Dear Jennie,

I do have help for you, Jennie! But first, let's talk about a serious issue---husbands and decorating. Jonathan Adler says that "when it comes to decorating, the wife is always right. Unless the husband is gay." And your cute, charming husband is not that. Luckily, my "hub" has no decor/design aspirations, yet leans toward the mid-century side. I tested him once, stating that I wanted to buy this sofa.

And he said ok. And in that moment, I knew that I had free reign. And I popped a cork to celebrate. His only design stipulation is that this old vintage print with a polynesian theme which once graced his family's "Florida room" must hang over our couch--(I'll discuss this more in a future post entitled "things that may or may not be racist in my home.") What can I say....I'm a lucky woman.

Alas, perhaps more unfortunate than the husband wanting to opine on home design and decor is the issue of not being a mid-century modern enthusiast when you live in a 60s ranch home and can't afford a pricey makeover. What to do?

You are talking about kitchen and bathroom countertops that are affordable and non-retro. I think that is a bit of a paradox, but for the kitchen, you're right on with the butcher block. Butcher block counter tops require some care, however, they look modern and are really useful:
Found here.
Found here.
I just spent a week at my friend Georgia's house. She lives in an awesome 60s ranch home that has an incredible kitchen that is original to the house but looks very modern. Her countertops are a combination of butcher block and stainless steel. It was great to be able to cut limes on the butcher block counter top part when it was Corona time. Very easy! And the original stainless steel countertops just wiped clean and looked great with a nice patina on them. Here are some stainless pics:
Found here. Apartment therapy did some posts on countertops recently that you can read here and a green post here.


If the hub hates formica and laminate (I love them for the price and the color choices and the warmth), you could try Corian. I think this Vetrazzo is interesting.
Found here.
It's the same type of countertop that they have at South Congress Cafe. Kinda pricey, but the bathroom would be a small space. And it's eco friendly.

Things to avoid:
Granite. Everyone has them. They're cold, hard and so tired. Aren't they supposed to cause cancer too?
Tile. Because that grout is hard to clean.

Good luck, Jennie!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Roddy

Design Advice

Dear Mrs. Roddy,

I have a question for you. As you know, I live in a 1969 ranch house that still has the original
60s kitchen (minus wallpaper, flooring) and bathrooms (minus wallpaper). We are talking pumpkin/harvest gold-ish Formica and 1 bathroom sink with a growing rust problem.

My husband, though cute and charming, does not share my love of all things mid-century. And the Formica is making him sad. That's not good.

Can you recommend some counter surface ideas that might update our rooms while keeping a nod to the era of the house? Oh, also something that is affordable? I'm really leaning toward butcher block in the kitchen, FYI.

Thank you so much for your help.

Your friend,

Jennie

Kitchens

[Love the pineapple-topped cake coming out of the bottom oven!]

These photos make me crave my grandmother's chocolate pie. Think I need to dig out that recipe this weekend...

[photos courtesy of flickr]

I'm in love

Up until 10 minutes ago, I had never heard of Kent Coffey furniture. Maybe you know it, but I was unfamiliar with this awesome line. I did a quick search for "retro" in "furniture" on Craigslist and it yielded this GORGEOUS bedroom set! I think it's a steal -- 6 pieces, one owner, pristine condition -- at $800. [Especially when you compare to prices on ebay.]

Someone buy this set today!

Retro Sun Room

From Better Homes and Gardens, July 1962
May your weekend be relaxing and your children be as well behaved as these two appear to be...

Sunday Dinner

Here are some cool pieces from Craigslist for displaying your "good" dishes. Get that pot roast cookin'!


Found here.

Found here.

Found here.

Viva Brasilia!

I'd like to pay tribute to the gorgeous line of furniture created by Broyhill in the '60s called Brasilia. Inspired by the architecture of the city of Brasilia, capital of Brazil, the Brasilia line of furniture was discontinued in the early '70s, but its popularity lives on with mid century enthusiasts everywhere. Thanks to ebay and sites like Brasilia Connection, there are pieces still readily available (though not cheap!) for purchase.

Enjoy some of the current ebay offerings below:

A punch of color...

Via Apartment Therapy (the color "rhubarb" from Benjamin Moore).
Via Desire to Inspire.

What do these prints have in common?

The lovely "Miss Wong" found from Casper James home set here.
"Chinese girl" found here.
Blown up "Lady from the Orient" found here.
"Chinese Girl" from Kim's house (of Desire to Inspire) found here.
"Balinese Girl" found here.
These are all prints from the artist Tretchikoff. Read about him here. These colorful prints epitomized the fascination with all things exotic and "Oriental" in the 1950s. They were mass produced and are readily available on ebay and in thrift stores or at the Tretchikoff website.

Swag-o-rama

Here is a swag lamp round up from ebay.

Dream House, Part 2

That is an awesome house!! Until we win the lottery, here are some things you can buy TODAY to give your home elements of that look (for way less):

Found here:

Found here:

Found here:

Found here:

Found here:

Found here:

Found here:

The House of My Dreams...

may be found here.
If only we were millionaires in LA, we could be poolside already...
This was found via Retro Renovation.

Take a seat, friend

There are lots of great seating options on Craigslist today, from a retro '50s bamboo set to a '60s orange velvet couch. I feel the need to recline already!


There's a matching side table and chair with this set:


I really love this couch -- AND those lamps:

I'm less sure about this one, but something about that mustard color is appealing:

And I'd drive to San Antonio in a heartbeat to buy this gem:

Mid-Week Mid-Century Finds

Found here.

Found here.

Found here.

Here are some fabulous finds from Craigslist yesterday...all ranging in price from $30 - $220. Seems like every day there is something cool to be had there.

Nothing says "I'm cool" like a swag lamp.

It took a long to find the perfect swag.
We thought about this one...

but it was too "bohemian."
We thought about this one...

but it was too "Danish."
And then we found this one on etsy...

and it was just right!
When looking for a swag lamp on ebay or etsy, enter "swag lamp" or "vintage hanging lamp."

We love wood!

From Good Housekeeping, May 1968 found here.

From Betty Pepis Interior Decoration A-Z, 1965, found here.

From Good Housekeeping 1969, found here.

Welwood paneling ad, Life Magazine, 1964, found here.

Estate Sale by William C. Hutton via flickr.