Show us your vintage home!

[Harp]

NSW House

Quite an achievement! :eusa_clap

 

[GOK]

Mike - your home is fantastic! Reminds me of when I used to visit my Aunt Rose & Uncle Fred in London. Although they had a massive Victorian townhouse, they only lived in the servants' quarters (I have no idea why), so all the rooms were quite bijou and decorated just like your house...without the TV etc of course!

Atomic Glee - wow, wow and wow at those buildings (and the Indy art!). How utterly amazing. But you know what struck me the most? The light - it's beautiful! We just don't get light like that over here, more's the pity.

Joeri - I seem to have this habit of joining forums and mailing lists or finding websites that you're involved in! I'm not stalking you - honest! Are you still on the LMB list? Is it even still going? I haven't had anything from it for about a year.

My house isn't vintage, it's Victorian. A Victorian shoe factory to be precise Built in 1869, it's the oldest remaining factory in the town. This is it from the outside:

Inside however, it is thoroughly modern, although the bedroom (which spans the entire upper floor) has retained its 13' high ceiling and original beams:

The front facing walls are bare bricks and the windows, although double glazed, are replicas of the original factory ones.

We're converting the cellar and at the moment are discussing styles; I'd like a retro-burlesque feel to it but my man wants something more in keeping with the Raj! I suspect we'll meet somewhere in the middle - at least we've agreed on a colour scheme! lol

 

[dorotheascloset]

Fantasic thread!! I'm struggling right now with my living room, which being in a large open apartment built in 1917 (hardwood floors, high ceilings, dark wood mouldings) and my taste running to later decor is a challenge. The living room started being a little Danish Modern & a little atomic.....blacks & browns set against aqua walls (the color they were when I moved in). Then I went to an estate sale & found THIS in the basement for $40!!! Just what everyone needs, a bar in the living room, right?

So it sits wedged between the modern living room w/ teak woods & the kitschy sunroom. Its working on an eclectic level! My big challenge right now is to find a new sofa. I had a black low slung, streamlined vinyl black one a friend gave me but some cat claw punctures & a romping toddler created some nasty tears so I have GOT to get something else. I cant quite decide what I want........

This is another great find, an adjustable shelf blonde wood record rack, next to a TV cabinet that came to me empty and now houses a decidedly modern/lame looking stereo, speakers tucked neatly into the old speaker shelf with woven screen front.

I may add pics of the rest & the building, too! Loved seeing the other pics, hoping to get inspired for my sofa buying challenge.....

Ang

 

[Wild Root]

My room...

Well, my house is a 20's two bedroom farm home... kind of small but, has hardwood floors.

My room is the real vintage room of the house... the kitchen is some what but, not to the point I want it... I'll post photos of the kitchen in the day time.

I liked the lighting in my room so, I snapped some shots... this will give ya all an idea of the Wild Root nest.

First is a shot looking from the north west corner... the dark brown blanket on the bed is what I believe to be a 40's wool blanket from a Pullman car... maybe a Pennsylvania Pullman... it has striped detail only on one side! The bed is 30's Sears or Wards I think, cost me only 20 bucks! Can't seem to find a mattress that fits it right, they had different sizes then. The bed lamp is 40's Bakelite, the radio is a '36 Sears Silvertone sitting on a Sears Radio Table of the same period... on the shelf underneath is a set of alabaster deco bookends with some vintage books. On top of the radio is a deco reverse painted frame and my early 30's Hammond deco clock... keeps perfect time and is in mint condition! On the wall is the sheet music is of Glenn's "Sweet Eloise" and also a rare copy of "The Broken Record" from 1935... super deco cover!

This shot is from the bed, the dresser is late 30's I believe, it's lined with Cedar and I love that small closet on the side! My record player sits atop and it's a 1941 GE radio record combo, I have a model of a B-25 next to it with a family photo of my grandfather in his 8th Air Force uniform with his buddy. The lamp is a early 40's desk lamp. The Radio next to the dresser is a 1938 Sears Silvertone that's waiting restoration. On top of that radio is a 1942 Telechron deco alarm clock... have had that thing since 1997 and it works perfect! The white glass ball thing is a souvenir Vinegar bottle of the NY '39 Fair. The painting on the wall was painted by my Great Grandfather in 1936. The desk lamp is late 30's... I use only a 11 watt bulb in it... perfect lighting!

This last photo is looking from the doorway.

The radio in the corner is a '36 Ward's Airline, with a late 30's "AIR~BEAM" fan on top... works amazing! The box looking radio with the flower looking speaker is a '28 Atwater Kent model 40... it works pretty good. The table it sits on is a late 30's deco table I found at a thrift shop. Also, those are all 78rpm record albums under it... I have more then just those. The picture on the wall is from the late 30's, maybe 40's... cost me 10 bucks at an antique shop. The lamp in the corner cost me 10 bucks too... it's a 30's floor lamp.

Hope you all enjoy the snap shots.

=WR=

 

[Rosie]

Hope you all enjoy the snap shots.

=WR=[/QUOTE]


That dresser is GREAT:eusa_clap Look how beautiful. You have great taste.

 

[Wild Root]

Thanks! That dresser I found at an antique shop that used to be around the corner from my home. My folks bought it for me years ago... they wanted to buy me a nice dresser and were going to go to IKEA to find one... I put the brakes on that!!! I told them I'd look for one! I found this one and talked them into it... I ended up paying for part of it. It hasn't changed in the 7-8 years I've had it... no sagging, no warping, NOTHING! They just don't make furniture like they used to!

=WR=

 

[GOK]

You might find a mattress for your bed at Ikea though - don't theirs come up wider than standard?

Your furniture is great - reminds me of my bedroom at my Grandparents' house when I was a child...minus all the radios though!

 

[Wild Root]

IKEA? I believe all mattress sizes were standardized in the 80's or something... I have a twin sized mattress on it right now, I checked a mattress store here and saw all the sizes they offer... nothing fit. I know a place in AZ that makes custom sized mattresses... not cheap but, I could get one that fits.

Yeah, I have a few radios, I'm a collector of the dumb things so, there ya go.lol

Oh, and thank you very much!

=WR=

 

[johnnydnh]

Mattress Size

WildRoot,

Your bed is no doubt what used to be known as a 3/4 bed. 3/4 beds are same length as the twin/full beds but are right in the middle of the two in terms of width.

 

[Wild Root]

Ah, that makes sense... I figured it'd be something like that... know any where I can get a 3/4 mattress?

=WR=

 

[GOK]

IKEA? I believe all mattress sizes were standardized in the 80's or something

I bought my sons' matresses from Ikea and they were a tad too wide (they had standard 3' wide beds) and my kingsize bed from there is definitely a few inches wider than the old non-Ikea one I replaced. That's why I thought that it might be worth a try.

... I have a twin sized mattress on it right now,

What's a twin? See to me, that would be one that fitted a double bed and from your photo, your bed looks like a single 3ft bed with a 2'6" bunk bed mattress.

I checked a mattress store here and saw all the sizes they offer... nothing fit. I know a place in AZ that makes custom sized mattresses... not cheap but, I could get one that fits.

So what is standard over there?

Yeah, I have a few radios, I'm a collector of the dumb things so, there ya go.lol

Good for you - we need to keep such things alive...so to speak. And they are beautiful objects too.

Oh, and thank you very much!

=WR=

You're very welcome!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Mattresses UK to US

Twin = single

Full = double

see below for the complete chart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattress


The real size differences start at Queen and up....where it gets fun.....

 

[GOK]

Right...so why is it called a twin when it's meant for only one person?

 

[Orgetorix]

Right...so why is it called a twin when it's meant for only one person?

Because they're often found, for some reason, in sets of two. For twins, or married couples who don't like to sleep in the same bed (like my grandparents, before they passed away).

 

[The Diva Pinup!]

My house is a bit earlier than golden era (1859) and I've chosen to "interpret" it in the style of the year of the famous visit that gave the house its Warholian "15 minutes of fame." That means, authentically not just a bunch of 1860's stuff but an accretion -- from 18th century (mostly repros), lots of 1830s-40s stuff (originals) through to 1860s.

These pix are from the first year I lived here. Rooms didn't yet have enough clutter to look truly Victorian. Now they're "getting there" but still need a bit more going on, like getting some nicely ornate repro moldings, as the 1970s remodelling meant the end of the originals, alas.

Working on bonnet making in my parlour about 3 years ago, with my late, great best friend, BobDog

Calling the Virginia Reel at 2003 Christmas Party. Had barely moved in, windows still "nekkid", before I got the swagged burgundy damask drapes & pelmet

Two of my friends getting tea ready at a small, private living history get- together. The teacups ARE 30's but the wrong 30's (1830s).

The kitchen, on the other hand, is in an addition built around 1900 and has sort of a 30s-50s farmhouse kitchen feel to it. One of these days I'll just go with that look - when I finally build my 19th c repro summer kitchen outbuilding and all the 19th c kitchenalia collection has somewhere to live, thereby freeing up my kitchen to be what it really wants to be.

On the basis that there were people in the 30s-40s who had antiques too, I think the venue, particularly the large central hallway, easily lends itself to rolling up the rugs and cranking up the Victrola and I can update the look by bringing out family knicknacks and furniture from later eras.

How brilliant! I love your photos and costumes!

Suzanne

 

[panamag8or]

I lived here for a while in Gainesville, FL. before I moved to Panama City. If you look at the narrow side of the building, and count down 2 windows, on the left side, that was my living room. The public areas of the building was totally re-done in '30's period decor.

The Seagle Building had its origins in the 1920’s economic and land boom. Conceived originally as the “Hotel Kelly”, the project went bust before the last floor was poured. It sat unfinished for over a decade – an eyesore to many in Gainesville. Finally, in the mid 30’s a Jacksonville entrepreneur, Georgia Seagle, along with the University of Florida, the city of Gainesville, and Federal money finished the building naming it after Georgia’s brother, John F. Seagle.

The building served mostly the University in the years following its completion. Having difficulty meeting modern fire codes as time past, the building lost most of its upper floor tenants. By the late 60’s the Florida State Museum was the building’s only occupant. Upon the museum’s move to the nearby campus of the University of Florida, the building fell to complete abandonment and was eventually sold to a developing company from Kentucky for $1 with the understanding that the building was to be completely renovated.

In 1983, the newly remodeled Seagle Building was once again a viable piece of real estate. Changes included modern wiring, plumbing, telephone and cable jacks, a fire sprinkler system, emergency diesel generator, an added internal concrete stairway providing two fire escapes for every floor, and many other improvements. The first 6 floors have been designated commercial space – the area which concerns this website – roughly 40,000 sq. ft. The remaining 5 floors are residential units; with 4 units per floor with the exception of the top floor which is one unit.

BTW: there is a 9th or 10th floor condo for rent for just $900.

Building website

 

[Atomic Glee]

My girlfriend just moved in to another historic apartment from the '20s, so I thought I'd show y'all the pics. This is before she moved in, so things aren't 100% installed just yet.

Here they are: the LaSalle Apartments. The LaSalle is a complex of two identical Tudor-style apartment buildings built in the 1920s. They're located just off Magnolia in the Fort Worth South neighborhood, a former major part of town immediately south of downtown that, after decades of decay and descent into slum-status has been reborn as a funky artsy neighborhood, and is experiencing staggering growth. Property values in this neighborhood have tripled in the last few years. Virtually all the single-family homes here are historic 1920s bungalows, and all are protected by the Fairmount Historic District. The historic homes can't be torn down, only restored, and new homes must be built in the same bungalow style as the rest of the neighborhood. The area's old main street, Magnolia, is now a bustling strip with independent shops and restaurants in historic restored buildings from the teens, '20s, '30s, and '40s. The area is also Fort Worth's Medical District, with huge growing medical centers like Baylor All-Saints and Harris Methodist and smaller operations like the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Inside, these are the *original* glass cabinet doors from the early '20s. When the building was restored a few years back by its current owners, they found these doors in the building's attic, the glass covered with thick layers of paint. After careful stripping and restoring, these cool cabinet doors are back in each unit's kitchen.

The living room. The living rooms look out into the flower & tree-filled small courtyard between the two buildings. The hardwood floors are original from the early '20s, as well. The restoration work uncovered them below nasty carpeting, and they have been lovingly restored.

The original kitchen counters and tile work from the '20s. This is from another unit, but is identical to Steph's, just reversed.

Looking out from the bedroom through the dining room towards the living room. This is also from another unit, but is identical to Steph's, just reversed. The French doors in the bedrooms are also the original units from the early '20s. They were also found in the attic, and were also covered by thick layers of paint. They, too, were fully restored.

The view of downtown from the bedroom.

The original milk and ice delivery doors into the kitchens, still intact from the early '20s.

The original tilework in the bathrooms, lovingly restored.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Ah, that makes sense... I figured it'd be something like that... know any where I can get a 3/4 mattress?

=WR=

http://antiquemattress.com/

 

[MaryDeluxe]

As a newbie in the FL I thought I would post some pics of my house. I bought my house 4 years ago as a foreclosure property. My little town house was built in 1949 but sadly was renovated sometime in the 80's. Damn those modern people! They took out those wonderful metal kitchen cabinets and replaced them with dark stained wood. What's a gal to do other then to buy a can of paint! I've been working hard but having lots of fun with my house. I'm a gal who likes bargins so most of my furnishings were purchased at auctions and estate sales which I have been going to for years.

A look at my part of my kitchen.

The 1949 Admiral TV I found on a trash heap at an auction house and bought it for 25 bucks. It's in great condition but doesn't work.

The Zenith radio belonged to my boyfriend's family and was given to him when his father passed away.

A shot of my dressing room

I'll stop for now! I don't collect a certain style or era exactly, I just collect things that I like.

 

[missjo]

Very well done!
A bit too modern for me

Btw you could try and hide one of those new flat lcd tvs in the old one you've got now.
Or do as I (am going to) do, put it on the wal behind a painting