Mid-Century Living

The Cliff May Mondavi Estate

2011-12-28T14:08:00.007-07:00

One of the big local news stories that I've been keeping tabs on this year is the selling and buying of the beautiful Cliff May designed Mondavi Estate here in the Napa Valley. Cliff May was a west coast based architect best known for being the "Father of the California Ranch House." My own home has elements of Cliff May's design ideas and May's influence can be seen all around Napa. He designed one of the most amazing wineries in the area for Robert Mondavi in 1966 and he also designed the Mondovai's home in the '70s.

The spectacular Mondavi Estate was just sold at auction where the starting bid was $13.9 million dollars. I don't know who the lucky well-heeled new owner is but I hope they appreciate May's design and preserve the home's original style. Below are some photos of the Mondavi estate along with a video highlighting the natural beauty of the Napa Valley and Cliff May's design.

Mondavi Estate from Sheldon Good and Company on Vimeo
Recommended Links:
- Mondavi Estate Auction Site
- Napa newspaper article about the Mondavi Estate auction
- Official site of the Mondovi Winery
- Cliff May, The Father of the California Ranch Home

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Modern Christmas Tree Mobiles

2011-12-20T00:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Holidays! I recently picked up a vintage holiday craft book called Christmas Magic by Margaret Perry, which was originally published in 1964. Inside there are lots of fun & creative ideas for holiday themed crafts. Some of my favorite projects in the book are these modern style Christmas tree mobiles (or 'mobile Christmas cards') that you can make out of construction paper or any pliable materials you like depending on how durable you want them to be. I thought I'd share the instructions, which should appeal to anyone trying to decorate their home with some mid-century style holiday cheer.

Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter

2011-12-16T12:22:00.001-07:00

The new documentary, Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter premieres nationally Monday, December 19th on PBS - American Masters. If you didn't have a chance to see it in theaters this year, this is your opportunity to catch it on TV. More information about the film can be found at the PBS website.

Watch Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter on PBS. See more from American Masters.

Ice Cube on Eames

2011-12-08T18:50:00.002-07:00

In case you haven't heard, Southern California is currently playing host to Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980. This ambitious six-month long exhibition celebrating mid-century design and post war art opened in late September and runs through March 2012. More than 60 institutions in Southern California are participating in the event, which will also include a ten-day Performance and Public Art Festival in January. Their latest promotional video features rap artist Ice Cube (confession time - I think 'Straight Outta Compton' is one of the best records of the '80s) who briefly talks about studying architecture drafting before he turned his attention to music and discusses L.A. landmarks. Ice Cube's sincere appreciation for the design of Ray and Charles Eames is apparent in this great video.

If you happen to live in Southern California or are planning to visit there soon stop by the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980 website for information on where you can see some of the exhibits and attend events.

Brighten Your Life With Colors You Like

2011-11-28T22:52:00.002-07:00

A few months ago I picked up a great little book that was published by Pittsburgh Paints in 1962. It goes into great detail about how to use color schemes in your home, how to choose paint colors, etc. and it's been an eye-opening read. It's changing the way we're using color in our place, which I plan to write about in more detail soon but in the meantime I thought I'd share a few of my favorite images from 'Brighten Your Life With Colors You Like.'

Happy Thanksgiving - 1963 Style!

2011-11-23T13:04:00.004-07:00

In November of 1963 most of America was in mourning. President John F. Kennedy had just been assassinated and thoughtful citizens around the country were in a state of shock. People were undoubtedly trying to understand what exactly had happened in Dallas on November 22 and how it would effect their world. But families still gathered together and cooked meals.

Above you'll find some Kellogg stuffing recipes and Turkey cooking tips (click on the image to see it full size) taken from a 1963 issue of LIFE magazine. They suggest you use Kellogg's Croutettes, which I don't think are being made anymore but obviously you can substitute them with other types of croutons or bread cubes.

1963 isn't a year that a lot of people would like to remember but I think it's interesting to look back and see what people might have ate during that bleak November. This November there is obviously a lot of unrest and uncertainty in the country once again but I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're all able to enjoy a good meal with family and friends.

Movie: The Love Machine (1971)

2011-11-04T00:37:00.001-06:00

I just reviewed a film called THE LOVE MACHINE (1971) for TCM that was recently released on DVD and I couldn't resist sharing a few screen grabs here. The film has some great interiors that I know a lot of vintage furniture and design enthusiasts will love. It's based on a novel by the best-selling author Jacqueline Susann who's best remembered today for writing "Valley of the Dolls." I spotted some Burke chairs in the film that were inspired by Eero Saarinen designs for Knoll as well as some nice glass tables, op art wallpaper, etc. If you're interested you can find my review of the film at TCM's blog, The Movie Morlocks. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the images!

1958 Halloween Costumes

2011-10-28T16:31:00.001-06:00

I recently came across these great ads for Halloween costumes in a Sears catalog from 1958 and had to share. Click on the images to see the full size versions. Love that robot and space "Satellite Joe" man!

Halloween Apples

2011-10-16T19:50:00.000-06:00

Found these old recipes in a copy of the Better Homes & Gardens "Cookies and Candies" book originally published in 1966 and wanted to share them. I haven't tried these recipes myself yet but caramel & candy apples were one of my favorite things to eat on Halloween night when I was a kid. Enjoy!

Mod Macabre @ Cinebeats Oct. 1-31

2011-10-06T23:41:00.001-06:00

This month I'm participating in the "Countdown to Halloween" blogathon over at my film blog Cinebeats with a little celebration I'm calling Mod Macabre. I thought I'd let Mid-Century Living readers know in case they're looking for some Halloween viewing suggestions or just want to enjoy some vintage Halloween inspired fun.

Hope to update here soon too but I was in a car accident a few weeks ago and it's kind of thrown a wrench into my blogging plans. In the meantime please feel free to stop by Cinebeats anytime and you can also find me on Twitter & Facebook.

Summer Thrift Shop Finds

2011-08-26T17:39:00.001-06:00

Apologies for the lack of updates lately. I've been working a lot and haven't had much free time for blogging. Hopefully I'll find the time to update more soon but I thought I'd share a few of my favorite thrift shop/estate sale purchases from the past couple of months.

Resin Owl by Sascha Brastoff (1960s)

New old stock Samsonite Silhouette Luggage Set (1960)

New old stock Westinghouse Toaster (60s)

Vintage Eero Saarinen table by Knoll (owl & coasters were also thrift store finds)

Rejuvenation's Spektr Light

2011-07-05T20:04:00.000-06:00

Over the July 4th weekend we installed our first Spektr Light from Rejuvenation. We plan to install two more in our entry way and hallway. We had been spending a lot of time and energy trying to find matching vintage lights but the prices are often just as high or even more for quality lighting. It's also hard to find multiple matching lights in good condition. To make matters worse, we've had lots of problems with the old electrical wiring in our home and we're nervous about using older lights due to possible fire hazards. Lastly, we appreciate Rejuvenation's commitment to authenticity and energy efficiency so we're really happy with our decision to purchase lighting from them.

Rejuvenation's Hourglass line is absolutely gorgeous! The Spektr Light is based on the Stockholm series originally manufactured by EJS lighting in 1959. It took more than two weeks for our first lamp to arrive so if you order from them and need something in a timely manner make sure you place your order far in advance. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the lamp. It was beautifully made and easy to install. We considered getting the aluminum finish but we decided to go with the bronze two-tone instead. The bronze has more warmth and feels more period perfect. It also picks up on the warm wood tones we have throughout our home.

I believe this vintage furniture ad features the original Stockholm lights.

We'd also love to get the these lights for our kitchen.

Sample image from Rejuvenation
A word of warning to new home owners...

I suffered "sticker shock" when we started shopping around for vintage and new lighting after buying our new home. I've been living in rented apartments for the last 25 years or more and I had no idea how pricey good home lighting could be. Lights were an expense we hadn't really planned for so it's going to take us a year or more to get all the lights we want & need for our home. Quality fixtures add a lot to a home's resale price even when they're as specialized as the ones we're purchasing so we think we're making a good home investment by installing Rejuvenation lights, which are beautifully crafted and energy efficient. And since we plan on living here for a long time we can enjoy them for many years to come.

Clocks In Home Decoration (1965)

2011-06-25T13:03:00.000-06:00

I recently picked up this great book & catalog at a garage sale. It was published by Westclox in association with Good Housekeeping magazine and it features a ton of great snapshots of style conscious 1965 interiors. I love '60s design and I found it really inspiring. I especially love the colorful kitchens! I thought I'd scan some of my favorite images from the book to share. Hope you enjoy them!

If you'd like to see a few more pictures from the book you can find them in my "Clocks In Home Decoration (1965)" Flickr Gallery.

The Butter Cream Bakery

2011-06-20T13:58:00.003-06:00

My favorite breakfast spot in Napa is the 65-year-old Butter Cream Bakery. This colorful pink & white stripped building is a local landmark and serves up up some of best omelets and pancakes I've ever had the pleasure to eat. The bakery is also a reasonably priced culinary treat in a city where food is extremely important and you'll find some of the most delicious donuts and pastries imaginable being sold there. Almost all of their ingredients come from local farmers and growers so the food is always fresh.

Top: The original Butter Cream.
Bottom: How Butter Cream looks today.

The Butter Cream Bakery has been owned by the same family since it first opened its doors some 48 years ago and they've donated to a lot of important local organizations including the Napa Food Bank, various Schools, Hospice, the 4-H Club and the local Police and Fire Departments. When they renovated the building in 2002 they kept as many of the original furnishing as possible and today it still has the look and charm of a 1950s style diner. If you're ever in Napa don't miss the chance to visit the Butter Cream Bakery. They're also open for lunch and during most holidays.

Visit Napa's Butter Cream Bakery online:
- The Butter Cream Bakery

Jason Statham's Mid-Century Home

2011-05-26T18:41:00.008-06:00

I'm fond of the handsome British action star, Jason Statham. He's appeared in a lot of lackluster films but I get a kick out of The Transporter movies and loved him in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and The Bank Job. Apparently his taste in architecture is a bit more refined than his ability to choose a decent script. Statham's Los Angeles home has recently gone on the market and it's a real beauty!

I couldn't resist sharing some photos of this beautiful mid-century gem (originally built in 1957) that I swiped from the Redfin real estate site after reading a news headline about the sale. The actor is supposedly shopping around for a new home right now but I can't imagine why he's giving up something like this. Maybe his next house will be just as spectacular? Statham's decorating style is a little too sparse for my own taste and it's definitely got a masculine edge. It's easy to imagine the star of The Transporter films relaxing here after a hard day at work.

The following text is from the original listing: "Reminiscent of the famed 'Glass House' by Phillip Johnson this meticulously manicured home boldly displays fine lines with its post and beam motif throughout. Outdoor and indoor blend harmoniously as from all aspects natural light flows through the countless floor to ceiling panes of glass. Crisp uber chic finishes in the interior, complement the Jay Griffith designed landscaping throughout the whole property. Culminating with the essentially private pool and bathing area presenting the finest home of its kind on the hill today."

Interested in purchasing Statham's home? It will cost you a whopping $2,749,000! More details available at the Redfin site.

Sascha Brastoff

2011-05-23T14:29:00.004-06:00

Apologies for the lack of updates. I've been really busy lately and every time I decide to post an update Blogger starts acting up and I can't seem to log in or post anything. Today things seem to working just fine around here so I thought I'd quickly share a link to an article I recently wrote for TCM's Classic Movie Blog titled "In Search of Sascha Brastiff" where I discuss the life and work of this talented mid-century artist & designer.

- In Search of Sascha Brastoff

I really admire his work and I've started looking for Brastoff pieces when I'm out thrifting and antiquing. Below are some pictures of the Sascha Brastoff items I own.

I also decided to start a Sascha Brastoff Collectors Group over at Flickr where I've uploaded a lot more photos of Brastoff and his work. If you're a Flickr member please consider joining! At the moment I'm the only member but I know there has to be other Brastoff fans out there.

My Mom, the Style Icon

2011-04-18T12:56:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite new blog discoveries is My Mom, the Style Icon run by Piper Weiss who recently published a book inspired by her blog. The blog and the book feature incredible vintage photos of stylish moms sent in by her readers and friends. I love looking at old photos and recently I've been sorting through my own family photos and coming across some great shots of my own stylish mom as well as my dad (who was also super stylish!) taken during the '60s and early '70s. Coming across My Mom, the Style Icon inspired me to share some of my favorite photos.

What surprised me when looking at these photos is how much my own mother has influenced my sense of style without me ever realizing it. My mom passed away in 1997 but by that time I was regularly wearing mini skirts, Mary Jane shoes and hairbands (or headbands) similar to what my mom is wearing in these photos. I don't wear mini skirts anymore but I do like to wear skirts a lot and I still wear Mary Janes as well as colorful Keds, various plaids and I love large sunglasses and hairbands.

My own mother, with help from my grandmother, made a lot of her own clothing. Some of the things she's wearing above were undoubtedly made by my grandmother with my mom's help. She used to tell me stories about how she would look at catalogs and spot things she couldn't afford but my grandmother could reproduce them effortlessly. According to my mother, her side of the family came from a long line of seamstresses who even worked for the Queen of England at one time. Unfortunately my mother never taught me to sew and I failed all my Home Economic classes so I don't think I inherited the family sewing gene.

I highly recommend making a stop at My Mom, the Style Icon or picking up Piper Weiss' new book. They feature lots of colorful eye-candy as well as thoughtful tributes to mom's from the past and their various personal styles.

Reupholstered Dux Sofa

2011-04-04T12:47:00.001-06:00

Thought I'd finally share some photos of our refurbished & reupholstered vintage sofa. The sofa was originally made by Dux in the early '60s. Dux was a San Francisco based company started by Swedish designer Folke Ohlsson in the late 1950s and Dux furniture is usually referred to as Danish Modern or Scandinavian Modern.

The sofa (which I originally posted about here) was badly damaged and had a horrible odor due to mold and (possibly?) cat urine. We had it reupholstered with vintage Danish fabric similar in color & style to an original fabric that Dux used so it would remain true to the period. We love the color and we think it looks amazing now. It was reupholstered by the Danish furniture experts at Klassics and they did a terrific job. Very happy with the results and I'm glad that we could save this beautiful sofa.

Room is currently influx and still being renovated. We plan to paint the wall another shade of blue that's more aqua. You can see samples in the photo below that we currently have on the wall while we try to pick paint colors. As you can see below, we're going bold and bright. After a lifetime of being surrounded by white walls I want lots of color in my life.

Sears 1960 Catalog

2011-04-01T22:06:00.000-06:00

I recently uploaded a large batch of pictures from the Sears 1960 Fall/Winter Catalog to Flickr. The pictures are amazing and really inspirational if you're looking for decorating ideas, color combinations, lighting tips or just trying to research vintage furniture. I hope you'll enjoy browsing through them as much as I did. Enjoy the slideshow!

If you'd like to browse through the catalog pages at a more leisurely pace you can find my Sears 1960 Fall Catalog Set on Flickr.

From Battleships to Apron Strings

2011-03-25T17:58:00.003-06:00

I've been really busy with work and various other projects lately but last month I set aside some time to visit the "From Battleships to Apron Strings: How WWII created Napa’s Swingin’ Fifties" exhibit at the Napa Historical Society. The exhibit was small but really informative, especially for someone like myself who is new to the area and interested in the city's history. They had some great old photographs on display as well as historical clothing, newspapers, posters, etc. There were also lots of texts available to read so you could learn about the history of Napa and how it developed during and after WW2. I was able to snap a few photos of the exhibit so I thought I'd share them.

Vintage photo of The Napa Historical Society

Milo Baughman

2011-01-21T15:00:00.006-07:00

At the end of last year we picked up some great vintage pieces for our home including this incredible Milo Baughman chair for just $25 (produced by James Inc. probably between 1960-65). We swore that we wouldn't purchase any more furniture that needed to be reupholstered after buying our sofa but we just couldn't pass this chair up. The previous owners allowed their cat to use it as a scratching post so it got really damaged but the frame is in great shape and we loved the look of the chair. It's also really comfortable. It may have ended up in a garbage dump if we didn't take it home with us and we couldn't bare to see that happen. The chair just needs a good cleaning and some fresh upholstery and it will be good as new.

Milo Baughman (1925-2003) was one of America's greatest and most influential furniture designers. His work has been exhibited in museums throughout the United States including the Whitney Museum of Art in New York and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC. Baughman was also inducted into the American Society of Furniture Designers Hall of Fame in 1987. If you'd like to learn more about him and see more of his designs follow the links I've posted below:
- Milo Baughman @ Wikipedia
- Milo Baughman @ Decopedia
- Milo Baughman @ Apartment Therapy
- Milo Baughman @ the CIRCA and the WHO

After the Party's Over...

2011-01-04T21:55:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year! 2010 was an amazing year for me. I hate to be a braggart but I have a lot to celebrate. It was the best year I've had in a decade filled with bitter disappointments that included the deaths of many family members, serious illness, job losses and other woes. In 2010 my husband and I managed to put the past behind us and take a substantial step forward by relocating to a new area and purchasing our first home. It's been an incredible experience so far and it's changing the way I feel about home, community and family. I'm also enjoying writing for Turner Classic Movies and you can keep track of my film chat over at Cinebeats.com.

Like a lot of people I've got a list of New Years Resolutions or "plans" that I hope to see come to fruition this year. I'm sure that I won't get everything accomplished but I like to dream big so here's my list of New Years Resolutions. I thought I might be able to guilt myself into accomplishing them all if I made them public.

2011 PLANS

1. Organize My Office & Finish Unpacking
My office has been painted but the closet still needs to be organized and I need to unpack. I'm still living out of boxes and it's driving me nuts.

2. Finish Patching & Painting the Living/Dining Areas
We've made a lot of progress in this area recently and I hope we can get it finished up in the next month or two. The previous home owners apparently liked to shoot a BB Gun in the house and patching all the holes seems to be taking forever.

3. Refurbish & Update Our Fireplace
Our current fireplace has an awful stove in it that completely destroys the look of the room. The fireplace also has a crack in it that needs to be repaired. We want to remove the old stove and restore the look of our fireplace but we also want to make it environmentally friendly by installing a new fixture that uses clean-burning fuel instead of wood.

4. Landscape the Front & Backyard.
In the spring we plan to spend a lot of time on the exterior of our home. We want to add lots of rocks as well as plants that don't need much care or water. We'd also like to paint the house, add a new fence and a privacy wall but I don't think we'll be able to accomplish all of that due to our limited budget and time constraints.

5. Create A Small Vegetable & Herb Garden.
I've been eager to start my own garden in the backyard and I've found the perfect place for it. Hopefully I can get it started in the spring or summer.

6. Research My Family's History
One of my biggest challenges while I was moving was taking on the task of emptying out a storage unit that held my family's belongings. When my mother and grandmother passed away I wasn't prepared to deal with the aftermath so everything they left me went into storage and has sat there for many years. My father died when I was a child so his belongings were in there as well. Now that I'm older and have had a lot of time to mourn it's a bit easier to sort through family photos and other precious items like my parents wedding china and my father's tobacco pipes, but it's also extremely frustrating. Besides my younger brother, a few distant cousins and an uncle that I had a falling out with many years ago, I'm the last living member of my family. I have hundreds of questions about my family history that can't easily be answered and the contents of the storage unit complicate the discovery process as much as they enrich it. I plan on spending a lot of time researching my family's history this year and I'll be sharing many of my discoveries as well as family photos and mementos.

7. Learn to Cook Better
I'm a terrible cook but a decent baker. I really want to try to improve my cooking skills this year. My kitchen isn't ideal but we made it much more functional last month so there's no reason I can't start cooking more. At the moment my guy does all the cooking and he's a great chef but I'd like to be able to pitch in more and it's nearly impossible to live in Napa without being inspired to try your hand at cooking.

8. Take Part in More Physical Activities: Bowling, Hiking, Wii, etc.
I really want to start doing more physical activities. I'm in great health according to my doctor but I want to lose some weight. My guy bought us a Wii for Christmas so I plan to use it and I want to start bowling again and doing some hiking in the Napa hills as soon as the weather improves.

9. Open an Etsy Shop
I've been selling and buying stuff on eBay for the last 10 years but I'd like to open up my own shop on Etsy this year. Sooner or later I'd like to sell my own photography prints and artwork but I'll probably start by selling vintage goods. I have a LOT of old comic books as well as toys, knickknacks and other things that I'd like to find new homes for.

10. Take more photos & write more fiction
And last but not least... I absolutely love photography and writing but most of the photos I've taken lately have been tourist-like shots snapped on home tours and all my writing has revolved around reviewing and researching films. I plan to make more time for photo excursions this year and I might take some kind of fiction writing workshop just to get me motivated to write more. I have lots of partially started stories and ideas sketched out but I have a lot of trouble completing anything. I never lack ideas but I sure lack discipline.

To do all of these things I'm going to try and cut back on the time I spend online. Especially at social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook since they can be real time wasters. But I do want to blog more and I really enjoy updating Mid-Century Living whenever I can so you may even see more of me around here this year.

"The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle." - Anais Nin

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T18:47:00.005-07:00

Finally did some unpacking and got our tiny aluminum tree decorated. We plan to have a much bigger tree next year but the living room is an absolute wreck right now because we're in the middle of painting it & patching holes, etc. I wanted to make one spot nice for Xmas Eve so I managed to make room in our dining area. In a week or two the dining area will be painted (it's currently the same ugly gray/blue color that the previous owners left it) and I hope we can afford to get a rug soon.

The vintage Danish modern dining set was a recent local find. We were told that it was made in the '60s by Dyrlund and it came with 2 leaves so we can expand it if we need to. Best of all? The whole set (4 chairs & table) only cost us $150!!! The clock on the wall was my Xmas gift to my husband this year and the painting was done in the '60s by a Latvian artist named Jurjans who was a friend of the family.

Happy Holidays!!!

The Aluminum Christmas Tree

2010-12-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

A Trim-The-Tree Supper

2010-12-17T21:29:00.001-07:00

I recently came across a recipe for a "Trim-The-Tree Supper" in a 1966 issue of Woman's Day that I thought I'd share. It's designed to feed a large group of 10-12 people and the ideas should be easy to recreate today. I'm not sure how appetizing the "Hearty Seafood Chowder" or "Coconut-Grenadine Trifle" is but if anyone decides to try reproducing any of these recipes I'd love to hear how the results turned out.

Napa's 2010 Holiday Candlelight Tour

2010-12-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend my husband and I made some time for Napa's 2010 Holiday Candlelight Tour. This year the tour showcased some beautiful mid-century homes in Napa's Monticello Park area. Here's some information about the area borrowed from the tour brochure:

"... The population explosion led to a post-war building boom, and the area in and around the City of Napa saw the construction of seventy-one subdivisions between 1946 and 1951. Though Monticello Park was part of this post-war expansion, these houses were much larger and more substantial than the nearly identical tract houses intended for working-class families. After its subdivision in 1950, the houses in Monticello Park were developed individually over the next 15 years. The ranch-style architecture that dominated the neighborhood was inspired by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, and popularized in the California Bay Area by famous builder Joseph Eichler. The rambling one-story homes of the Monticello Park area epitomized the rise of the suburbia in post-WW2 America. Wide streets accommodated the large cars of the era and huge lawns were perfect for families at play. Design features developed in California, such as large expanses of windows oriented to the back yard, were associated with the desire to bring the outdoors inside, and gave rise to the term "California Modern." The size, quality, and innovative features found throughout the neighborhood quickly made Monticello Park a desirable neighborhood for Napa's professionals and business leaders, especially those with growing families."

And here's some more photos I snapped.

As locals, we really enjoyed the tour because it gave us the opportunity to learn more about our home town. Small details like finding out what kind of locally quarried stones were used on home exteriors and interiors helped us familiarize ourselves with aspects of Napa's architectural history that we didn't know anything about. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and helpful, which we really appreciated.

The tour organizers must have gotten a few ideas from the Sacramento Mid-Century Home Tour because they also had vintage cars parked outside each of the homes on the tour. This was a great idea that made it much easier for us to spot all the houses on the tour. The only disappointing aspect about the tour was the home interiors. Only one of the homes on the tour (an incredible and extremely unusual modern house designed by Grant Perkins in 1965) contained period furnishings and interior details that I really appreciated. The rest were more conservatively furnished. But many of the homes still maintained original features such as floors, etc. In a way this helped us focus more on the houses themselves instead of getting distracted by lots of designer eye-candy. We also didn't have the opportunity to really meet or chat with anyone besides the generous tour guides because we were trying to hurry a little so we could see the homes before it got too dark.

Overall we were just really happy that we got to see some more mid-century homes in Napa and learn about the history of the area. In conjunction with the Holiday Candlelight Tour, the Napa County Historical Society and Napa County Landmarks have organized an exhibit called "From Battleships to Apron Strings: How WW2 created Napa's Swingin' Fifties" on display downtown at the Goodman Library; 1219 First Street Napa, CA 94559 starting Dec. 14 and ending Feb 28, 2011.

I'm really excited about the exhibit and I hope it will give me the opportunity to learn more about my own neighborhood, which blossomed in the '50s. I've been trying to find more information about my home such as the builders name, house plans, etc. but the city hasn't been able to offer me much help. After I visit the exhibit I'll be sure to report back with my findings.

LINKS:
- My Flickr Gallery with more images from Napa's 2010 Holiday Candlelight Tour
- Local newspaper article about the event: Holiday Candlelight Tour visits Napa’s mid-century modern neighborhood

Xmas Tree Decorating Ideas From 1969

2010-12-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here's some great examples of late '60s holiday decorating. All of these Christmas trees are from a 1969 issue of Better Homes & Gardens. I'm particularly fond of the white flocked trees. If you're looking for inspiration or ideas on how to give your own Christmas tree some swinging sixties flair these images might come in handy.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-08T02:36:00.001-07:00

I've been so busy with work, holiday plans and home renovations lately that I've been neglecting to blog but I thought I'd quickly share a 1951 recipe for Wesson Oil's "Famous Fruitcake." I'm not all that fond of fruitcake myself but I'd like to try making this one someday. If anyone gives it a try I'd love to know how it turns out. Just click on the image to see it full size.

I plan to share a lot more holiday ideas soon. I recently got my hands on some old magazines with great decorating ideas and a lot more recipes. I just need to find some free time to scan them. Happy holidays!

A Napa Mid-Century Architecture Tour

2010-11-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

I was surprised and extremely excited to learn that the theme for this year's 22nd Annual Holiday CandleLight Tour presented by Napa County Landmarks & the Napa County Historical Society will be "Mad Men Meets The Valley." This self-led tour will highlight Monticello Park, a mid-century modern neighborhood in Napa. Accoding to the organizers Napa's Monticello Park contains "large and lovingly maintained mid-century homes" that "demonstrate the beautiful and innovative design features of post-war architecture and landscape design."

I've only lived in Napa 7 months so I'm still getting to know the area but I've been surprised by the number of beautiful mid-century buildings, houses and neighborhoods I've come across so far. One of the many reason's we moved here was because we loved the area but we continue to be surprised by Napa's diverse neighborhoods. From the lovingly preserved Victorians, to the California modern ranch homes, Napa is easily one of the state's most beautiful small cities and it contains some of of the most wonderful examples of California architecture that I've ever seen.

I'm currently researching my own neighborhood in Napa, which was called "Napa Rancho" at one time. It contains many cute and modest ranch homes and more modern houses as well that I plan to share photos of soon. Our own home seems to be a sort of hybird between the two types of houses we're surrounded by. Needless to say, I was thrilled to discover that there are other mid-century neighborhoods in Napa that I hadn't heard of yet as well as other mid-century enthusiasts who are obviously interested in preserving and maintaining their period homes. I had a great time at The Sacramento Mid-Century Home Tour back in June and although the Napa event seems to be much smaller in scale, I hope it will generate a lot of interest in Napa's mid-century architecture.

The Napa Mid-Century Holiday CandleLight Tour takes place on Saturday, December 11th from 3pm-6pm and starts at the Hay Barn Gallery at Gordon Huether Studio, 1821 Monticello Road. For more information please visit the Napa County Landmarks site or the Napa County Historical Society site where you can purchase tickets online.

Early Holiday Shopping

2010-11-08T18:38:00.007-07:00

Took some time out this weekend to enjoy the 60th Annual Thrift Shop Christmas Bazaar in Napa and picked up some cute vintage Christmas decorations for our home. We found some more elves to add to our growing collection, including a very large one that's animated and plays music. He still works pretty good but could use a good cleaning. We also picked up a cute gold deer and some really pretty tear drop style ornaments. The money generated at the Thrift Shop Christmas Bazaar goes to non-profit organizations including the local chapters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. You can find more information about this yearly event in a recent story published in our local paper online: Shoppers flock to Christmas Bazaar

Last week we also picked up this amazing solid walnut Kent-Coffey cabinet/dresser for just $85 at a local Goodwill store. It was part of the companies "Town House" line that I believe was originally created sometime between 1962-1966. Kent-Coffey was an American furniture company based in North Carolina and they were competitive with Broyhill. A lot of the companies furniture lines shared a similar style. I absolutely love it and I've seen similar pieces selling on Craigslist for as much as $550 so I think we got a great deal on it. It's in wonderful shape with just some minor scuffing and signs of age but overall it's still a really nice piece. We're not sure what we're going to do with it. We've talked about trying to put together an entire Kent-Coffey bedroom or just using it as a cabinet in the living room for now and maybe even a media stand. It's really beautiful and has incredible lines, the original handles, a beautiful tone and dovetail joints. The picture below doesn't flatter the piece very well. It needs to be really cleaned and but we're still deep in the middle of renovations. You'll also notice that our cat Maximilian decided to run past just as I was taking the picture.

Halloween Costumes 1950-1969

2010-10-19T12:11:00.001-06:00

Things are still incredibly slow going at the new homestead mainly due to our budget & time limitations. Right now it's all about getting a new roof put on before winter. It's been a long process trying to get estimates and figuring out what our best and most cost effective options are. But my office and work space is almost complete and once it's done and somewhat more organized I'll share some new photos.

In the meantime I thought I'd share some pictures of vintage Halloween costume patterns from the '50s and '60s. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love looking at pictures of old costumes. I think these patterns were really wonderful but many of the designs haven't changed all that much so they'd be easy to reproduce today. I especially love the alien/space man outfits for little boys and the flower costumes for women.

September Update

2010-09-26T12:57:00.002-06:00

Apologies for the lack of updates lately but at the moment all our energy, time and money has been going towards getting estimates for a new roof, which we need to take care of before the winter and fixing some emergency plumbing problems. Both are very unglamorous tasks but need to be done.

We also welcomed two new family members into our home. A couple of adorable kittens we've named Dot (silver tabby) and Max (black & white fluffy tuxedo). Dot and Max were shelter kittens in desperate need of a new home.

I recently started doing some volunteer work for the Whiskers, Tails and Feral animal shelter (trying to help them build a website, blog, etc.). They rescue abandoned cats & dogs in Napa as well as feral cats and try to save adoptable animals who are scheduled to be euthanized at the Napa city run shelters. Our current cat Uschi seemed like she might enjoy some kitty companionship so we started considering our options. We were only going to adopt one more cat or kitten but when we saw Dot and Max we fell in love with them both and we didn't want to separate them. They grew up in a cage together and they were extremely close.

We picked up Dot & Max a few weeks ago and couldn't be happier about our decision. The young furry siblings are incredibly sweet, extremely affectionate and very playful. Dot follows her brother Max around like she's his shadow. One of the many pleasures of finally being able to own our own house is having the ability to share it with animals in need and Andis and I love cats so I'm glad we could give Dot and Max a good home. 3 cats seems to be our limit but we loves all sorts of animals so who knows what the future holds? A fishtank? Some reptiles? Anythings possible.

If you happen to live in Northern CA and are thinking about adopting a kitten please consider adopting from Whiskers, Tails and Ferals in Napa. The local Petco in Napa allows the organization to operate from their building but they're not associated with it and they're trying to purchase or rent their own building because they're overrun with unwanted or abandoned animals that need responsible new owners. They currently have a LOT of adorable kittens that need homes. We've adopted 3 cats from Whiskers, Tails and Ferals in the last few months and all of the kitties have been sweet-natured and loving. For more information please visit the Whiskers, Tails and Ferals Facebook page.

You can find more pictures of Dot & Max in my Flickr Gallery.

Wood Privacy Screens

2010-08-23T20:36:00.005-06:00

Earlier this month I shared a post about exterior ideas that we were considering for our house and in the post I briefly discussed the idea of adding a wood privacy screen that would give us some more privacy, extra shade during the summer months as well as add a decorative element to the front of our home.

Midcentury Madam was kind enough to take the time to comment on my post and she mentioned that she was also interested in the the idea of possibly adding a wood privacy screen to her own home as well. I thought I'd take the time to share some pages from some magazines and books that feature decorative wood screens added to mid-century homes in case other folks find them as inspiring as I do. There's a lot you can do with some wood and paint!

The first images are from the Better Homes & Gardens Landscape Planning book originally published in 1963 and the last article is from an old issue of Popular Mechanics (just click on the images to see larger versions of them).

Vintage Furniture Finds & Shopping Tips

2010-08-22T15:37:00.008-06:00

When we're not working on our house, my husband and I have been hunting for fixtures and furniture at secondhand shops, antique stores and at local estate & garage sales as well as searching Craigslist and eBay for bargains. A lot of the things we currently own were handed down to us from family members or bought to fit into our old apartment and they just don't work in our new place. We knew we were going to have to spend some money on these things so we planned for the extra expense and worked it into our budget when we were preparing to buy our home.

My husband is 6 ft. 5 in. and he has a lot of trouble fitting comfortably into the low sofas and chairs that were popular in the '50s and '60s. Over the course of the last few months it's been a real challenge finding pieces that we not only both like and can afford, but also pieces that are comfortable and look good in our house.

One of our biggest disappointments was discovering that some colorful molded plastic Eames chairs we wanted to get for our dining room were just too tiny to accommodate my husbands tall lanky frame. We also had our eyes on a beautiful Case Study style daybed only to discover that when my husband sat on it his knees were almost hitting his chin. This has made us really cautious about buying anything online.

Thankfully my guy seems to fit really well into Danish modern furniture, which is not only beautiful and affordable, but it's also really comfortable. Danes tend to be tall and since my husband's family happens to be from the Baltic area (Latvia to be exact) it probably shouldn't be too much of a surprise that he's comfortable in Danish furniture and in the last few months we've found some beautiful Danish modern and Swedish pieces for our home.

Our first find was this incredible Dux sofa. Unfortunately it was badly stained and damaged. It also had a nasty musty odor that may have been cat urine so we're getting it reupholstered. Thankfully we were able to find some beautiful vintage Danish fabric in a color that we both really like so the sofa should still maintain its vintage appeal once it's reupholstered. I also like the idea of recycling all these vintage materials (sofa and fabric) to make a piece that will really be our own and reflect our personal taste. In the process we're learning that reupholstering anything can be really expensive so now we're taking this into consideration before we buy any vintage pieces.

Our next find was these two lovely chairs. They have no obvious markings but we believe they're Danish modern. They were in wonderful condition and just needed a good cleaning.

Our most recent find is this beautiful Swedish credenza with a matching hutch. It's also in terrific shape and looks amazing considering its age.

All of these pictures were taken at the places where we purchased the items. We always bring our camera as well as some measuring tape along with us whenever we go out looking for vintage furniture so we can be sure that we're making smart purchases. In the past our excitement has occasionally overcome good sense. We once bought a sofa that was too big to get into our apartment so now we're extra cautious.

Here's some of my tips for buying vintage furniture:

1. Size Matters: Before buying any piece of furniture make sure you measure the area where you plan to place it twice. Occasionally your good sense might become blinded by a beautiful piece of vintage furniture that looks great where it is but won't fit into your home.

2. Comfort Matters: No matter how beautiful a vintage piece of furniture is, you should also make sure you can fit into it or use it comfortably before purchasing anything. Returning furniture can be complicated and expensive unless you happen to own your own moving van. Sellers on Craigslist and eBay rarely take returns and many second-hand shops don't offer them either.

3. Bring Your Camera & Some Measuring Tape: Whenever you go shopping for home furniture make sure you bring a camera and don't be afraid to snap a few pictures of the items you're thinking about purchasing. You can use these photos for personal reference and if you don't purchase an item right away you'll have the photos to take home with you so you can make decisions later. Also make sure you measure any item twice that you intend to purchase before buying it. Even if you think you know the size of something after reading a description on Craigslist or talking to a seller, their own measurements could be wrong so it's better to take your own measurements so you won't have any regrets later on.

4. Reupholstering Can Be Expensive: Before you buy a vintage piece really take the time to consider if you can live with the condition it's in. If a chair or sofa needs to be reupholstered it can be an expensive process so make sure you consider those extra costs before buying an old piece that needs some work.

5. Delivery: If you don't own a vehicle that's large enough to haul your own furniture purchases and don't have a friend or family member that can help, you may have to rely on the seller or yourself to get your furniture purchases home. Make sure you ask about delivery costs before purchasing anything so you can factor that into the cost. If you have to take care of delivery yourself you should also research local rental places to find the best deals on car rentals or moving vans and trucks. Also make sure you have someone to help you move heavy items if the seller won't lend a hand.

I hope some of these tips are helpful. Most of them are just common sense suggestions that you've undoubtedly heard before but I figured I'd share them anyway since I have to remind myself of them all the time. My own common sense tends to disappear when I come across a beautiful vintage piece that I want for my own home. Before I measure anything or ask important questions I find myself pulling out my wallet, which has gotten me into trouble in the past. Hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes.

Exterior Ideas

2010-08-08T20:35:00.019-06:00

A few months ago we decided on what colors we wanted to paint the exterior of our house. We also started looking for accessories that would flatter the place so I thought I'd share some of our ideas.

I fell in love with two particular houses in the Atomic Ranch book last year and we've been using them for inspiration. We also really wanted to create some kind of perforated wood screen wall for the front of our place as a decorative element and for added privacy. During the Sacramento Mid-Century Home Tour we saw lots of incredible homes with beautiful outdoor screens so we wanted to incorporate that idea into our own exterior plans.

Once again, we used the exterior Eichler color palette as a basis for our own color choices. We picked Benjamin Moore's Black Bean Soup for the ceiling beams/outside trim and we're planning on using Bear Creek for the main exterior walls. We also plan to use Shy Cherry and Super White as accent colors on the front door, between the ceiling beams, etc. I think these colors will work great with the Japanese influenced landscaping we're planning on doing.

Recently we ordered some red house numbers and a red mailbox from Chiasso to add a little more color to the exterior of our house. I don't know when we'll be able to hang them up but I think they'll look great with our red door. Although the mail box was a bit bigger than I had imagined it would be. I probably should have studied the measurements a little more closely but at the moment our mailbox is too small so we need something bigger. As for the numbers, we plan to mount them on some white backing board so they'll really "pop" on the outside of the house and maybe figure out way to light them from behind.

For fun I decided to try out some of our exterior ideas using Photoshop. Obviously the "After" picture isn't perfect and I'm sure we'll make lots of changes before we actually start painting, but I figured I'd share the results anyway.

Our house now

Our house in the future (just one possible future)

What Makes A Good Party?

2010-08-03T22:13:00.000-06:00

Trying to become a better host or hostess? Need some new ideas for your next party? Check out this entertaining instructional film called What Makes A Good Party? from 1950.

Mini Mad Men Style Guide

2010-07-25T21:25:00.004-06:00

Season 4 of Mad Men kicks off tonight and in its honor I thought I'd share a collection of links to various articles, photo galleries, etc. that might appeal to anyone who appreciates the style and attention to detail that the talented Mad Men set designer Amy Wells and production designer Dan Bishop bring to each episode.

Interviews with Amy Wells:
- Inside Mad Men - Set and Production Design Video Interview with Amy Welles & Dan Bishop at AMC
- Q&A with Amy Wells at AMC
- NPR Interview with Amy Wells
- Interior Design Interview with Amy Wells

Photo Galleries & How To Guides:
- Roundup of Mad Men Style Articles from Apartment Therapy
- Mad Men Style: The Best of the 1960s from House Beautiful
- Mad Men set decorator Amy Wells on the hunt in HomeGoods from the L.A. Times
- Decorating Ideas to Steal From Season Three of Mad Men at CasaSugar
- Mad Men: An Office and a Gentlemen from Entertainment Weekly
- Great 1960 Interiors on Season 2 of Mad Men at Retro Renovation
- How To Recreate Betty Draper's Knotty Pine Kitchen also at Retro Renovation
- The Knotty Pine Interior Group at Flickr

Paint & Progress

2010-07-16T23:08:00.001-06:00

We're making progress but it's slow going. In order to save money we're determined to do most of the work on the house ourselves but between jobs, life, etc. it's going to take us awhile.

The room I plan to use for my office had to be completely re-wired since we had electricity problems and when we removed the crown molding we found an inch wide gap between the ceiling and the walls that had to be repaired. The ceiling was lowered a little when they installed air-conditioning into the place in the '90s and the work was poorly done so it's causing problems throughout our house. But with a lot of the hard work done we decided to finally start painting and hanging some new lights so I thought I'd share our progress.

Since our 1954 ranch house was based on an Eichler design & floorplan we've decided to use the original Eichler colors (and their variations) as a basis for painting our home. Thankfully Benjamin Moore still produces similar colors that were used by Eichler owners in the '50s. I wanted orange in my office so I decided to use "Pumpkin Cream" for my accent wall. The color is usually seen on Eichler exteriors (doors, trim, etc.) but I like breaking the rules a little and after living in rented apartments with white or beige walls for more than 25 years (that I was never allowed to paint!), I'm dying to have more color in my life.

I love Johnathan Adler's designs and when Lumens had a big sale earlier this year I used the opportunity to purchase a wall lamp that I had my eye on. The playful retro design works well in the room and I think it will work well with my future plans for the space. But before I show you my progress, here's a look back at what we started with.

And now the changes...

But we still have lots to do...

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-02T23:23:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend! I thought it would be fun to share a couple of ads from 1949 & 1950 that feature 4th of July recipes in case anyone is looking for ideas for their own 4th of July menu. Neither of them looks very appetizing but it's interesting to see what a housewife may have cooked up for her family back then to celebrate the holiday. Just click on the images to see them full size.

Happy 4th of July!

The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour

2010-06-30T18:13:00.005-06:00

Over the weekend my husband and I attended the fabulous Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour & Car Show. We had a great time and saw some amazing homes and lovely old cars. We were eager to see how other people had renovated their mid-century houses and the tour provided us both with a lot of inspiration and fresh ideas. The crowd was great and we were surrounded by an incredibly diverse bunch of people of all strips who were obviously interested in Mid-Century design. Unfortunately we weren't able to take photographs of the interiors and we didn't get as many photos as we would have liked to due to camera troubles but here's a few highlights.

The Stecher Residence designed by Carter Sparks.

Jung Residence designed by Joseph Eichler

The Koutchis Residence designed by Joseph Eichler

The Sheridan Residence designed by Joseph Eichler

Landscape detail

If you'd like more photos from The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour & Car Show you can find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Here are some other lovely photos of homes featured on the tour taken by other Flickr users (the small preview images link to larger versions of the photos hosted at Flickr):

1. Sac MCM Home Tour, 2. Sac MCM Home Tour, 3. Sac MCM Home Tour, 4. Sac MCM Home Tour, 5. Sac MCM Home Tour, 6. mcmhometour.2010.00142, 7. mcmhometour.2010.00124, 8. mcmhometour.2010.00107, 9. mcmhometour.2010.00144, 10. mcmhometour.2010.00132, 11. 1964 Robert N. Hill, 12. 1958 Carter Sparks, 13. Custom Carter Sparks, So. Land Park Hills, 14. Eichler Home, So. Land Park Hills, 15. Eichler Home, So. Land Park Hills, 16. mcmhometour.2010.00143

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Vintage Finds In Napa

2010-05-24T20:40:00.007-06:00

Apologies for the lack of updates lately but I'm afraid that progress on our new home is extremely slow going due to work and other obligations. We've also discovered that it takes three times longer to complete any project we start (we're currently working on my office) due to all the problems you come across while restoring an older home. It's been an interesting learning experience and we've had to face the fact that it will be a long time before we can call our new house a home.

We still can't cook in our kitchen but we have a toaster oven and the house came with a microwave that I'm reluctantly learning to use. I've never owned a microwave before and I never wanted one but it has come in handy lately. Trader Joe's makes some decent microwave food but I'm getting tired of their microwave pastas, soba noodles and pad thai.

For fun we've been trying to get out of the house for a few hours on the weekends and explore Napa's second-hand shops and thrift stores. One of the best shops in Napa is undoubtedly Alice’s Consignment shop and this weekend the large parking lot behind Alice’s Consignment shop was turned into the Downtown Napa Antique & Vintage Flea Market. It was a small but interesting gathering of eclectic sellers and buyers. One of my favorite sellers was Rosey's Little Things. I bought a Melmac serving dish from her and some lovely jewelry. The Downtown Napa Antique & Vintage Flea Market is going to become a monthly event during the summer and fall months and I'm looking forward to it! The next one is scheduled to take place on June 26th and you can find more information here.

Here's a few pictures of some of the vintage goodies we've picked up for our home in the last few months.

Original painting of San Francisco's Chinatown painted in the late '60s or early '70s by an unknown artist named KING. I'm trying to find out more information about KING so if you happen to know anything please drop me a note!

Melmac serving dish and cups with saucers.

Asian influenced and slightly kitschy vintage wall hangings.

Large vintage Pyrex bowl (Square Flowers / Verde)

Mid-Century Modern Home Events

2010-04-20T12:35:00.003-06:00

Lately my hubby and I have been so busy trying to get settled into our new home and becoming familiar with Napa that we haven't a lot of free time to just relax and have fun together. Since we've become focused on home restoration and repair we've been looking for interesting local events that might help us with our endeavors as well as get us out of the house.

In the next few months there are two events happening within 80 miles of us that we might attend. The first event is the Eichler Remodeling Faire taking place in Mountain View on May 15th. According to the event site here's what attendees can expect:

"You're invited to Keycon's Eichler Remodeling Faire 2010, a FREE party-themed educational event where Eichler experts help you realize your remodeling dreams! SAVE TIME AND MONEY! Learn about the latest time- and money-saving strategies for KITCHEN, BATHROOM, ADDITION, and WHOLE HOUSE REMODELING! Enjoy complimentary food and beverages and kid-friendly activities!"

Of course we don't actually own an Eichler but according to our home's previous owners our custom built ranch home was "inspired by Eichler designs" and was advertised as such when we bought it. We don't know if we'll be able to make it all the way to Mountain View for the event yet but if we do go we hope that Eichler owners won't thumb their noses at us. At least we can point to the fact that my father in-law owned a beautiful Eichler home! I suspect we'd be able to get some tips and helpful advice for home restoration & repair at the Eichler Remodeling Faire so I'd like to go. More information about the event can be found on their site: Eichler Remodeling Faire 2010.

On June 26th The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour takes place which promises to be a lot of fun for anyone interested in mid-century design. Here's the full scoop on the event from their official site:

"On Saturday, June 26, 2010 the Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour will provide enthusiasts of architecture and design an opportunity to discover what it’s like to live, work and play in more than 15 quintessentially Californian residential and commercial structures built between 1945 and 1970. This year's tour features homes within Sacramento’s South Land Park and adjacent neighborhoods, which contain hundreds of Mid-Century Modern residential and commercial buildings."

This event is a little closer to us so we're seriously considering trying to attend. I'm sure we'll get plenty of design inspiration if we do go. For more information about the event please visit The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour site.

New Family Member

2010-04-13T11:28:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend my husband and I stopped by Petco to look at kittens and we discovered that a local non-profit animal adoption organization called Whiskers, Tails and Ferals operates out of the store. They help re-home unwanted, ill, abused and feral cats & kittens. They had many adorable older cats that were available for adoption. At the moment our local animal shelters are overwhelmed by the amount of pets being abandoned by their owners due to home foreclosures, job losses, etc. Kittens are easy to find homes for but older cats are often overlooked by potential foster families.

I've been weary of adopting a new pet since the death of our 14 year-old cat Tora last year but my guy absolutely fell in love with Uschi. We ended up adopting her on Sunday and I've fallen in love with her too.

Uschi is 12-18 months old and was found abandoned and alone wandering the streets of downtown Napa. She is one of the sweetest and most loving cats I've ever met. She seems to have some abandonment issues and follows us around from room to room like a puppy. She wants to be held and petted constantly. The poor thing also cries when she's left alone in a room. Hopefully she'll relax soon and get used to her new home. At the moment it's hard to get her to sit still and sleep for any lengthy period of time so snapping a pic of her was hard.

If you're in Northern California and thinking about adopting please consider adopting a pet from Whiskers, Tails and Ferals. Besides the Napa Humane Society, they're the only animal shelter in Napa caring for unwanted animals but they don't have their own shelter yet. If you can help or donate your time or any funds please contact them! More information about the organization can be found here:

- Whiskers, Tails and Ferals
- Napa Humane Society

Easter Weekend Shopping

2010-04-09T20:12:00.003-06:00

Some of my vintage vinyl bunny toys.

I hope everyone enjoyed the recent Easter holiday or as I like to call it, "Bunny & Egg Day." I've been really busy lately but over Easter weekend my guy and I did a little shopping and I thought I'd share some pics of our purchases. But first some background information...

One of the many highlights of becoming a new homeowner is the incredible amount of coupons that arrive in your mailbox after you've moved. I can only assume that real estate agents sell your address for some kind of commission or maybe when you get a new address, phone number, etc. companies now let retailers know? Whatever the case may be, we've been getting a lot of coupons in the mail that offer anything from 10-25% off retail prices at nice shops like Restoration Hardware, West Elm and Crate and Barrel. Most of them come with a letter or gift card that says something like "Hello new home owners! We realize you've just made the biggest purchase you're likely to ever make but we want your business. Please stop by your local "*enter store name here* and spend more money!"

Last Saturday we tried to take advantage of some of these cards. We made a trip to our local Crate and Barrel Outlet where you can find a lot of stuff on sale as well as limited items and damaged merchandise selling well below retail price. While we were there we bought some colorful melamine cups and a set of storage/mixing bowels that we really needed (I love their duel design!). I also fell in love with a really cute serving set that I'd like to purchase sooner or later.

Celebrate Earth Hour!

2010-03-27T11:49:00.003-06:00

Tonight the world will be coming together to conserve energy for just one hour during Earth Hour and I'll be joining them. I hope you will to!

About Earth Hour (from the official site):

"On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. In the U.S. where we are already feeling the impacts of climate change, Earth Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about this issue and want to turn the lights out on dirty air, dangerous dependency on foreign oil and costly climate change impacts, and make the switch to cleaner air, a strong economic future and a more secure nation.

Participation is easy. By flipping off your lights on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time you will be making the switch to a cleaner, more secure nation and prosperous America."

For more information please visit the official Earth Hour 2010 site!

MOVIE: Bachelor in Paradise (1961)

2010-03-26T19:34:00.005-06:00

I recently reviewed a Bob Hope comedy called BACHELOR IN PARADISE (1961) that featured some great ranch homes and interiors. I couldn't resist sharing a few screen grabs from it. Apologies for the quality but my old video tape isn't in the best shape.

More info about the movie can be found here

Yard Cleanup

2010-03-23T19:12:00.001-06:00

Napa's Mid City Nursery in the early '60s

Now that spring seems to have arrived in Napa, we're starting to plan out some of our landscaping. At the moment we're focused on stripping and cleaning the front and back yards, removing all debris as well as unwanted plants and stones. It's a slow and tedious process that will take a long time to complete but I enjoy being able to go outside and spend time in my yard. The exercise is good too!

Over the weekend we made a visit to our local Home Depot and Orchard Supply Hardware stores as well as the wonderful Mid City Nursery. Mid City Nursery is located on the outskirts of Napa and it's a huge place that sells lots of lovely garden plants, fruit and shade trees, shrubbery, ground cover, seeds, paving stones, garden decor and many other supplies. It originally opened in 1954 (the same year that our house was built!) and its one of largest nurseries in the area. The sellers were all very friendly and helpful, which is great when you're novices like us and need lots of help. We were especially happy to discover that they carried a large variety of Japanese trees and plants that grow well in our Northern California climate. We have a beautiful Japanese maple tree in our backyard so we're planning to use it as the inspiration for our landscape design. My husband and I both love Japanese gardens and mid-century modern designers were often influenced by Japanese design so hopefully we can incorporate a lot of those aspects into our own yard.

Here's a few pictures I took over the weekend while we were doing yard work.

Our back porch and patio needs an overhaul.

The Japanese maple tree in our backyard surrounded by weeds.

Removing stones and debris from the front yard.

The red wheelbarrow was the first tool we bought.

The stones we removed are piling up! We plan to use some in our own landscape design and get rid of the rest.

We discovered Mr. Toad in our yard along with some crawfish. We assume they must have crawled out of the Napa river and found a new home in our yard.

Oscar Party Tips

2010-03-06T19:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend the 82nd Academy Awards are taking place and many people will be hosting their own Oscar parties on Sunday night. I'm living out of boxes at the moment so I won't be hosting any Oscar parties of my own but I will be watching the show and "Twittering Live" for Cinebeats.

I thought I'd share some last minute Oscar party tips including mid-century hors d'oeuvre recipes and some links to other helpful sites where you can find cocktail and menu ideas.

If you were hosting an Oscar party in 1958 you might have made some of the hors d'oeuvres featured in the following ad for Seagram's Golden Gin. I haven't tried any of them myself but some of them will probably look familiar since a lot of these hors d'oeuvres haven't changed all that much since 1958. Just click on the image to see the ad fullsize.

If you're looking for more current menu ideas you could always borrow some from Wolfgang Puck's official menu for the 2010 Academy Awards Governor's Ball. This annual Oscar after-party is well-known for it's Academy Award winning attendees and its fabulous menu which was posted by Hadley Tomicki over at the Grub Street Los Angeles blog.

Need some cocktail ideas? I highly recommend visiting Miss Charming's site where she has collected various cocktail and drink recipes from classic Hollywood films. Ever wonder what drinks were served in Casablanca? Curious about what Bette Davis drank in Now, Voyager or what drink Barbra Streisand sipped in Funny Girl? You'll find all those answers and more at Miss Charming' Silver Screen Cocktails 1900s-1960s page.

Stars gather for an Oscar after-party in 1958

If you need more beverage ideas check out the Hollywood Cocktails page at About.com where you'll find alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes perfect for all ages such as the Hollywood Martini, The Red Carpet, the Roy Rogers, the Scarlet O'Hara, the Shirley Temple and The Graduate.

Last but not least, the official Oscar site also features a helpful page devoted to Oscar party planning. The Oscar Party Kit contains a lot of great recipes for drinks and hors d'oeuvres, as well as party game ideas and more.

Even if you aren't planning your own Oscar party this year you can use all of the ideas above for hosting special movie nights with friends or if you just want to throw a Hollywood inspired theme party.

Moving Time!

2010-03-02T14:52:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend we finally finished moving and spent the first night in our new home. It's been raining almost non-stop since Friday which has put a bit of a damper on everything and I seem to have developed a cold in the process. But even in all this rain Napa is really lovely and I adore my new house. Home ownership is both scary and amazing. It will take me some time to get used to the whole idea of owning my own home but I couldn't be happier about our decision. More to come as the adventure continues!

Refrigerator Shopping

2010-02-18T15:46:00.004-07:00

Fridgidaire ad from 1965

My guy and I are currently shopping for a refrigerator for our new home. We're looking for an Energy Star compliant fridge but we're on a budget and we can't afford the lovely updated vintage style appliances available at Big Chill.

We've been disappointed with the limited options available at local retail outlets. We're forced to choose between white, beige, black or faux stainless steel refrigerators which are the only color options available in our price range. The lack of functional and appealing design combined with the lack of color options makes the experience of buying a refrigerator a frustrating experience and it's also limited our kitchen renovation plans.

In an effort to expand our options we've been looking at DIY refrigerator panels made by Frigo Design. They offer a variety of color finishes but most of them are really bold and bright primary colors without much subtly. In other words, they don't really have what we're looking for and the panels are not cheap.

Westinghouse used to be a leading manufacturer of home appliances and in 1968 they were incredibly forward thinking. Below is a commercial I found on Youtube for their "Match Your Mood" refrigerator panel options that allowed buyers to customize their home refrigerators to match any mood or environment. I really wish some smart company offered a similar option today.

Living Rooms (1960-65)

2010-02-05T02:42:00.002-07:00

To finish up my week-long look at late mid-century interior design I'm going to share some pictures of some fabulous early '60s living rooms. I hope you enjoy them!

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

If you'd like to see more pictures of late mid-century living rooms please see my '60s Living Rooms Flickr Gallery.

Bedrooms (1960-65)

2010-02-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

To continue with my week-long look at early '60s interior design I'm sharing some pics of bedrooms today. Enjoy!

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

If you'd like to see more pictures of late mid-century bedrooms please see my '60s bedroom Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow... '60s living rooms!

Bathrooms (1960-65)

2010-02-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Following up from yesterday's post here are some pictures of fabulous bathrooms from the early '60s.

1960

1961

1963

1964

If you'd like to see more pictures of late mid-century bathrooms please see my '60s bathroom Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow... '60s bedrooms!

Kitchens (1960-65)

2010-02-02T12:37:00.003-07:00

This week I thought I'd continue my visual history of mid-century interior design and focus on the early '60s (1960-65).

The swinging '60s is my favorite decade mainly due to the films, music, art and cultural revolution that took place but I also love '60s design. Here's some examples of fabulous '60s era kitchens borrowed from old magazines.

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

If you'd like to see more pictures of late mid-century kitchens please see my '60s Kitchen Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow... '60s bathrooms!

KenFlex Vinyl Tile

2010-01-31T13:54:00.005-07:00

I've been trying to research what kind of tile was originally used in the kitchen and laundry room area of my house and I believe it might have have been KenFlex vinyl flooring. Unfortunately KenFlex doesn't manufacture floor tiles anymore and according to some information I found online KenFlex tile might contain unhealthy levels of asbestos which can become problematic if the tile is damaged and in need of repair (which is the case in many areas of my home).

I'm not sure how we're going to deal with the current floors since the kitchen is a real mess and most of the original tile has been covered up or removed and replaced by some rather ugly stuff that was probably manufactured in the '90s. We may be able to save the floor in the laundry room but we won't really know until we can get in there and start working on the place.

In the meantime I thought I'd share some original ads (published 1953-56) for KentFlex flooring. Just click on the images to see larger full size versions of the ads.

Final Walk Through

2010-01-30T13:21:00.006-07:00

Yesterday we did the final walk through of our soon to be new home. We only had an hour to check everything and make sure there were no serious issues with the property. They left an old broken hot tub in the backyard so we're making them hall it away next week. The kitchen was added in the '90s and it's utterly falling apart and the bathrooms are just plain scary. The place is in desperate need of a good cleaning, a fresh coat of paint and some serious TLC but it's my home and I love it! Here's some of the pictures I took.

1954 custom built atomic ranch house

Original door (with kick guard added in the '90s that we'll remove asap)

Original clerestory windows

Original fireplace (they've added some insert we plan to remove asap

Dining area (we plan to remove the fan asap)

Pony wall

Kitchen seems to have been haphazardly updated in the late '80s or '90s and it's falling apart

Original tub in bathroom that needs a lot of work

Original kitchen floors
(unfortunately they were not cared for and need to be replaced)

Original wood floors we plan to clean and refinish

Make It! Mid-Century Modern

2010-01-26T12:30:00.004-07:00

I've always been a DIY kind of gal but living in a small cramped apartment isn't the ideal place for getting crafty. One of the things I'm most looking forward to when I move into my new home, is finally having the space I need to work on arts and crafts projects.

Recently I came across a great online DIY design community called Curbly where you can share pictures, ideas and information about your own DIY projects. Curbly inspires creativity and encourages people to bring out the best in their own homes and "love where they live."

Curbly is currently devoting the month of January to Mid-Century Modernism and you can find a lot of great information and "how-to" articles at their site focusing on mid-century design. Curbly even has their own Youtube channel where they share inspirational videos such as how to Build Your Own Mid-Century Birdhouse.

Recently Curbly started to publish their own series of eBooks or manuals simply called "Make It!" and the first book in the series is devoted to mid-century modern design.

"Make It! Mid-Century Modern" contains 76 pages of easy to follow step-by-step instructions for mid-century DIY projects that anyone can make at home. Some of the projects include a Mondrian inspired throw pillow, an Alexander Calder style mobile and your very own George Nelson influenced Ball Clock. The book provides background information on all of the designers it covers and the instructions are accompanied by eye-catching full-color photos.

Making things for your home can be an extremely rewarding experience and it also gives you the opportunity to express your individuality. You can customize any of the designs featured in "Make It! Mid-Century Modern" by selecting your own paint colors, fabrics, etc. Your only limitation is your imagination.

This week Curbly is giving away free copies of "Make It! Mid-Century Modern" to five lucky winners. If you'd like to try and win yourself a copy of this terrific book all you have to do is become a fan of Curbly's Facebook Page and RSVP as "attending" to the giveaway event they're currently hosting on Facebook. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, January 31st and they plan to announce the winners first thing Monday morning. You can find more information about the giveaway at Curbly's Facebook page.

Copies of "Make It! Mid-Century Modern" can also be purchased directly from Curbly. A PDF download of the eBook is available for $9.99 or you can order a printed version of the book for $18.00.

Even though Curbly's Mid-Century Modern Month is coming to an end soon the site continues to be a great resource for seasoned as well as inexperienced do-it-yourself enthusiasts who are looking for inspiration and new ideas. Their blog is updated regularly and if you become a member of the Curbly community you can take full advantage of everything the site has to offer.

- Curbly.com | DIY Design Community

Window Shopping: Klassik by Lynne

2010-01-12T16:15:00.007-07:00

Over the weekend my guy and I took a break from all the stress associated with purchasing our first home and we decided to do a little window shopping in the East Bay.

One of our favorite discoveries was a place hidden away in Emeryville called Klassik by Lynne that sells vintage Danish mid-century furniture, art, fixtures and other lovely things imported directly from Denmark. Many of the pieces were reasonably priced and the owner was very friendly and helpful. If you ever find yourself in Emeryville I highly recommend visiting Klassik by Lynne. We definetly plan to revisit the place after we get moved into our new home.

- www.klassikbylynne.com

Inspection Week Complete!

2010-01-09T09:24:00.006-07:00

After a trying week of home inspections and lots of negotiations, we're finally moving forward with purchasing our first home. Buying a 56 year old house that hasn't been cared for very well is a challenge and besides needing a new roof, the house also needs a whole host of other repairs that will take us a few years to complete while we renovate.

I'm nervous about the challenges ahead but buying a "fixer-upper" also has its own rewards. I'm really looking forward to giving the place all kinds of personal touches and turning it into a real home. By mid-late February we should have the keys to our first home in our hands!

Living Rooms (1956-59)

2009-12-31T14:14:00.003-07:00

For my the last selection of images from 1956-59 magazines I'm sharing some of my favorite pics of living spaces. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

1956

1957

1958

1959

If you'd like to see more images of living spaces from 1956-59 you can find them in my Flickr gallery.

I really hope you enjoyed this look at late '50s interiors. I find these images really inspiring and I look forward to borrowing ideas from them to use in my own home. Next year I plan on sharing interior shots from my favorite decade, the '60s! In the meantime feel free to browse through images from the early to mid part of the mid-century in my growing Flickr Mid-Century Living Collection.

Bedrooms (1956-59)

2009-12-31T13:20:00.003-07:00

A selection of pics featuring bedrooms from 1956-59.

1956

1957

1958

1959

If you would like to see more images of mid-century bedrooms from 1956-59 you can find them in my Flickr gallery. Next up, pics of livingrooms from 1956-59!

Kitchens (1956-59)

2009-12-30T09:49:00.002-07:00

Today I'm posting some images of mid-century kitchens from 1956-59. As I've mentioned before, kitchens are one of my favorite rooms in any home and I love these designs. Hope you enjoy them to.

1956

1957

1958

1959

If you would like to see more images of mid-century kitchens from 1956-59 you can find them in my Flickr gallery. Tomorrow I'll be sharing images of bedrooms & livingrooms.

Bathrooms 1956-59

2009-12-29T17:32:00.005-07:00

I thought I'd finish the year by sharing some images from late '50s interiors (1956-59). The images are from old magazines such as Better Homes & Gardens, Life, etc. First up, bathrooms:

1957

1958

1959

Tomorrow... Kitchens!

Holiday Miracles Do Happen!

2009-12-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

I got an unexpected X-mas gift this year. This afternoon our real estate agent called to let my hubby and I know that the bank had finally decided to accept our offer on the '50s custom built atomic ranch house described in the listing as an "Eichler imitation." After a month of intense negotiations that had left me feeling more than a little discouraged, we get to celebrate Christmas eve along with the purchase of our first home.

The last 6 months have been tough going and buying a short sale home proved to be a complicated process. But I think the wait and research we did was well worth the effort and really paid off in the end.

Now comes the house inspections, moving process and if all goes well settling into our new home some 40 miles away from our current one bedroom apartment that we've lived in for the past 12 years. I'm excited about moving to the beautiful Napa Valley and I look forward to experiencing all that the Valley has to offer. I know next to nothing about wine except that I like mine red but I suspect that I'll enjoy learning about Napa's number one export.

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all get to experience a miracle of your own this X-mas season.

Living Rooms (1950-55)

2009-12-03T06:33:00.003-07:00

Today is the last day of my early '50s interior design showcase. The images below feature living rooms from 1950-55.

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

If you'd like to see more early '50s living rooms you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Early '50s Bedrooms (1950-55)

2009-12-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

This is a collection of images featuring bedrooms from the early '50s (1950-55). All this week I'll be sharing images of early interior design from 1952-1955 here so if you're interested in the early half of the '50s check back often.

I've noticed that bedrooms seem to be the most conservative rooms in the American home. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me much but I have been kind of baffled by how traditional and conservative the bedrooms looked in the late '40s as well as the early '50s. It seems as if it was the last room in the house to modernize. If I had more time I could probably make a case for it being symbolic of the countries deeply problematic views of sex and human sexuality.

1952

1953

1954

1955

If you'd like to see more early '50s bedrooms you can find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow, early '50s Living Rooms!

Early '50s Bathrooms (1950-55)

2009-12-01T11:58:00.002-07:00

This is a collection of images featuring bathrooms from the early '50s (1953-55). All this week I'll be sharing images of early interior design from 1950-1955 here so if you're interested in the early half of the '50s check back often!

1953

1954

1955

If you'd like to see more early '50s bathrooms you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow, early '50s Bedrooms!

Early '50s Kitchen (1950-55)

2009-11-30T10:04:00.008-07:00

This is a collection of images featuring kitchens from the early '50s (1950-55). All this week I'll be sharing images of early interior design from 1950-1955 here so if you're interested in the early half of the '50s check back often!

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

If you'd like to see more early '50s kitchens you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow, early '50s Bathrooms!

Film Poster for HOME

2009-11-27T12:08:00.006-07:00

Normally I post all my movie related chatter at my film blog Cinebeats but I recently came across this wonderful poster for the 2008 French film HOME at The Auteurs site and I just had to share it here.

HOME is a comedy/drama and it has just opened in limited release across the US so I don't know much about it yet, but I absolutely love the poster for it. It features the French actress Isabelle Huppert in a really cute vintage looking kitchen surrounded by what looks like mid-century modern furniture and bright cookware. It's incredibly eye-catching and I really like the fonts they used in the design. It would look great framed! Hopefully the movie is as good as the poster looks.

A Pyrex Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is only a few days away so I thought I'd share these Pyrex holiday recipes from their 1955 ad campaign in Better Homes & Gardens. I often associate Pyrex with the holidays because I can distinctly remember my mother's kitchen being full of Pyrex bowls and cookware during Thanksgiving and throughout Christmas.

The 1955 Pyrex Thanksgiving Menu:
- Fresh Fruit Cup
- Roast Turkey
- Celery Stuffing
- Baked Broccoli
- Bacon & Sweet Potatoes
- Pecan Pie
- Cranberry Sauce
- Coffee

Recipes, ideas and baking suggestions are all included in the Pyrex ad above. Just click on the image to see the full-size version.

Vintage Pyrex glassware is very popular and extremely collectible now due to it's longevity, smart design and bright colors. If you'd like to learn more about vintage Pyrex I highly recommend visiting the Pyrex Love site where you'll find helpful pattern references and an FAQ. Pyrex Love is also responsible for the wonderful Pyrex Love Flickr Group where Pyrex owners share pictures of their colorful Pyrex collections.

For more information about Pyrex visit the official Pyrex company website:
- Pyrex Products

Will This Be My Home?

2009-11-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Top: Exterior shot
Middle: Example of what the front door looks like
Bottom: Interior shot

The past 4 months have been exciting and frustrating. While looking for a home that fits our budget we've occasionally wasted time looking at houses that we knew we could never afford. But the current housing market is unpredictable and you never know what to expect. This weekend we got an unexpected surprise.

We've had our eye on this custom built 1955 atomic ranch house for months and it suddenly dropped 40k from it's asking price. We immediately decided to make an offer on it and much to our surprise, it was excepted!

The house is the second home of a woman that actually lives in the neighborhood but it's a "short sale" which means the offer also has to be approved by the bank. At the moment we're in the beginning stages of escrow but until we get bank approval and go through inspections I'm trying to remain calm, cool and collected without getting too attached to the house since the deal could still fall apart.

The place needs a LOT of work and it will undoubtedly take us a few years to get it into tip top shape but if we do get the house I'm looking forward to the challenge of restoring it.

Own A Piece Of History

2009-11-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love to bowl. Throughout the '90s my guy and I went bowling regularly. We tried to get friends to bowl with us and occasionally we'd convince them to come along, but for the most part we were a solo act. For one reason or another I haven't bowled much in the last 10 years but I really want to start doing it again for fun. Hopefully whatever town we end up moving to will have a working bowling ally so we can start playing again.

I'm mentioning all this because I recently came across an interesting article posted at Inhabitat that talked about a sustainable furniture designer by the name of William Stranger who makes furniture from the recycled wood of abandoned bowling alleys. I hate to see old bowling alleys torn down and vacant but I love the fact that someone is making good use of the remaining parts. The tables and wall art that William Stranger has created is really impressive and I'd happily have one of his pieces in my own home.

You can find more information about William Stranger and his sustainable furniture at his website: strangerfurniture.com

How Livable Is A Modern House?

2009-11-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

Since my look at early mid-century design is coming to an end I thought I'd share a fun article that explores the future of home design.

Between 1941-1948 Walker Art Center in Minneapolis conceived and built two homes as part of their ambitious Idea House Project. These two split-level modern homes were designed by museum staff members William Friedman and Hilde Reiss in association with local architect Malcolm Lien and they were the first fully functional modern homes built by an American museum. These impressive houses were created during the US housing shortage after WW2 in an effort to educate the public about modern home design. The contemporary homes featured the latest technologies, new furniture concepts and open floor plans. They were presented to the general public as "Idea Houses" and visitors were encouraged to use them as inspiration for their own home building and design projects.

In 1948 Life Magazine asked an "average American family" to move into one of the Idea Houses for a week so they could document the family's experience. The magazine asked the family "How Livable Is A Modern House?" and the results are fascinating to read. The family is obviously a little confused and intimidated by some of the home's contemporary design elements, but overall they seemed to enjoy the homes modern conveniences and open layout.

Colors & Patterns from 1946

2009-11-07T00:40:00.000-07:00

To round out the week that I've devoted to early mid-century design, I thought I'd share this great piece from a 1946 issue of Better Homes & Gardens about the use of colors and patterns. It's really helpful if you happen to own a late '40s home and it could be inspiring for anyone looking for ideas on how to give their home an early mid-century look. Click on the images to see them full size.

'40s Living Rooms

2009-11-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

Living Rooms are my favorite room of the house (followed by kitchens) probably because they're where you usually relax and entertain guests. In mid-century homes it's also common to have a dinning room that's part of the living area and you can see one example of that below. Open floorplans became much more common in the '50s.

1946

1947

1948

1949

If you'd like to see more '40s living rooms you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Over the weekend I'm going to continue celebrating the '40s and share some really nice articles I've found on modern homes and the use of color so if you enjoy early mid-century design keep an eye out for them!

'40s Bedrooms

2009-11-05T03:28:00.000-07:00

Early mid-century bedrooms seemed to take a little longer to modernize than any other room in the American home. Bedrooms remained rather traditional looking until the late '40s but you can still come across some nice design elements or color combinations. Here are some of the more interesting examples I've come across.

1947

1948

1949

If you'd like to see more '40s bedrooms you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow, '40s Living Rooms!

'40s Bathrooms

2009-11-04T08:58:00.001-07:00

A little delayed but as promised, here are some various images from early mid-century bathrooms (1945-49). I didn't have a lot on hand but here's a few of the more interesting images I could find.

1945

1947

1948

If you'd like to see more '40s bathrooms you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow, '40s Bedrooms!

'40s Kitchens

2009-11-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is a collection of images featuring kitchens from the '40s that I've recently scanned from old magazines. All this week I'll be featuring late '40s interior design here so if you're interested in the early half of the mid-century (roughly 1945-49) check back often!

Some of these kitchen designs are really neat and I love the occasional bold use of color (they sure loved green, blue and yellow!).'40s kitchens often seem to have a very cozy feel to them that I can appreciate.

1945

1946

1947

1948

1949

If you'd like to see more '40s kitchens you'll find them in my Flickr Gallery.

Tomorrow, '40s Bathrooms!

Easy Breezy Halloween Masks With '50s Flare

2009-10-30T09:44:00.000-06:00

Halloween is just around the corner! If you're in need of an easy to assemble Halloween mask look no further than your kitchen. You probably have at least some elements there to create one of these kooky Halloween masks originally worn in the '50s. Who knew paper bags could look so great? Click on the images to see the instructions full size!

If you're hosting a Halloween party for yourself or your kids consider putting together a bunch of mask making supplies and allowing guests to create their own masks. It could be a fun and creative way to entertain family or friends!

Helpful Links For Those On The Move

2009-10-25T15:51:00.000-06:00

For the past few months I've been focused on moving and there are a lot of helpful sites that have been extremely useful during my search for a new home. Some of these sites will undoubtedly be familiar, but I thought I'd share a collection of links to sites that I visit on a regular basis because they might help someone else who is in the process of moving.

If you're moving to a new area you can find lots of helpful information at Sperling's Best Places. The site maintains a large database of facts about every town in America covering important topics such as health care, the economy, housing, crime rates and public transportation.

Sperling's Best Places - http://www.bestplaces.net

My husband an I only own one car and we have no intention of buying another one so having easy access to public transportation and local businesses is important to us. Walk Score is a terrific site that lets you know what shops, public parks, libraries and other places of interest are nearby and easily walkable from your home.

Walk Score - http://www.walkscore.com

Crime Report offers detailed crime reports of any area. Just type in the location you're interested in and Crime Report will create a detailed map with notes about local crimes committed within a 3-30 day time period or more.

Crime Reports - http://www.crimereports.com

Family Watchdog is very similar to Crime Report but its focus is on violent sexual crimes. Once you type in your location Family Watchdog will create a map that lets you know the location of sexual offenders in your area so you can make smart and safe decisions to protect yourself and your family.

Family Watchdog - http://www.familywatchdog.us

Want to know where you can get a good sushi meal in town? Need to find someone to help you move? Yelp is the place to go! Yelp gives locals the opportunity to review shops, businesses, restaurants, etc. If you haven't tried using Yelp yet, what are you waiting for?

Yelp - http://www.yelp.com

The Find Good Food site can help you find local, sustainable, and organic food in your area. If you're concerned about the environment, eating well and supporting local businesses I highly recommend giving the Find Good Food site a look.

Find Good Food - http://www.eatwellguide.org

Last bit not least, Floor Planner is a great site that lets you create a customizable floor plan of your house or apartment. You can use this helpful tool to plan out your room design and figure out if that new couch you just bought will fit into your new home. This valuable tool can save you a whole lot of time and money, and it's free to use!

Floor Planner - http://floorplanner.com

Adventures in House Hunting Part III.

2009-10-22T04:30:00.000-06:00

The house hunting has not been going all that well. In the last month we've bid on two of the houses pictured below without success. After 3 months the house hunting adventure we've embarked on has worn me down, but I'm determined to not get too discouraged. There has to be a house out there for us and hopefully we'll find it.

Early '60s home with a fabulous original garage door

Cute storybook ranch house built in 1961

Mid-century modern home built in 1951

Atomic ranch house built in 1955

Need a new doormat?

2009-10-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

In today's San Francisco Chronicle columnist Zahid Sardar wrote up an interesting piece about rug designer Angela Adams and her new line of doormats. These colorful designs would look great in front of a mid-century home.

The doormats were designed for indoor and outdoor use, and they're constructed from a durable material called coir which is made from the husk of coconuts. Adams decided to use coir when designing her doormats because of the material's vintage quality and natural fiber.

You can find out more about these new doormats and purchase them online at Adams' official website:
- Angela Adams

Recommended Read:
- Coconut Makes a Stylish Doormat by Zahid Sardar

16 Pumpkin Carving Tips From 1962

2009-10-13T11:20:00.000-06:00

With Halloween right around the corner I'm sure many people are thinking about ways to spruce up their home for the upcoming holiday. This helpful article from 1962 offers great ideas on how to decorate with jack-o-lanterns that should fit right into any mid-century home. Just click on images to see them full size!

Color Is Busting Out All Over!

2009-10-09T22:26:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about commonly used mid-century colors and color combinations. Unlike many home owners today, mid-century home owners were not afraid of color. They used color to brighten up the outside of their homes as well as the inside.

I recently came across a great article about color and its many uses in an old issue of Better Homes & Gardens from 1955 that I found really inspiring. It has some great tips and suggestions that still seem incredibly modern and always ahead of their time. I hope some blog readers will find the article as interesting as I did. Just click on the images to see them full size.

The Art of the Garage Door

2009-10-02T13:28:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite aspects of mid-century home design is the creative way builders and home owners designed and decorated garage doors. Since I've been home hunting I've come across a lot of wonderful garage door designs and I've also dug up some great articles about how to spice up your own garage door that I thought I would share here. Hopefully these great articles will give other mid-century home owners some ideas on how to add a little flair and style to their own garage doors. Click on images to see them full-size!

Garage Doors (1952):

Garage Doors (1954):

Garage Doors (1961):

If you'd like to see more photos of mid-century style garage doors I highly recommend visiting the Modern Garage Doors group @ Flickr. You'll find lots of inspiration and colorful ideas there!

Save the Pink Bathrooms!

2009-09-23T09:35:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite mid-century sites is Retro Renovation run by Pam Kueber who also created the wonderful Save the Pink Bathrooms site.

I love mid-century style pink bathrooms and decided to scan some images of them from old decorating magazines I have so I could share them here (click on images to see them full size in all their pink glory!). You can also see many more pictures of pink bathrooms at Pam's "Save the Pink Bathrooms" Flickr group.

Pink Bathroom (1955):

Pink Bathroom (1956):

Pink Bathroom (1961):

Decorating Ideas to Steal From Mad Men

2009-09-22T08:51:00.000-06:00

CasaSugar just posted a nice piece called Decorating Ideas to Steal From Season Three of Mad Men. I'm a Mad Men fan myself so I enjoyed reading her decor tips. Below are a just a couple of my favorites but check out the whole article for more great suggestions.

Love the basel chair designed by Jasper Morrison.

This oil painting by artist Alan Robinson is fantastic but a little too rich for my blood. Well worth the price though if you can afford it!

Adventures in House Hunting Part II.

2009-09-20T10:32:00.000-06:00

We've agreed that we need a home with at least 1000 sq. ft. of living space and we decided to focus on trying to find a mid-century ranch house. We personally prefer the style of mid-50s and 'early '60s ranch homes, plus they tend to have more room, the ceilings are higher and the layouts are more open. But the larger size also means that they're a bit more pricey so that's limited our options.

Finding an affordable ranch home in a decent location that's safe from flooding won't be easy but we've expanded our search. Below are some examples of wonderful mid-century ranch homes in the area. Most of them need some work since they've been modified over the years. Only the last three are for sale but the first house caught my eye and I had to snap a pic of it. If it was for sale it would probably be too pricey for us.

Will one of these be my new home? Only time and bidding wars will tell!

Adventures In House Hunting Part I.

2009-09-17T08:14:00.000-06:00

When we first started looking at homes for sale we noticed a lot of really cute mid-40s and early '50s homes that were available.

These houses were often in nice locations (which often meant out of the local "flood zone") and some still had original features. But they were also a bit pricey and very small. On average they only had about 700-800 sq. ft. of room. Occasionally the ceilings were also rather low, which was hard on my 6 ft. 5 inch husband.

The Journey Begins

2009-09-16T18:51:00.000-06:00

Our house-hunting journey started last week after my husband and I received money from the sale of his father's home. My father-in-law owned an incredible Eichler house in Marin County in California, but after he passed away due to complications from cancer last year the family followed his wishes to sell the house and divide the money between his two sons and second wife. My husband really wanted to keep the house in the family and wished he could have purchased it, but unfortunately we just didn’t have the means to buy the Eichler home for ourselves.

Photos of my father-in-law's Eichler Home

After saying goodbye to the fabulous Eichler house we set out on our own journey to find a mid-century home that would fit our budget.

Home prices in California have dropped dramatically in the last year due to the troubled economy. In some areas prices are down as much as 75% and lower than they've been in decades. But we're not alone in our quest for a house and we're competing with many other first time home buyers right now as well as wealthy flippers in the area who are trying to build up their real estate portfolios.

One of the most disappointing aspects of our journey so far is coming across a fabulous older home with it's original kitchen and many original fixtures intact only to be outbid by someone who plans to gut the house and tear out the kitchen so they can replace it with ugly cabinets and granite counter tops.

We hope to find a mid-century home with much of it's original charm intact and restore it. We're not interested in tearing it down and replacing it with a McMansion. Unfortunately we seem to be in the minority, but we're trying not to get discouraged. We know our home is out there somewhere in some long forgotten post-war suburban development and we're determined to find it!