Show us your vintage home!

[PS]

Our house was built in the early 40's and has been 'updated' a few times but the previous owners. We are only the third. We purchased the home from our in laws, they've done some awful stuff in their own right but the worst offense they did was not removing the shag carpeting that became matted shag carpeting, stained dropped ceiling panels and faux wood paneling from one room that has been our boys' room. We are moving the boys to a new room and the room I speak of will be my new studio. We've seen the baby blue plaster behind the paneling but had never seen the ceiling. We asked them what was under it and they didn't know.

We found this gorgeous arched ceiling underneath. We haven't removed all the ceiling panels yet so we have no idea of most of the condition of the ceiling but what we did see was fantastic! Have any of you dealt with lead in your older homes?

We of course need a test but hubby was thinking the plaster walls and ceiling were covered over as a way keep the lead that may be in the paint at bay. They boys have had that room for several years and have never tested positive for lead poisoning.

 

[The Shirt]

Begin-
That's awful! But luckily no one was hurt nor was the garage damaged. It changes the whole feel of a home when a large old tree like that is removed or destroyed. I had an enormous elm removed and the light feels different now in the home. I'm glad you and yours are ok!

 

[Big Man]

... Have any of you dealt with lead in your older homes? ...

I grew up in the era of lead paint. It didn't cause me (or my parents, or my grandparents, or my great grandparents ...) any harm. I believe the beginnings of the lead paint "scare" came with the advent of young child day care where children (usually toddlers) chewed on the window sills, thereby ingesting lead paint. When I was little, if I'd chewed up the house, I'd have had lots more to worry about than a little lead paint.

 

[Dr Doran]

PS, that sounds like you found something marvelous under all the crud. Bravo.

 

[CherryRed]

I grew up in the era of lead paint. It didn't cause me (or my parents, or my grandparents, or my great grandparents ...) any harm. I believe the beginnings of the lead paint "scare" came with the advent of young child day care where children (usually toddlers) chewed on the window sills, thereby ingesting lead paint. When I was little, if I'd chewed up the house, I'd have had lots more to worry about than a little lead paint.

Yes, when you buy any home now pre-1970's you sign a waiver that you know there is bound to be lead paint. Our house I believe is around 1910. I just started stripping the walls that had painted over paper in my back work room. There were only two layers of wall paper and under was the original pink paint.
As far as I have heard, as was mentioned, it is only harmful if a child eats it.

Here is a picture of the wall I am stripping. I love the tiny pink flower paper. So much of it was still in tact. Under it you can see the old pink paint.

 

[PS]

That is really cute paper!

Can I share my favorite tip????

In a spray bottle put equal parts cheap fabric softener. Saturate the wall paper. It will come off way too easily, including the glue/paper backing. Works much better than any commercial stripper I've tried.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I haven't been to this thread in a while...some great updates everyone!!
Here is a peek at part of my den, inspired by MaryDelux. I still have a lot of art to add.

Great drapes. Where'd you get the material? (I'm guessing you made them???)

 

[CherryRed]

Thanks PS...I will have to try it. I have been using vinegar in water but is smells pretty bad.

Quigley.....I got the barkcloth on ebay. I lined them in gray broadcloth and used drape instructions from a vintage sewing book to make them. It was a challenge to find the yardage I needed but I found a seller that had two different lengths. I needed the longer piece and wouldn't you know they sent me the shorter one, which I returned (at my expense). They finally sent the correct piece and promised to refund my shipping since it was their error but they never did. Needless to say I won't be buying from them again.

 

[Johnny B]

I'm just a student so I'm restricted to a small, affordable apartment and whatever furniture and appliances I can save from the dump but here's my place:

My main "room". I don't like the microwave and it's hiding an old Juice O Mat that I got at a garage sale. It's awesome.

This would be the other side of that room

My "bedroom". The fridge I found (for free) and restored it; works cherry. I think it's a 52 although I don't know.

Here's my closet. The Admiral is actually a functional MP3 player I wired together. The dials really control the volume and power. Plus I loved IKEA's "Mandal" line of furniture- looks so atomic age.

The other side of my bedroom, my computer chair is an Eames lounger PlyCraft replica. My favourite bit here is the little lamp on the windowsill. It's hard to see, but it's a red bullet shape with chrome fins

 

[Lola Getz]

Johnny B, I love your place! You did a great job and I wish I were so handy. Where did you score that fabulous typewriter?

I used to have a fridge like that in a rental home and the only thing that bugged me about it was the tiny freezer space. We'd buy a carton of ice cream and had to eat the whole thing when we arrived home since it wouldn't fit in the freezer. lol

 

[Johnny B]

Thanks Lola. I got the typewriter from a local classified. It's an Underwood 5, dime a dozen at any antique store. This one had no rust, was well oiled and maintaned and I was surprised to find the ribbon still worked. The serial number tells me it rolled out the factory around the time the Titanic was on its way to the bottom of the ocean

 

[Graeme]

Heres one shot of our front room. What you cant see is the tropical beach mural and the sky blue and red 50's 3 piece suite.

 

[catsmeow]

WOW! Some beautiful things in here. Thanks for posting up your houses/furniture guys! great stuff.:eusa_clap

 

[Curt Dawson]

WOW!

Great pic's everyone!
As most of you know Oklahoma City has quite a few buildings of the art deco era,as does Tulsa.So if any of you make it out to OKC drop me a line and I'll buy you a drink at the local Speak Easy.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

A new "Waterfall Buffet" that I picked up at a thrift shop in Jersey today. I fell immediately in love with it! And the price tag was outrageous (in my favour, of course!) The same piece would probably go for AT LEAST $300 in Philadelphia.

Behind that little mirror in the center is a manufacturer's stamp and the date "FEB 1941"

Detail of the wood and the shell-like handles.

I LOVE HER!!!!

 

[Dr Doran]

Amy Jeanne, you are murdering me. Murdering. That stunning beauty would go for six hundred easy here in the SF Bay Area. You are lucky! It's amazing.

 

[MaryDeluxe]

Amy Jeanne...beautiful piece!

 

[ShooShooBaby]

amy jeanne, WOW. that's just. WOW!!!

 

[goldwyn girl]

Amy Jeanne, that is so beautiful !!!

 

[Story]

For inspiration's sake

SLIDESHOW: Luton's historic art deco house for sale
http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/541/Luton39s-historic-art-deco-house.3825251.jp

Blue Rails, Luton's historic art deco house on Old Bedford Road, is on the market for a cool £530,000.

Owners Simon and Heather Crow, who invited BBC 2's Home Front team to revamp the master bedroom, solarium and garden, are selling up and moving to Devon to run a hotel and gastro pub.

The three-storey five-bedroomed house was featured at the Ideal Home Exhibition in the 1930s*. It was designed by architect Evelyn Simmons to incorporate as much sunlight as possible and was called the Sunway House. It was offered for the then princely sum of £1,100 - plus 260 guineas for the solarium.

Simon said: "It was originally bought by a Mr Dillingham, who owned one of the largest hat manufacturing companies in Luton*. He must have seen it at the Ideal Home Exhibition and had it built a year later."

* Double yer FL Content!