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Show us your vintage home!

vitanola

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,254
Location
Gopher Prairie, MI
And the living room.

You have done a beautiful job of re-creating the feeling of a certain class of dwelling of forty years ago. Your work appears to be almost curatorial, save perhaps for the display cabinet full of telephones. Unlike a typical curated museum display, though, the effect appears to be thoroughly comfortable and homelike. You must be justifiably proud of your creation.:eusa_clap
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
Thank you! I always love coming home to someplace that feels like a home, you know?

Your house looks so comfy Tommy! I would feel right at home there :)

Certain class, meaning 'working class' lol I wouldn't consider myself or my tastes to be overly 'fancy.' I'm told they are by today's standards, but 40-50 years ago, I would just be an average Joe, I think.

I like you description as 'curatorial.' It's in a fairly literal way, a display of the typical home around here, years ago. Almost everything in my collection is local and came from local homes. It's just all much more closely situated then when all these items were spread through various homes in the area.

You have done a beautiful job of re-creating the feeling of a certain class of dwelling of forty years ago. Your work appears to be almost curatorial, save perhaps for the display cabinet full of telephones. Unlike a typical curated museum display, though, the effect appears to be thoroughly comfortable and homelike. You must be justifiably proud of your creation.:eusa_clap
 

vitanola

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,254
Location
Gopher Prairie, MI
Thank you! I always love coming home to someplace that feels like a home, you know?



Certain class, meaning 'working class' lol I wouldn't consider myself or my tastes to be overly 'fancy.' I'm told they are by today's standards, but 40-50 years ago, I would just be an average Joe, I think.

I like you description as 'curatorial.' It's in a fairly literal way, a display of the typical home around here, years ago. Almost everything in my collection is local and came from local homes. It's just all much more closely situated then when all these items were spread through various homes in the area.

Well, not necessarily "Working class", just practical folks who didn't re-decorate in the latest fad every five years. The neighborhood in which I was raised, all 3 bedroom ranch homes built in 1960, 1961 and 1962, featured three styles of interior, the "comfortable" style, like yours, "Traditional" which encompassed French and Italian Provincial, Colonial, and and the dreaded "Mediterranean", and Modern, which could be Danish, Chinese, Colonial or Pop. The folks with the Traditional and Modern interiors generally seemed to decorate to please their neighbors or co-workers, and to chase fads. The "comfortable" homes were of course very popular with the younger set, as the folks who lived there just seemed to be more fun.

My Mother started out with Danish Modern, followed closely by Italian Provincial, which was in the process of conversion into Ethan Allen Colonial in 1975 when my Dad suffered a business reversal at the same time that my Grandmother moved in with us, after which the house turned most emphatically "comfortable". I am currently staying in that house while I am caring for my elderly parents.

As I am typing this I am laying in a bed which could be the twin of the one in your spare room.
 
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Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
Very well written, and very true!

I modeled a lot of it from old pictures of my Grandparents' house when my dad was a kid, their house now, and my parents' farm house when I was a kid. My parents didn't redecorate past the 60's/70's/80's styles, until 2001 or 2002. In fact, that bed, and the dresser in my bedroom are from a Bassett set (which includes another dresser and twin bed (which I also have) that my grandparents bought new in 1956.

Well, not necessarily "Working class", just practical folks who didn't re-decorate in the latest fad every five years. The neighborhood in which I was raised, all 3 bedroom ranch homes built in 1960, 1961 and 1962, featured three styles of interior, the "comfortable" style, like yours, "Traditional" which encompassed French and Italian Provincial, Colonial, and and the dreaded "Mediterranean", and Modern, which could be Danish, Chinese, Colonial or Pop. The folks with the Traditional and Modern interiors generally seemed to decorate to please their neighbors or co-workers, and to chase fads. The "comfortable" homes were of course very popular with the younger set, as the folks who lived there just seemed to be more fun.

My Mother started out with Danish Modern, followed closely by Italian Provincial, which was in the process of conversion into Ethan Allen Colonial in 1975 when my Dad suffered a business reversal at the same time that my Grandmother moved in with us, after which the house turned most emphatically "comfortable". I am currently staying in that house while I am caring for my elderly parents.

As I am typing this I am laying in a bed which could be the twin of the one in your spare room.
 

vitanola

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,254
Location
Gopher Prairie, MI
Also, kudos to you for being a kind-hearted enough person to care for your parents and live with them, not just shove them in a home.

It's not a big deal, though we are trying to persuade them to move up to an apartment that I've built for them in our home in MI. I believe that we can better care for them there, and I could return to my work. It is a lot to ask parents to leave their home, though, and is a difficult transition for them. Even so, after eight months something must be done.

The alternative to their moving is not NECESSARILY a "home". It could include professional in-home care, though that is not likely at this point, for my Dad has sent several helpers away in tears (they don't do their jobs correctly, you see). Mom has pretty profound cognitive impairment after her stroke, and Dad can barely walk. My Father would prefer to be left to himself, in which case we would just have to wait for the NEXT telephone call from the hospital about a near-fatal fall, or a dangerous infection, or another kitchen fire.
 
It's not a big deal, though we are trying to persuade them to move up to an apartment that I've built for them in our home in MI. I believe that we can better care for them there, and I could return to my work. It is a lot to ask parents to leave their home, though, and is a difficult transition for them. Even so, after eight months something must be done.

The alternative to their moving is not NECESSARILY a "home". It could include professional in-home care, though that is not likely at this point, for my Dad has sent several helpers away in tears (they don't do their jobs correctly, you see). Mom has pretty profound cognitive impairment after her stroke, and Dad can barely walk. My Father would prefer to be left to himself, in which case we would just have to wait for the NEXT telephone call from the hospital about a near-fatal fall, or a dangerous infection, or another kitchen fire.

I have dealt with both my parents and my grandmother. Both for a few years. It is no fun. I went the in-home care route because it was possible for my grandmother but it is costly and you can have problems with the help. I went through quite a few.:eusa_doh:
I know what you mean about the NEXT phone call. After my grandmother locked herself out of her house and I showed up right after the fire department, it was time for the left alone to be done away with. :eusa_doh:

Good luck. I just hope everything works out for you.
 

Stearmen

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,202
I am currently staying in that house while I am caring for my elderly parents.

As I am typing this I am laying in a bed which could be the twin of the one in your spare room.
I to was caring for my mother up until last year. Thats the nice thing about this group, there are always members that have been through what ever you are going through right now! On the bright side, it is a satisfying feeling to know you have done the right thing. You can be proud!
 

JollyGreenSlugg

New in Town
Messages
42
Location
Rural NSW, Australia
G'day folks,

A long-time lurker and recent poster, I thought I'd weigh in with our place. It pre-dates the golden era, but only by a few years. We bought it earlier this year and at 40 years of age, it's my late entry into the property market.

A 1908-built Federation Queen Anne house, with a few decorative embellishments that were more common on houses built decades earlier, such as quoin stones on the corners, and Victorian-style interior details. It is a fixer-upper, and has been repainted inside, although it retains most of its Wunderlich pressed-tin ceiling panels.

It had two small attic rooms added in the 1960s, although the dormers can be modified to suit, as they are generally sympathetic with the style. Worst external issue is the replacement of the two large timber windows with aluminium windows in 1980, and the removal of the sunhoods/awnings. We plan to rectify this as soon as we can.

Since this photo was taken, I've carried out quite a few small jobs. I've replaced the missing small timber uprights between the columns in the verandah fretwork, and I'm researching an appropriate heritage colour scheme for the repaint planned when it warms up here in south-eastern Australia.

So, we're happy!

Cheers,
Matt

EnochOurs.jpg
 
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lolly_loisides

One Too Many
Messages
1,845
Location
The Blue Mountains, Australia
^^^^^
Wonderful JGS!
I've never seen a house name displayed on a verandah wall before, that's a very interesting feature. Do you have any interior pictures? I really like Wunderlich ceilings, it would be good to see them. Are the kitchen & bathroom original, or were they replaced at a later date?
 

JollyGreenSlugg

New in Town
Messages
42
Location
Rural NSW, Australia
Hi Lolly,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm having difficulties in copying photos across from my camera, but hope to upload some over the next few days. The kitchen and bathroom are newly-renovated, after having been renovated (and the kitchen moved to a former-bedroom) in the 1960s.

In the meantime, here is a link to the real estate ad, and I'll try and get decent pics of the pressed tin, and some general interior shots shortly.

http://realestate.dailyadvertiser.com.au/overview/3459239/40-george-street-junee-2663/

Cheers,
Matt

^^^^^
Wonderful JGS!
I've never seen a house name displayed on a verandah wall before, that's a very interesting feature. Do you have any interior pictures? I really like Wunderlich ceilings, it would be good to see them. Are the kitchen & bathroom original, or were they replaced at a later date?
 

Stearmen

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,202
Hi Lolly,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm having difficulties in copying photos across from my camera, but hope to upload some over the next few days. The kitchen and bathroom are newly-renovated, after having been renovated (and the kitchen moved to a former-bedroom) in the 1960s.

In the meantime, here is a link to the real estate ad, and I'll try and get decent pics of the pressed tin, and some general interior shots shortly.

http://realestate.dailyadvertiser.com.au/overview/3459239/40-george-street-junee-2663/

Cheers,
Matt
I like the tin ceilings in the living room! I just looked at a house today with a small Model T garage. When I opened the door, the ceiling, the back and two inside walls were covered in the old tin tiles. I told the realtor that the next owner should carefully remove them and either use them or sell them. I also noted to her, that between the tin and the wide old growth wood, you could probably come close to paying for a new two car garage after selling the dismantled old one!
 

kampkatz

Practically Family
Messages
715
Location
Central Pennsylvania
JGS, that house is a real charmer! Do the fire places work? You have a place to take much pride in. Although the kitchen doesn't quite fit the "Victorian" look , it seems practical. Are 2 bathrooms satisfactory with 5 bedrooms?
 

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