No Pattern Required

By Sablemable aka Jan

Sara is getting waaaaay ahead of me with her projects, so I thought I’d better get cracking!

A while back I did a post on exterior paint colors and asked you, the readers, to help me choose a color for the trim.  Here are the most popular Behr colors I used on that post.

AQUA SPRAY

CORAL DUNE

KEY LIME

LEMON POUND CAKE

I didn’t want Bob (my husband) to vapor-lock on me if I painted a few colors on the current white trim, so took a board and painted the sample colors on it and put it against the brick to compare.

BEHR GRASSCLOTH

A COMBO OF LEMON POUND CAKE/MOJAVE GOLD

A COMBO OF ULTRA WHITE/LEMON POUND CAKE/MOJAVE GOLD/BRONZE GREEN

I kind of like the Grasscloth and the combination of white/lemon/gold/green at the bottom.  What do you guys think?  Should I go with one of them or do some more samples?  I am so chicken when it comes to using colors outside of white!

By Sara In AZ

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OK y’all here are the last few pictures of my beloved neon signs! I hope y’all enjoy.

First is the Kiva Lodge Motel. The Indian with his big Headdress is so awesome. And, just so y’all know – the motel is refrigerated!

I had to include this next neon sign, even though it is actually located in Denver. I took this picture about 4 years ago while we were there visiting family. Unfortunately, I had to take the picture from the car window while we were driving.  But, it is the “Big Bunny” Motel – what is not to love about a sign with a big bunny!!! Sorry the angle is not better on this shot.

The next sign is for the Buckhorn Baths. This is a Motel AND  you could also get a bath in the natural hot springs too. It is a very sweet little place, with cute cottages you could rent out. Unfortunately, the are closed until further notice. I believe they are trying to sell the Baths, but hoping to sell to someone who will refurbish the place and open it back up. If I remember right, they opened in the late 1940s.

Next up is a special sign just for you Miss Eartha.

Well Giddy Up Pardner, it’s time for a stay at the Circle RB Guest Lodge! I absolutely love the cute kitschy cowboy theme on this old sign!

And lastly, The Starlite Motel sign. Isn’t this sign the bomb with the diving ladies! I am so totally in love with this sign. I think if they ever want to tear it down I will get it from them and set it up in my front yard. 

I don’t think my neighbors would mind at all, do you?

Well, I hope y’all enjoyed my tour of old neon signs around town. If I see any more I will be sure to snap some pics for y’all.

If anyone out there has a cool neon sign they want to share, be sure to send in a picture so we can all check it out!

OK! The countdown is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY on now for the Kozy Shack Pudding contest! Voting ends September 15th – next Wednesday! This is my last post before the contest ends next week y’all! Please remember to vote for Eartha Kitsch in the Kozy Shack Contest! Please spread the word if you can! Click HERE for the link. Thanks y’all!

By Sara In AZ

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Don’t y’all just love old neon signs? I truly do think they are such works of art and every time I see one I pray that no one will ever knock it down. There are still some old neon signs left on Main Street in Mesa (also known as Hwy 60), which was a big thru-way back in it’s heyday before we had all these new-fangled freeways and tollways! I thought it would be fun to photograph my favorite neon signs and let y’all share in my kitschy love-fest for these cool old signs.

First up is Watson’s Flowers. I really think this is such a great sign, the colors are spectacular! When Mike’s sister was married she got her flowers from here. I wonder if the sign has been there since 1927? Mmmmm, probably not – huh.

Next up is the Hiway Host sign! I realize this sign does not have as much interest or color as the Watson’s sign, but I thought it was really cool anyway. I love the Starburst on this sign, it really screams 50s!

Here we have the Bill Johnson’s restaurant sign. I love the huge angry looking Longhorn on this sign – “Don’t eat me” he says! Mike told me that his family used to go to this restaurant all the time when he was younger. Maybe we should give it a try sometime?

Lastly, we have the El Capitan sign. I love how this sign has the painted picture of the bomber plane with the Military guy relaxing at a table. So Cool!

Stay tuned everyone, I will have more Neon sign pictures for y’all in my next post on Thursday.

OK! The countdown is on for the Kozy Shack Pudding contest! Voting ends September 15th! Please remember to vote for Eartha Kitsch in the Kozy Shack Contest! Please spread the word if you can! Click HERE for the link. Thanks y’all!

By Sablemable aka Jan

It is too bad that the Detroit Metro area is in dire straits economically as the housing prices in the suburbs are pretty inexpensive. 

Such a house is at 543 Hidden Lane, Grosse Pointe, Michigan.  The brick ranch, built in 1954,  has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2,343 square feet of living space, a 2 car attached garage and is listed at $174,900.00.  Coldwell Banker has the listing and for more information, one can contact them through the Woodward Market Center, (248)288-3500.  Photos are courtesy of Keller Williams (www.kw.com).

THE FRONT

THE FOYER

THE LIVING ROOM (FACES THE REAR OF THE HOUSE)

THE FAMILY ROOM (REAR)

THE KITCHEN (FACES THE STREET)

TWO (2) OF THE BATHROOMS

THE BASEMENT

Even though the photography is poor, this home has all of the features one could ever hope for in an untouched MCM home.  I particularly adore the front entry door (I’ve never seen a door like that before) and the pink corner tub.

What’s your favorite detail(s), Readers?

By Sablemable aka Jan

How can anyone take a lovely, beautiful MCM home as this………..

and this…………..

turning them into something un-MCMrecognizable?   Like, altering the original architecture.

Changing the doors, inside, outside and overhead.

Doing God knows what to the limestone and brick fireplaces.

Ripping out all the marvelous wood and metal kitchen cabinets for something more 21st century.

 Not to mention the new flooring and, God forbide, G-R-A-N-I-T-E countertops!

But the worst crime to be done to a MCM home is the destruction of the pink, blue, yellow and green bathrooms!

Tell me, dear friends; what “upgrades” make you want to scream and claw your face?

By Sara In AZ

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Who amongst us caught the Mad Men episode “The Rejected”  on August 15th or “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” on August 22? Well, I did and I was floored by what I saw! My Sunbeam clock! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Here is a picture from “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” and it shows the clock right between Peggy and Joan.

Picture from video clip on http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/

I bought this clock a few years ago at an Estate sale, and it is the same clock Joan has in her office!!!

Totally bizarre!

Here is a close up of the hands, I think they are so cool.

This clock is really interesting because you can hang it vertically or horizontally. Here are the instructions on the back.

Here is a close up of the Sunbeam label.

And, finally, here is the clock hanging in it’s natural habitat – on the wall above my one armed couch!

Please remember to vote for Eartha Kitsch in the Kozy Shack Contest! Please spread the word if you can, we need to get Eartha’s votes up! Click HERE for the link. Thanks y’all!

By Sablemable aka Jan

Who can say anything bad about MCM bathroom fixtures?  All those brightly colored fixtures with matching or coordinating ceramic tiled walls that makes our MCM  homes so special.

Crane has been around for about 160 years and has acquired American Standard and Eljer.   Here are some of their classic fixtures from 1952.

First off, the color chart.   Starting on the left and going down the columns are Pale Jade; Citrus Yellow; Persian Red; Shell Pink; India Ivory; Sun Tan; French Gray and Sky Blue.

Our favorite sink from the Criterion Group.

The Diana Group in Pale Jade.

Now I know this blog has the most intelligent readers and would know what that little green sink attached to the wall was for, but I, your trusty composer is not that smart.  I thought it was a child’s sink.  Wrong!!!!!  It’s Crane’s oral hygiene lavatory from their Drexel Group!  There’s not a lot of information about these dental lavatories, however, at www.vintageplumbing.com, a customer asked the what and what for of these sinks.  It was believed that one should not brush one’s teeth in the same basin where one washes one’s hands, thus, the dental lavatory was born.  According to Vintage Plumbing, these sinks were seen mostly in homes of the well-to-do.  I adore them!

Who has original Crane or other companies’ fixtures in their homes?  If you have photos, send them to me and I’ll do a follow-up post!

By Sablemable aka Jan

Nothing new in MCM homes for sale here in my area of Michigan, soooo, I paddled my canoe (the poor man’s yacht) across Lake Michigan to the Chicagoland area for a look-see.

At 108 Howe Terrace in Barrington, Illinois, is a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom MCM home built in 1954.  There is 2,334 square feet of living space, a walk-out basement and 2 car attached garage.  Everything looks pretty original, except someone talked the owner(s) into replacing the entry doors.  RE/MAX of Barrington is the broker and has it listed for $398,500.00.  Photos are courtesy of Keller-Williams (www.kw.com).

THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE (2 VIEWS)

THE FOYER

THE COMBO LIVING/DINING ROOM (3 VIEWS)

THE KITCHEN (2 VIEWS)

A YELLOW BATHROOM

A GREEN BATHROOM

THE WALK-OUT BASEMENT

The only drawback I see with this house is the flat roof, which in freezing cold temperatures can be a problem, but I still love the house!

What was my favorite original piece from the home?  The door chimes in the foyer!

By Sara In AZ

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OK, are y’all ready for Part 2 in the block series? Here goes!

Here are 2 different variations on a ‘Diamond’ type block pattern.

Here is a fancy “H” type design. These are actually at my In-Laws house!

When I first saw this one I thought “Diamond” pattern, then I thought no, “Circles”.  No “Diamond”. No “Circles”. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

It’s whatever you want it to be!

Don’t y’all just love this fancy “Circle/Diamond” type pattern!

These “Flower” type blocks are actually on a Church right by my house.

These geometric type blocks are the cats meow! *Meow Meow*

Here are some lovely “Starburst’ blocks! Soooo awesome!

I have to say that these next decorative blocks are my favorite pattern yet!  So kitschy, yet so MCM. I have never seen them on another house around here besides this one, so I wonder if they were custom? Me really loves!

And, lastly, I had to show you this city building in Mesa that is COVERED in decorative block! And when I say covered, I really do mean covered. The block is all over the front and back of the building! So totally cool! You can kind of see some windows behind the block.

Here is a close up of the block.

I know there are a zillion more block patterns out there. When Mike and I go on another block recon mission I will be sure to snap more pics!

Please remember to vote for Eartha Kitsch in the Kozy Shack Contest! Please spread the word if you can, we need to get Eartha’s votes up! Click HERE for the link. Thanks y’all!

By Sara In AZ

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OK, let’s get the bad part out of the way first. I hate to tell y’all about misfortune in the MCM world, and I know there might be a few tears shed by what I am about to tell ya – esp. by Annie B. who has a special fondness for concrete screen block. But just know that I feel as badly as y’all do about this. There is a house in my neighborhood with this AWESOME full wall of decorative concrete screen block surrounding the front door and porch area in the front. Mike and I would always pass by and admire the block because it really added something special to the house, it made it stand out from the others. Recently we saw the house go up for sale and unfortunately a flipper bought it. We fretted that they may knock down the wall because, well because it is different. I watched the house and when the flippers put the house back up for sale the block was still there. Whew…… And then I passed by about 2 weeks later and half the wall had been taken down. I about threw myself on the ground and almost had a tantrum right there! I quick looked in the alley hoping they had dumped them there and then I could haul them all back to my house, but nothing was there. Bummer. They must have taken them all down and brought them to the dump immediately. Double bummer. In my own little dream world I hope the screen block that was taken away is in a much happier place now!

Decorative Screen Block Heaven perhaps???

Here is a before picture of the house.

And here is the dreaded after.

Here is the block from the inside of the half wall. You can see the cool plus sign type design.

Are y’all throwing a tantrum like I did? I know, I know. Sara is here for y’all – now, now it is gonna be OK. Poor little screen block.

OK, glad that is out of the way!  I thought it would be fun to go around Phoenix and try to find as many different types of decorative concrete screen block as we could. We have concrete screen block out the wazoo here, especially in the older areas built in the 1950s, 1960s and into the 1970s! We do LOVE our concrete fencing around here!

Check out this kind of ‘Reverse Plus Sign’ type of block.

And who does not love the wagon wheel? I do!

And here is the double wagon wheel, so it actually looks like a wagon wheel. Weeeeeeeeee!

I like to think of this one as a type of hourglass design with a diamond in the middle.

Here is a cool fancy X type design.

I totally love the circle block!

And do y’all remember this house that was for sale a while back here in AZ? It has the same awesome circle block, as pictured above, fencing in the whole courtyard! Be still my heart!

Here are some more circle blocks  just on a smaller scale. Me loves!

And lastly, this ultra cool block in sort of a  lightning bolt pattern. I love how the design of all the blocks together makes either an X or O pattern depending on how you look at it. Really awesome block!

Stay tuned y’all! More Decorative Concrete Screen Block on Thursday!

Please remember to vote for Eartha Kitsch in the Kozy Shack Contest! Please spread the word if you can, we need to get Eartha’s votes up! Click HERE for the link. Thanks y’all!