May

6

When in Doubt, Call in the Experts

Filed by amy Under House, Houston, Resources | Leave a Comment

I’ve spent the past few months memorizing the entire Benjamin Moore paint line, looking for a trim color for the house.  You’d think it’d be easy, right? Wrong. I can’t just appease the neighbors, paint the thing beige, and call it a done deal. Why? Because #1 It’s Boring and #2 It’s Not Authentic to 1956. I [...]

Apr

12

A note on cleaning wood floors

Filed by mrbill Under House, Resources | 1 Comment

Krud Cutter and Holy Cow are great for getting years of accumulated wax and dirt off 50-year-old wood floors. We’ve got a couple of test patches so far that show we have an absolutely beautiful floor underneath all the grime; a lot of elbow grease and some re-waxing later the dining room is going to [...]

Jan

24

Awww, thanks!

Filed by mrbill Under Resources, Retro | 1 Comment

Thanks to “Meanwhile Back At the Ranch”, the Midcentury Style Blog, for naming us as one of their recipients of the “One Lovely Blog” awards. I don’t have the time right now to do likewise, but wanted to say thanks.

Oct

19

Awesome Lighting Fixture Sources

Filed by mrbill Under House, Resources, Retro | 2 Comments

Amy recently found REJUVENATION for lighting, shades, and hardware, and Schoolhouse Electric Co. for period light fixtures and glass shades.

Oct

2

Update on the Popular Mechanics articles

Filed by mrbill Under Houston, Pictures, Resources, Retro | Leave a Comment

Back in January I posted some pictures I’d taken of interesting articles from the 1961 “Popular Mechanics Illustrated Home Handyman Encyclopedia & Guide”. I’m happy to report that Popular Mechanics has given me permission to produce PDF versions of their articles as long as I don’t alter the content and provide a link to their [...]

May

10

New Resources

Filed by mrbill Under House, Resources, Retro | Leave a Comment

I’ve added Crestview Doors to the Links & Resources section. They’re a great place to find Mid-Century Modern-inspired front doors for your Fifties House.

Jan

5

MAKE Magazine from the 1950s, in a way

Filed by mrbill Under Resources, Retro | 1 Comment

I recently found a 4-volume set of the Popular Mechanics Illustrated Home Handyman Encyclopedia & Guide (from 1961) in the bargain bin at a local used book store. The ~4000 pages of projects are basically the equivalent of today’s MAKE Magazine with tons of stuff that wouldn’t be printed today due to liability concerns. They’ve [...]

Feb

7

Fifties Paint

Filed by mrbill Under Resources, Retro, Utilities | 1 Comment

The great site Populuxe Books has posted scans of original 1950s DuPont and Sherwin-Williams paint color swatches to their blog. While DuPont and Sherwin-Williams make great paint to color your home or business with, Security Camera & CCTV Camera Equipment make great camera systems to secure your home/business with. When considering any home security, be [...]