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 And, I want to continue to improve the site as an historical reference around things like steel kitchen cabinets, a longtime passion.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
Martha Chesser says
We are living in a 1938 hay barn which is in the late stages of renovation. I’m not trying to stay “1938” because the folks who settled this cimmunity had all sorts of updates to their homes. I want to blend what the farm families of this community had through the years. I found a kitchen sink at a junk yard that I fell in love with. I also have an advertisement for it from an April 1951 BH&G magazine. It is Crane Counter-Top Sink (5-124). The faucet, handles,and lines need to be replaced. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might find them? Looking forward to hearing from you.
Martha
pam kueber says
Hi Martha, the best source for help that we have found for vintage Crane is: deabath.com. Tell ’em we sent you….Good luck. Your project sounds great! Send me pics when you are ready for prime time. retrorenovation [at] gmail [dot] com.
Chuck E. says
Hi Pam,
I love your website, and have been checking out the posts since about July. I recently purchased a 1973 ranch style house in Arlington, TX, and have been taking advice from your site on the renovation. Basically, I’ve been looking at the websites and links you have posted here, as well as magazine’s like Look and Life, and any “Googie” material. The goal is to turn the 70’s into the 50’s. I’ve managed to get through the kitchen (avacado), the living area, and the main bathroom. That just leaves three bedrooms. I’d love to send you pics to see what you think so far.
Thanks much for the ideas!
Your reader,
Chuck E. McClelland
pam kueber says
Hi, Chuck, it’s so great to hear from you and get you out of “lurker” status! I’ll send you a separate email so that you can send photos. How exciting!!
Kathy Ressler says
Do any of you have oversized windows in your kitchens? My 1960 kitchen has a huge window near the eating area. This doesn’t give alot of privacy but sure does let in the sunlight.
I just wondered what type of curtain people use – instead of a blind.
pam kueber says
Hi Kathy – take a look at these posts, I think cafe curtains with a valance might be in order?: https://retrorenovation.com/?s=cafe+curtains
Kathy Ressler says
There are alot of Carr Kitchens around here. They came from Indiana. I used to be able to find some info on them but no more. Many people have painted the cabinets; mine because of age (and cooking) are a nice honey color. I have some scratches from my schipperkes but I love the cabinets. They are made better than most new ones. I have the typical curved countertop which gives me more space to roll the dough; blue with metal edging. My dad was a contractor after WW2 and built houses all over the city.
tracy says
Oh my gosh how I love your kitchen.
pam kueber says
Thank you, Tracy!
Keith Tabor says
I have a friend that’s looking to match this linoleum(below) for her kitchen. Does anyone know if it is still in existence.Thanks
‘armstrong embossed inlaid linoleum antique brick 5352 red’
pam kueber says
Keith, that pattern is no longer made. See my Flooring page for current-day options with the retro feel. My personal fave, which I used in my kitchen, is Azrock Cortina Autumn Haze.
George Comitos says
Recently contacted Pam, and now following up from a few months ago.
I found a 1959 GE turquoise range sitting in a garbage heap in San Francisco’s Mission District. Yes, this little gem was waiting for the dump truck, so I knocked on the door of the house, in front of which there was the stove. The elderly woman that answered the door allowed me to take the soiled oven, so I whipped into a clothing shop nearby and looked-up a hauler on Craigslist. I had the stove transported to my mid-century bungalow in the East Bay, and restored the stove.
After a little help from Johnny’s in Sonoma (he restores such stoves and has a fabulous showroom on S.R. 29, just outside of the City of Sonoma); mailing the stove clock to Stove Clock Repair in Grove, OK (www.stoveclockrepair.com – he’s excellent, in-expensive, and quick, and let me tell you, the stove clock runs suberbly after its repair); and a fair amount of elbow grease to rid the stove of years – a half century – of caked-on grease, the stove is a beauty. It is the envy of our little neighborhood.
And, I found the matching GE turqoise wall oven. A gentleman and his wife purchased an Eichler knock-off on the border of the cities of Mountain View and Palo Alto in the San Francisco Bay Area. They were in the process of ripping out the beautiful 1950s appliances and bathroom to replace it with today’s all-to-common Home Depot replacements – yuk! At least the couple had enough sense to list the appliances for sale on Craigslist. I drove over and purchased the wall oven for approx. $100 – beautiful turquoise color, and in absolute mint condition. The house had no children, and its former owners seldom cooked at home. That oven goes into my kitchen wall this month, surrounded by white=painted brick 🙂
Anyhow, if you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and have some time, two noteworthy Eichler-home areas are located in: The City of Walnut Creek, at Ygnacio Valley Rd., at its intersection with San Carlos Ave., and in the City of Palo Alto, at its boarder with The City of Mountain View. The roads are named after Calfiornia Counties, and locals know what you mean if you tell them “The County-Named” avenues. They are: Lassen Avenue, and etc., north of the Central Expressway, east of San Antonio Avenue, west of Rengstorff Avenue, and south of Middlefield Road. You’ll have a nice time looking at these 1950s homes. They’re really spectacular, and some owners have preserved the original look/facade.
I am e-mailing Pam the photos of the restored stove. Just need her e-mail on where to forward the photos. The stove has really added life to my already mid-century home.
Take care!
Pam Kueber says
Hi George. So sorry if I have not responded to your previous email. I am just generally overwhelmed – no better excuse than than. Send me the photos at: retrorenovation at gmail dot com. I look forward to getting them. And stay tuned – there will likely be a meetup when I am in San Francisco the week of April 20. We’re thinking: Tiki Bar.
sablemable says
Don’t know how I missed this! Great, wonderful, fantastic job on your kitchen, Pam! Love the turquoise! And I see you have a classic pull-down light. They are so beautiful and unique.
RetroRuth says
Yup, that’s me! Finally brave enough to leave comments on posts…. 🙂
RetroRuth says
Your kitchen is so great, and such an inspiration! You have no idea how relieved I was to find this blog and all the information in it when we purchased our house two months ago. I had no idea that there were others like us, wanted to preserve rather than tear out. You should have a show on HGTV!
Pam Kueber says
You’re so sweet, Ruth. Are you the same Ruth on flickr? If so – your kitchen is pretty rockin’ too!