A Blank Canvas

[V.C. Brunswick]

I'm in the process of fixing up my house. It's an ugly suburban cookie cutter built in 1971 but I would like to give it a nice vintage/Golden Era flavor if it all possible. Though it isn't 100% yet, here's the living room of which I've had some work done. Any suggestions?

 

[Stearmen]

The number one job, would be to sand off the popcorn ceiling texture. Nothing screams 60-70s more then that. Some wide ceiling cornice would help, much cheaper then it used to be, now that there are some man made alternatives. Man that room is 70s, I think The Brady Bunch are about to walk in!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Yeah, I've got my work cut out for me. Speaking of the 70's you should have seen the shag carpeting that was there before.

 

[Tomasso]

In all the vintage homes/apartments I've had there were loads of moldings, wainscoting, dado rails, etc....

 

[R.G. White]

What's your taste?
The ceiling is nice and tall... well, half of it anyway. I'd put some big, potted plants in there. Maybe a couple of palms or something. Also, some nice,older looking rugs. Darker, heavy furniture, too would add to the effect.

 

[scotrace]

Your house wants to be a Dick Van Dyke show set. Sometimes you have to listen to the building.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Your house wants to be a Dick Van Dyke show set. Sometimes you have to listen to the building.

Definitely. I'm seeing Mid-century Modern here. It would look good.

 

[1930artdeco]

Don't forget the lights. From what I see it is rather dark in the rooms. Maybe add some windows if teh budget allows?

Mike

 

[Tomasso]

Sometimes you have to listen to the building.

And there are some who are hard of hearing: I had an aunt in Chicago who moved into a Mies van der Rohe apartment building with her French antique furnishings. At the same moment in time, less than a mile up the road lived Mies van der Rohe, in an Art Deco apartment building filled with modern furniture of his own design. [huh]

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The house keeps telling me macramé wall hangings and bullfight posters. No thanks.

 

[Matt Crunk]

With a vaulted ceiling like that, I think (once you remove the popcorn) some faux beams, very dark and heavy looking, would add a 20s/30s Spanish-influenced California feel to the room, especially if you could add an arched doorway or two.

 

[Shangas]

The number one job, would be to sand off the popcorn ceiling texture.

LISTEN TO THIS MAN.

The house I live in has the same butt-ugly 'popcorn' look on the ceiling as well (also built in the 60s/70s) and it is just hideous - to say nothing of a damn mess whenever it crumbles off into dust on the floor. Fortunately we only have it in one room in the house, and it's not a room we use regularly.

Your house wants to be a Dick Van Dyke show set. Sometimes you have to listen to the building.

Move the doorway up onto the raised platform, add in an ottoman, and you're halfway there.

[video=youtube;wPsofhzu9f0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPsofhzu9f0[/video]

In the last picture, what's that space on the left with all the boxes in it?

Is that a fireplace at the back of the room? I reckon it'd be nice if you put a console radio or large record-player on the hearth to the left of the fireplace. It would break up the incredible ugliness of that exposed brick. On the other side of the fireplace, you could put a bookcase or something. And a 1930s-style mantle-clock on top...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

In the last picture, what's that space on the left with all the boxes in it?

That's the kitchen/dining room.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

A work in progress. I've been trying out a few things, nothing is definite yet. The mahogany bookcase had been in my family for years. The next step will be to do the landing in the same laminate flooring.

I just recently won this poster on eBay. I'll probably put it right over the bookcase.

Is that a fireplace at the back of the room? I reckon it'd be nice if you put a console radio or large record-player on the hearth to the left of the fireplace. It would break up the incredible ugliness of that exposed brick. On the other side of the fireplace, you could put a bookcase or something. And a 1930s-style mantle-clock on top...

There's a watch repair shop right near my house. He also has some vintage clocks for sale. One of them is an art deco mantel clock in onyx. If he still has it I might go pick it up.

 

[David Conwill]

I agree that if you can't embrace the atomic then you ought to be thinking Hollywood Spanish Colonial Revival - sort of a cross between art deco and mission.

 

[Late to the Party]

I second the arched opening ideas.

When my dad was a boy (born 1919) his mother wanted the square openings in the house changed to fashionable arched ones. This is the same woman who got the post office to change the house's address from "Henry St." to "Montclair St." (corner lot). Montclair was much classier, you see.
Grandpa didn't want to deal with the construction, so while he was at work one day, she sent my dad out to the shed for the sledge. She started the necessary demolition herself and told her husband when he got home that he might as well fix the doorway with an arch.

 

[Late to the Party]

And could you modify the fireplace to be centered on the wall, with built in bookcases to either side? I'd add windows (or the appearance of windows) to either side above the mantel level also).

EDIT
Never mind. I didn't remember the slanted ceiling at that end.

 

[mikepara]

I might like Golden era clothes but my personal home choice is 1967-73. I'd love to live in a version of your house. I'd redo it in full of 60's-70's wallpaper and furniture and get those pile carpets back in!
However in the real world my wife furnished our house when I was in the service, only fair, and her taste is crap, full of bright modern scandinavian flat packed stuff. I'm not going to tell her because I quite like having my gonads...

I wish you luck and hope you get the look your after.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

And there are some who are hard of hearing: I had an aunt in Chicago who moved into a Mies van der Rohe apartment building with her French antique furnishings. At the same moment in time, less than a mile up the road lived Mies van der Rohe, in an Art Deco apartment building filled with modern furniture of his own design. [huh]

Interesting. One of my neighbors is related to Mies van der Rohe.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Still a Work in Progress.
Slowly but surely The Vision takes shape.