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 And, I want to continue to improve the site as an historical reference around things like steel kitchen cabinets, a longtime passion.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
kelly mckeon says
I have a combination wood and metal St Charles kitchen. Previous owner said it was put in 1970’s. The upper cabinets are wood fronts with a molding that has been air brush painted to match the green metal lowers. It’s not avocado green, more chartruese??? There is a built in blender on the counter and a beautiful china cabinet with bar lights under that light the cabinet through a clear glass panel. Every upper cabinet has a bar light underneath it. I am struggline how to make this work with my intact 1930’s home.
pam kueber says
Hi Kelly, see our category Kitchen Help/Steel Kitchens – we have lots of examples, ideas there, including, as I recall, some cabinets that sound just like yours.
Elisabeth says
I’m tearing my hair out here! We have a 1955 ranch (almost time capsule) house. We need a new refrigerator, but the modern full size French door fridges are too tall for the space. I don’t necessarily need a retro-style (and expensive) fridge, but would like the modern amenities like chilled water, an ice maker and Energy Star cert. Can you recommend any brands and model numbers?
pam kueber says
use the search box, we’ve written several stories with ideas/options
Laura Chan says
Hello Pam,
We have just purchased a 1952 ranch home in Colorado. It has the original kitchen & bathrooms intact. Your blog has been so helpful to me in finding out what we actually have in our new home. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
We are setting about updating the systems (electrics, boiler, roof, exterior eaves paint, etc) and doing some cosmetic updates such as changing the flooring in carpeted rooms.
My question at the moment is what your experience has been with your GE range? Mine is also a push button electric. It turns on & heats up & is super clean. I haven’t used it yet as we’re in a condo at the moment while we make essential repairs to the house. My husband prefers to keep the kitchen cabinets & get all new appliances (he is a keen cook used to high end appliances). I’d like to try & have a start with this range, but it’s a 40inch & if we change the countertops now (they have an area of damage) then we’ll be stuck with finding a replacement 40inch later if something goes wrong. How do you like your oven?
Also, we may replace the 1980s Saltillo tile in the kitchen. Do you have any suggestions?
I’ll send along a photo of my bathroom in another message. One of them is pink & we have two low, all in one toilets that I have not been able to identify yet & would love to find more information on.
Best wishes,
Laura Chan
pam kueber says
Laura, I am fine with my range, but my husband, who likes the control of gas-top burners, dislikes it immensely. I did have it rewired – it works fine as far as I know. If there were a 40″ professional range that wasn’t thousands of dollars and which had the look I wanted, I might switch it out for marital happiness.
There are two 40″ ranges in the U.S. that I know of. I’ve written both up, they are in Kitchen Help/Appliances category. They are the Ilve and the Sears. The Ilve is quite expensive. The Sears is less so – but I am wary of it because a reader said that after just a few years in use the stove needed a part and the part was discontinued, making the stove un-repairable. I tried to connect with Sears PR twice via email to confirm this, but never received a response. So I am wary – if you are interested in this unit, best to talk to Sears to try to get to the bottom of the story.
David says
If the range works well, I’d say keep it, the push-button control ranges seem to be workhorses (there are whole fan sites for them). One of my friends has one the same age as he is and uses it as his daily driver. If it has two ovens, all the better.
You could, if you insist on something “higher end” get a Chambers or something like that in 40″ which is also vintage.
Laura says
Thanks very much for the comments Pam & David. I’m leaning towards keeping the range. I have found another contemporary back-up in case it would fail at some point. Frigidaire has a 40″ electric range in its professional series that looks good, although I don’t know anyone personally who has experience with it. Unfortunately, I don’t have a gas connection where my range is currently sited.
pam kueber says
That Frigidaire model may be the same thing as the Sears…
If you are fine with all-electric, I’d say vintage is a better deal long-term. Better quality.
Lacy says
Hi Pam, I have a wood, “butcher block” style laminate formica table with chrome legs that I love, but I’ve recently begun wondering if I could paint it.
See, I want a 1950s red chrome dinette set. A red one, with a design. The ones I want are hundreds of dollars, of course, but the table I currently have is the perfect shape for what I want and need and I would love to repaint it, if there is a way for me to keep the glossy shine.
I know there is a site that also sells chrome moulding to go around tables but I don’t even know how it would adhere to what I have.
Would you have any suggestions or advice? A link, possibly, to point me in the right direction?
Thanks!
Nan says
Wanted to share this MCM kitchen for sale — $500 — just finished assembling my kitchen or I’d be on it….
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/fuo/4644050240.html
Nancy Long says
I just wanted to share this mid-century modern home that is for sale in Tulsa, OK. What a beauty. http://tulsahomeforsale.net/vintage-mid-century-modern-ranch-midtown-tulsa/
Ed Scheiner says
I need to replace a 1950’s era yellow porcelain soapdish with wash cloth holder. I would be happy to send a piece to you, but do not have a name or address to send it to.
It looks like you probably have exactly what I’m looking for. No one else does.
Please reply!
Ed Scheiner
pam kueber says
Ed, we do not sell anything here. See our Bathroom Help page for where to find these. There’s also a subcategory /Tile and Accessories, stories may be there. Search box also works well… good luck.
Taya Barnett says
Hi. An intruder threw a brick through the window of one of my pink bathrooms circa 1949, and destroyed one of the pink ceramic towel bar. I’ve been looking online but so far no luck. Do you know of more sites where I can look?
Thanks,
Taya Barnett
Carolyn says
So, I am working on my 1952 ranch style home which my family has owned since 1956. In fact, I grew up in this house. I would love to put in new vinyl as the old is just awful, even though it goes really well with my Coca Cola kitchen. I went to my flooring guy, who owns a business that has been in our city even before our tract homes were built. He brought out a 1957 Armstrong flooring book (in mint condition) and started showing me some very cool pictures of the flooring of that time. He then showed me samples from Ivcus Flexitec either Atomic or Planet- exactly what I have been looking for – real retro feel. Just curious. Has anyone else used this brand before? I understand it is commercial quality, which is fine for all of the traffic we have and a dog. Love this blog. BTW, I have found so many 1950’s catalogs of products, while cleaning. My mom was a packrat. 🙂 Too bad I gave away our beautiful modern Danish daybed 25 years ago. Who knew?
Lynne Marchetti says
Hi, Just joining today. I just bought a 1980’s deck house and look forward to redesigning and decorating it. I recently purchased a pair of Laurel Lamp tulip shade floor lamps. My cats knocked one of the lamps over and the glass lamp shade was smashed. Any knowledge of how and where I might find the Laurel Lamp Company catalogs and/or a replacement shade?
Thank you for a wonderful blog site!