers: Restoring the Retro House
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch — Preserve the Pink (bathroom)
- msn.com — New Respect for the Ranch House
- Portland (Oregon) Monthly Magazine Online — Sofa Shopping
- The Oregonian/Oregon Live — The Retro Queen
Feb 2011
Jan 2011
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Bathrooms Still In the Pink
- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Name that Home Fad
December 2010
October 2010
- AP interviews Pam for story, Used Building Materials a Hit Among Home Owners, that runs in news outlets nationwide.
August 2010
- Arizona Daily Star: That 50s Tile with Style
- Home is a Four-Letter Word: Penny Pinching with the Stars
- Home is a Four-Letter Word: Lovin’ the 50s
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
- Etsy.com video profile.
January 2010
- Knoxville News – Maribeth’s 1970s retro renovation
- Finalist and 4th place winner in Apartment Therapy’s annual contest to name the best home design blog of 2009
June 2009
April 2009
March 2009
- Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard on retro revival and home show talks
- Our tour of the St. Louis 1995 time capsule home covered by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- Desert Living Magazine
Dec. 3, 2008
- Pam talks with the National Kitchen & Bath Association about retro kitchen design popularity
Sept. 29, 2008
March 2008
- Pam’s kitchen on Apartment Therapy
Winter 2008
Fall 2007
November 8, 2007 — News Release, PRWeb
Thanks and Credits: Many thanks to the many folks who have helped, and continue to help, make this blog possible. Including:
- The rockin’ readers who help feed the blog day in and day out with their tips and projects!
- All the advertisers who make doing this work fulltime possible.
- Margaret Roach, for all your support. AwayToGarden.com, Margaret Roach Media.
- Brad and all the Webdev and Maintainn team, for keeping the online bogeybots at bay. WebDevStudios.
- Erica Berger, for making me look good. Erica Berger Photography.
- Kit Latham, for helping me get into the dot.com world. KitLatham.com.
- Suzy Massey, for design support. PhoenixMassey Studio.
- WordPress, for a great blogging platform that has made it possible for so many new voices to find their communities. wordpress.com
Pearl says
What a FUNtastic and inspirational site you have here. I stumbled upon it while researching retro kitchens and am so excited! I work for a non-profit in Baltimore, MD that shares your passion for preservation and love of fabulous things from the past (please check out our site if you want… though I personally feel it doesn’t fully reflect our spirit and what we do). I so look forward to digging in and seeing what I can learn from you. What an awesome resource… Thank you!
Your new fan,
Pearl
pam kueber says
Thank you, Pearl, for your nice comments – and welcome!
Taya Barnett says
Pam,
Looks like World of Tile in NJ is hooking me up with the exact same towel bars. Thank you so much! Your site enabled me to find World of Tile and the replacement pink towel bar!
pam kueber says
yay!!!
Linda Gallo says
I have nearly perfect a collection of pink GE stoves wall refrigerator dish washer ,stand up refrigerator ,double pink farm kitchen sink , freezer I could go on and on. I am forced to sell because of my husbands illness. They are all in a storage unit in RI. They are mostly GE. What would you suggest to selling them? Thank you Linda Gallo
pam kueber says
So sorry to hear about your husband’s illness, Linda. In terms of selling these, I tend to think that craigslist is the best option for large items. Good luck with all.
Eileen Herlihy says
I am looking for ideas for track lighting. Although not typical to MCM houses, that seems to be the best solution for task lighting and using lamps for more mood and decorative lighting. I have no attic space for canned/recessed lighting. I have a great long beam in an A-frame type great room. Anyone have leads on track lighting that might have a 60’s vibe? I have been scouring websites and not turned much up yet. Your help would be wonderful!
Cindy Taylor says
My Mom just bought a 1972 home with a blue bathroom. All the fixtures are perfect except for the sink it is cracked. I can not find a manufacturer or color number on the fixture. She would like to replace the sink. It is 19 1/2 inch oval in blue with two faucet handles. The profile of the sink is about 1 inch higher in the back of the sink near the faucet handles. Do any pro’s have any suggestions?
Thanks
pam kueber says
See our category: Bathrooms / Sinks & Faucets. All our known resources are there….
Anne says
Love your site – a delicious feast for the eyes. I don’t have a mid-century home – just yet, but I am mid-century in age – that has to count for something, right?
I am obsessed and planning my dream home renovation
pam kueber says
Welcome!
Terry Cronin says
I have a company that does demolition sales almost every weekend. Many of the homes that we do that have good reusable materials like the one this weekend in Glencoe Illinois. I also have a 25,000 s.f. warehouse that I sell items out of. I seeking your help to move these items, I price to sell, not to get rich off of it. You can go to my website: http://demo-pro.com. to sell the sales and the warehouse. You can contact by phone at: 630-880-6328.
Terry Cronin
Warehouse is called ReUse Depot in Bellwood Illinois, just 9 miles west of Chicago.
I’ve been following your website for years and give it out quite often.
Keep up the great work.
pam kueber says
Wow! Thanks! Looks like you have a great resource!
David says
Terry, are you the guys who used to have the Reuse warehouse on 55th Street in like Countryside who were once featured on Wild Chicago? If you are, I highly recommend a visit – I got some fabulous mid-century lighting there many years ago and reasonably priced too.
Alison says
I am seriously considering making an offer on a diamond in the rough – a 3 bedroom 2 bath 1939 split level being sold by the original owner. The house is bad shape. My goal is to restore the home and modernize it. Any idea in your experience what the restoration costs typically are?
pam kueber says
Hi Alison, it all depends. Homeownership can contain lots of surprise costs. Here, for example, is the second of two reality-check stories we did: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/09/18/owning-home-reality-check-140-real-life-stories-expensive-home-repairs/
The link to the first of these two stories is in the opening sentence…
Michael Colter says
Hello and thanks for all you do on Retro and Pink! I am a single guy, owner of a sprawling 1950 ranch that I bought with nearly no updates ever! I have a pink bath, moonglo formica in the kitchen, mahogany and knotty pine paneling, quite a bit to work with. Already some work has been done (hardwood floors, new windows etc). I hope I’ve not made any blunders along the way and could really use some decorating help. Currently having to replace a kitchen sink and I’ve located the Delafield which is an exact replacement of the original. I am also a photographer so feel I could give back to your site by documenting the changes as they are made. What is the best manner to become a ‘time capsule’ or ‘renovation asking for design tips’? Thanks!
pam kueber says
Hi Michael, Welcome! Your house sounds wonderful. You can submit your questions as a Retro Design Dilemma here: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/07/17/do-you-have-a-retro-design-dilemma-ask-us/
Schelby says
I started following you on Facebook a month or two ago and always look forward to seeing your posts. My favorites are the “Before and Afters.” I also enjoyed your Etsy video (above) and have found myself pondering some of the points you make. Anything that keeps the brain operating in a creative, imagining mode has gotta be great!
pam kueber says
Well, welcome, Schelby!!!
Melinda Green says
Hi Pam,
I’m building, starting a kitchen from scratch. Sounds kinda weird, but I’m going for a 50s-70s vibe – I’m not trying to be authentic to a specific time or look, I’m just trying to reuse things that appeal to my aesthetics. My design jumping off place has been Pyrex “Friendship” pattern. Our house is designed to look as though it was built in sections over time (New England “big house, little house, back house barn” inspired) so I don’t care if the appliances are from different eras – I just don’t want any cheap plastic appliances with lame digital bells and whistles. Anyway…
I’m looking for a kitchen faucet that I would describe as from the 1970s: a single handle faucet with that ridgy acrylic base from that era. The handle came up from under the acrylic base and then bent at the top where you would lift it with your finger to control the faucet. Lifting up on the handle controlled the pressure/flow, and rotating left to right controlled the temperature. Is this ringing a bell? I’ve been google image searching and not finding anything… Thanks for any ideas/leads you have.
Thanks,
Melinda
pam kueber says
Nope, not ringing any of my bells….
Melinda Green says
Well how’s this for serendipity? Found one – on exactly the 50s sink I’m looking for! Hoping I am the lucky craigslist buyer… Like I said, not going for authentic to a particular period, but piecing together from my own nostalgia.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/546131892284975472/