No Pattern Required

By RetroRuth

So, we went up and visited my parents in Minocqua, Wisconsin over the Fourth of July weekend.  I must say, they have a sweet little set-up there.  And I thought it was even sweeter after my mom showed me the clubhouse in the little senior park that they live in.  It was completely 1960′s, and not ashamed of itself at all!

My favorite was the library with the two cute gold reading chairs.  Adorable!

By Sara In AZ

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I have to say that reader Shen must be the “Goddess” of all time capsule spotters! Shen is the one who spotted the time capsule gem with the Starburst door escutcheon a few weeks back. Click HERE for a link to that house. Shen recently spotted this totally bomb-a-licious MCM time capsule house in Phoenix, and I knew I had to share it with y’all. I think the only thing that had been updated in this house was the flooring. I have to say that this house would be THE PERFECT HOUSE for Mike and I – if it was not for the $995,000 price tag! EEPS!!!! This  house was built in 1956 and has 5 bedrooms and 4,114 sq. feet. On with the tour………………..

The front of the house with awesome brick and stone work. I think(???) the light stone could be limestone – not sure though.

The mailbox was a new, custom made, mailbox- but it looked so cool and MCM I had to take a pic of it.

The front entry also had planters with the same stone as the outside planters.

The original doorbell/clock to the left of the entry.

And now we step down into the formal living room. You can see the fireplace is done in the same fabulous white stone and has a really cool design! Love all the windows! And the lights!

Formal dining room.

Now for the kitchen! I believe the painted wood cabinets were original, but the I do not think the paint was original. Obviously, the appliances and faucet are new and the counter tops were a Corian type material. I have to say for a million dollars I thought the kitchen would be in better shape. You can’t really tell from the pics, but the cabinets were not in that great of shape. The paint was sticky/tacky and you could not close some cabinets or open other ones. Some of the cabinet wood was falling apart too. I thought the kitchen was charming, I guess it just needs some metal cabinets like yours Ruth!

Family room, with cool fireplace.

Laundry room.

OK, here is the first of 4 bathrooms. Get out your smelling salts here kids! They have THE BEST shower doors in this house!!!

2nd bathroom. Get a load of the Crane fixtures, I love the faucets! All the bathrooms, except for the yellow one above, had the cool Crane faucets. I believe all the mosaic type tile on the floors and tub surround is new. And, it looks like there was a slight accident with the toilet lid cover – oops!

3rd bathroom. Love the turquoise!

OMG! Really get out your smelling salts now kids, this is the 4th and final bathroom – the master bathroom- and it does not disappoint! PINK, PINK, PINK! This is the pink bathroom of my dreams!

The master closet is HUGE, with TONS of built ins!

Most of the bedrooms had these cool original ceiling lights.

And finally, the backyard. Lovely!

Oh boy, this one is a real doozy! I really do love this house, but it is soooooo far out of our price range we can only dream about it. Who knows, maybe we will win the lottery! I really do hope whoever does get this house really loves all the charm it has to offer and does not rip out all the retro bathrooms. Please, please, please don’t rip out those cool bathrooms!!! Thanks again Shen for an awesome find – keep them coming girl!

By Sara In AZ

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Mike and I went to another Estate Sale this past Saturday and the house turned out to be a time capsule that was up for sale! This house was built in 1956 and has 3 bedrooms with 1800 sq. feet. There is also a guest house, in the  back, with 500 sq. feet. This house is selling for $374,900 and is on the Phoenix/Scottsdale border.

The front of the house.

The front entry. Look at that old wallpaper!

The kitchen had really nice original knotty pine cabinets. Oh, I hope the next owner leaves these cabinets in, they are really nice!

I think the stove top/hood may be a bit newer than 1956.

The kitchen area had a really nice beamed ceiling, though I think I would get rid of the wallpaper in between the beams. Just sayin’.

 The TV area also had original cabinetry.

One of the bedrooms also had the Eagle wallpaper.

I think the bathrooms in this house had been re-done. This was the only bathroom in the main  house I could get a pic of.

The guest house was pretty cute.

The kitchen was cute also, with the original cabinets and a cute little metal kitchen set-up – with a refrigerator, stove  and sink all in one (you can’t see the stove burners, because they are covered by plates !).

The bathroom in the guest house looked original too, with light brown linen look Formica counter tops.

This house was cute, but not the right size, or layout,  for Mike and I. The search for our very own time capsule goes on…….

Stay tuned, on Thursday a TOTALLY bomb-a licious time capsule in Phoenix spotted by Shen!!!!

By Sara In AZ

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First off, let me offer my many thanks to reader Shen for doing some retro recon for us all! Shen is a great time capsule spotter and lover of vintage homes, in fact she has a vintage 50s house herself and I am dying to see pics of it. Please Shen, Please! Shen knows how hard it is to find time capsule houses here in the Phoenix area - where everyone seems to love granite, granite, granite – so she has been trying to help me in my search for a time capsule (thanks, Shen!). Here is a rare Phoenix time capsule that Shen recently visited while there was an open house. She was kind enough to take mucho photos for all of us to drool over. Fasten your seat belts kids, we’re off!~

Cool 1950s  brick rancher.

Check out that Rad-A-Licious Starburst Door Escutcheon!

Door Interior. The good ol’ days when you still had mail through the door. Now everyone in newer houses gets to go to the big gray community box!

Cool planter on the inside! Who didn’t want an indoor planter in the 50s?

Looking down the entry hallway. By the above planter.

Super cool flooring in the entry hallway!

Waaaaay rad living room! Check out the original lights and the blonde paneling and the built-ins! LOVE that fireplace!

Cool matching pole light by the patio door.

Pass through to the kitchen.

The kitchen. Hey Shen, what kind of floors were those in the kitchen?

Original tile and stove top in the kitchen.

Double ovens, but I am not sure if  these are from the 50s??? Looks more later 60s to me.

Cool atomic drawer liner paper in one of the kitchen drawers.

Awesome mint green bathroom, though I think the tile looks like it has been renovated  more recently.

Such a cool shower door!!!

Cool old heater in the wall and one of those rotating toothbrush holders. Gotta love that!

And, the built in Kleenex holder.

Vanity area.

Even more awesome shower door in the other bathroom!

I think this could be original wallpaper in the powder room. Looks like seashells.

Cool retro light fixture.

Retro wall sconce.

This house is in central Phoenix and was built in 1954. It is for sale for $295,000.  It is a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath with 2,400 sq. feet.  Thanks again Shen for all these great pictures, we really appreciate it! Great job!!! Does anyone want to save a time capsule in Phoenix?

***ALERT*** Mary Deluxe of Welcome To Deluxeville is having a giveaway! She is giving away this cool 1950s lamp.

If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, you definitely should. Click HERE for the link. She has the best retro atomic pad and she always has great pics of her vintage clothes. Here is a pic of Mary D. I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna enter right now!

By Sara In AZ

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OK, so a while back Mike and I were possibly going to be moving to Colorado. With the possibility of a move, I started checking out real estate online a bit north of the Denver area. Well, I came across this Mid-Century Dream House in Fort Collins, Colorado – which is about an hour north of downtown Denver. My Mom was living in the Denver area at the time (my aunt and uncle also live there) so I begged, and I pleaded for her to go check out this house for me – and she did! Thanks Mom! Unfortunately, Mom is not as much of a psycho picture taker as I am, so there are not that many pictures to show you all…………..but you will get the idea anyway. Man, I probably would have been in this place all day long taking pictures, they would have had to drag me outta’ here. This house was built in1960 and is a total time capsule!

The first pic is the only pic I have of the front of the house. That is the real estate agent and my cousin walking up the path.

These super awesome decorative blocks were in the front entry, just beside the front door.

In the formal living room the whole wall had this awesome flagstone fireplace and built in blonde bookshelf/cabinets.

Check out that awesome original light fixture in the formal dining room! The ceiling for both the formal living room and formal dining room was covered in this tongue and groove blonde wood with these awesome beams. Oh my gosh, I am in love!

It is kitchen time! And the kitchen does not disappoint. It also had the tongue and groove blonde wood with the awesome beams! As you can see it also had the original light fixtures and the original birch cabinets. Just lovely! I wonder if that counter top is gold flecked Formica??? I’ll just bet it is.

Here is the other side of the kitchen.  This side backed up to the flagstone fireplace and had a cute little indoor grill!

Here is a picture of one of the bathrooms! Hooray for turquoise! Check out that turquoise toilet in the mirror and the gold fleck Formica counter top! I think I have gone to retro heaven!

Here is the pink bathroom! I SOOOO wish that I had more pics to show y’all. Mom said that it had all pink fixtures though. Check out the cool decorative tile in the shower.

Here is a pic of the back of the house. Love, love, love those original light fixtures!!!

Finally, here is a floor plan of the house that the real estate agent sent to me. It will give you a pretty good idea of the layout of the house.

So, this house was for sale alllllllll the way back in September 2006 (gosh time flies!) - that is when I was looking at it anyway, for I *think* around $280,000. We obviously never moved there or I would be writing to you all from Sara’s retro dream land right now. He He!  I was totally in love with this time capsule house and I tried to keep track of it to see if/when it ever sold, but I do not think it ever did sell. I think the owners just pulled it off the market and have held onto it ever since. I sincerely hope if they ever do sell it that it goes to someone who adores Mid-Century. Please retro gods – can you hear me???

Okay, so not much today for time capsules, so we are going to play Frankenhouse today.  What’s Frankenhouse?  Well, it’s where I take aspects from a bunch of different houses until I get what I want, which is a perfect time capsule.  Is it cheating?  Maybe.  Is it my blog and can I do whatever I want?  Mmmmm…most definitely.

First of all, I want a completely adorable exterior, and this house in Essexville  ($119,000)is very cute.

Or maybe I should go with the exterior of this house in Midland ($169,900)?  I drive past this all the time, and I always drool over it.  Now it is for sale!

Either way, I am going with the dining room from the Midland house.  That room divider is so amazing, I almost can’t breathe. Whew.

For the kitchen, I am totally going with this house from Bay City ($114,900).  It is just screaming to make the Mid-Century Menu.  Check out those nice, light cabinets! All it needs is a better floor.

The bathroom needs to be classic pink, of course, like the one from this house in Bay City ($105,500).

And this can be my bedroom…or my craftroom…or the room I spend the rest of my life in.  Check out that floor! God! And the lights, so cool. From this house in Saginaw ($89,900).

Have a great Sunday!

Today I am showing another cute house in Saginaw, but remember the cavat from last week, everyone.  Don’t get too excited, there are no jobs in Saginaw.

This house is a really cute three bedroom ranch that was built in 1954.  It is about 1200 square feet and the cost is $72,900.  Once again, that is not a typo.

Cute original kitchen cabinets.  I love the shutter doors on the uppers.  I have found that is a cabinet around here.

Every mid-century house needs a little knotty pine.

Cute peach bathroom that reminds me a lot of our master bathroom. Wish they had a better picture of the floor!

This picture is a little dark, but that looks like a black asbestos tile floor and there is a cute french provincial vanity under those boxes!

And, to top it all off, a little screen porch!

So, a lot of interesting houses for sale this week, but not many in my hometown of Midland.  I ended up going to Saginaw for houses, which is only about 15 minutes away from Midland.

Now, don’t get too excited about the specs on this house, guys.  Sure, it is tasteful and gorgeous and cheap, but no one wants to move to Sagniaw.  Mostly because there are no jobs. Which is why they have a ton of houses on the market right now.

This MCM house is about 1300 square feet and is currently going for $92,900.  No,  I didn’t not type that wrong.  Yes, that is how much it is. And it is very pretty. But you don’t want to move to Saginaw.

Love the outside, very nice.  The iron accents are great. 

Interesting kitchen. What do you think, orignal cabinets?  I was thinking no, but around the right corner is a very vintage looking shelf.  Maybe just the shelf is original.

Cute retro kitchen table. I like it.

Once again, cute.

Very simple furniture, but it looks good. I love the fireplace, that is the same door we have on our fireplace, and the mulit-colored slate hearth is an excellent touch.

Even the laundry has a great mid-century touch.  Love that light!

Love the wood floor.

 *Gasp*

Oh my god! It looks like ice cream!

I LOVE this bathroom. Soooo dreamy.  And this is the first time I have ever seen that mint green with peach fixtures.  And I have to say, I love it! The shuttered cabinets are great, too.

But don’t move to Saginaw.  Just…no.

Pink is the name of this game in this awesome 1967 time capsule for sale right now in Midland.  Pink counter in kitchen, pink bedroom and, oh yeah, TWO pink and blue bathrooms.  I think I feel faint. Sable, are you with me??

Anyway, the house is just under 2000 square feet with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.  They are only asking $109,900 because according to them it needs “TLC”.   Of course, I totally, totally love it.

Wait…let me catch my breath.  Those are terrible pictures of those bathrooms, I am sure they are much better than those pictures.

The only thing is…what is the deal with the oven in the kitchen??? Is it just sitting on the countertop?

Eh, who cares. I’ll take it!

As I mentioned in my previous post about the Woods Cafe, my parents recently bought a little house on a lake in Woodruff, Wisconsin in a retirement community.  I was really excited for them because they have been wanting to move up there for years, but also because the place was built in the early 1970′s and has never been updated.

“You will love it!”  my mom squealed over the phone, “there is even a yellow toilet in the bathroom!”

“Really?  Sounds awesome.  Take some pictures for me.”

“I will.  But your father wants to take them out.”

“No way!  Tell him no.”

I could hear my mom, muffled, as she turned to talk to my dad. “She says you can’t take out the toilet,” and a quiet, ”Oh crap,” in the background.

My mom came back on the phone.  “Your father said ‘Oh, crap’.”

I rolled my eyes.  “Yeah, Mom.  I heard him.”

But I think my dad is starting to warm up to the yellow fixtures.  He even found a yellow toilet seat to replace the white one that was on their when they bought the place, so I think I might have him convinced!