Show us your vintage home!

[Big Man]

Thanksgiving was the first official holiday where we got to enjoy our recently "renovated" dining room. Practically everything in the room is vintage. The table was my great grandmother's (cir. 1880's) and the chairs my grandmother's (cir. 1910's). The linen table cloth and the napkins were my grandmothers (cir. 1920's), as well as her silver. The most modern things we used were the china, which is my wife's and mine - but, in just a couple more years it will be "vintage" as well.

We had a great time with all our family together around the table. I feel truly blessed to be able to enjoy a meal with my family in a setting that has such deep and longstanding family connections.

 

[nico demouse]

Thanksgiving was the first official holiday where we got to enjoy our recently "renovated" dining room. Practically everything in the room is vintage. The table was my great grandmother's (cir. 1880's) and the chairs my grandmother's (cir. 1910's). The linen table cloth and the napkins were my grandmothers (cir. 1920's), as well as her silver. The most modern things we used were the china, which is my wife's and mine - but, in just a couple more years it will be "vintage" as well.

We had a great time with all our family together around the table. I feel truly blessed to be able to enjoy a meal with my family in a setting that has such deep and longstanding family connections.

This is a simply lovely room. Just beautiful.

 

[Big Man]

This is a simply lovely room. Just beautiful.

Thank you.

 

[BeBopBaby]

Big Man, What are the little things (with the X-shaped sides and cross bars between the Xs) set at the tops of the dinner plates? I'm curious as to what they are used for, are they knife rests so you don't have to put the knives down on the table?

 

[dhermann1]

Ready for a black out!

Not only do you have candles on the table, but you have a kerosene (or is it oil?) lamp on the dresser. Very nice.

 

[Big Man]

Big Man, What are the little things (with the X-shaped sides and cross bars between the Xs) set at the tops of the dinner plates? I'm curious as to what they are used for, are they knife rests so you don't have to put the knives down on the table?

You are correct, they are a knife rest.

As a little boy, I remember playing with these by stacking them up to make forts for my toy soldiers. During my lifetime, my grandmother never "set" the table for a formal dinner. We always ate in the kitchen, but used the remnants of her old china for every-day use (there are still several plates left - too "valuable" for me to use now).

I grew up hearing many stories of how they ate meals in "the old days" in the dining room with the "good china". But, after my grandfather died in 1932, times changed. With the Great Depression and the loss of my grandfather's income, the "niceties" of life fell by the wayside. I would have loved to seen exactly what life was like in those early days. from the stories I grew up with, it surely must have been interesting times.

 

[Big Man]

Not only do you have candles on the table, but you have a kerosene (or is it oil?) lamp on the dresser. Very nice.

There are four kerosene lamps that have been in the house since the beginning, and I suspect they came with my grandparents when they moved from the farm at Rocky Pass to this house in Nebo in 1917. My grandmother always kept one in each room "in case the power went out", as well as using one in the bathroom during the winter to "help keep the pipes from freezing".

 

[$ally]

Here is my sons vintage house:

Isn't it cute? He's only 20 and already living the good life!

 

[beaucaillou]

BigMan and Marinebilly, those are very inspiring homes!! Thank you for sharing.

Cacklewack and I did just purchase our first home and are very excited to move in later this month! Our home is a 1944 Cape Cod, with original floors, windows, siding and cabinets. Some minor updating was done to the kitchen and bathroom, but nothing that can't be undone or re done appropriately. Thankfully a lot of original, left over flooring is in the basement so we intend to finish off the kitchen with it.

The house was originally built next to a farmhouse, likely for in-laws or family. Everything around us in the neighborhood is brand new and character-less (IMHO). We feel very fortunate and blessed. Even our inspector remarked how he would purchase our house in a heartbeat rather than live in the new contruction across the way.

I'm not sure how full-on vintage 'correct' we will be with the actual decor. We tend to pepper things with antique, vintage and modern (think 60's modern) and I'm still sourcing ideas.

Here are a couple of photos:

We won't be able to replace the light fixture right away so I'm thinking of painting it Chinese Red
and replacing the glass shades with tall, Art Deco sconce shades. We'll see.

 

[scotrace]

Very cool and exciting. AND it has a cellar. I can't even get my mind around buying a house without a cellar!

 

[beaucaillou]

Very cool and exciting. AND it has a cellar. I can't even get my mind around buying a house without a cellar!

Indeed, sir! Imagine my excitement, since I am in the wine biz! No more paying for wine storage!

 

[dandelion-vint]

$ally, that house is sweet! It's like a fairytale house.

 

[Barbigirl]

~

Very cool and exciting. AND it has a cellar. I can't even get my mind around buying a house without a cellar!

Many good houses don't have basements, but I suppose they are a good location to store fur coats!

 

[scotrace]

I am rather certain that a house must have a basement to qualify as a good house. Where else would you put the workbench, Christmas ornaments, old clocks that don't work, and the bundled love letters from high school? (not to mention wine, of course)

No basement is like... like... no kitchen!

 

[dhermann1]

There are vast swaths of the south where basements are a great exception.
Seems odd, but that's how it is. Not really necessary in very warm climates.
Beaucaillou: Your little place is totally charming! Check out Rejuvenation.com for every sort of vintage lighting fixture. Great stuff.
Sally: That little stucco Tudor is wonderful! Lucky guy! I've always loved those little 20's vintage Tudor stuccos places. They tend to have some very nice detailing on the insides, too.

 

[$ally]

No basement is like... like... no kitchen!

Normally I would agree, but good luck finding one in Arizona.

Sally: That little stucco Tudor is wonderful! Lucky guy! I've always loved those little 20's vintage stucco places. They tend to have some very nice detailing on the insides, too.

Yes, it has some adorable surprises. He is renting it with some friends. You should see the slim panel hard wood floors "I could have danced all night"

$ally, that house is sweet! It's like a fairytale house.

Isn't it? I swear I could break a piece off and eat it.

More pix:

living and dining room

living room fireplace

kitchen with a vintage oven

and vintage table

bathroom

music room

 

[$ally]

backyard

driveway and garage

storage "shed" turned art workshop

 

[$ally]

Marineabilly: Your wife's decorating style is impeccable. Those snapshots look like pages from a vintage magazine!

 

[beaucaillou]

Oh $ally, I'd kill for that stove in the kitchen! That's the kind that actually gets hot enough to make pizzas well.

 

[just_me]

I am rather certain that a house must have a basement to qualify as a good house. Where else would you put the workbench, Christmas ornaments, old clocks that don't work, and the bundled love letters from high school? (not to mention wine, of course)

No basement is like... like... no kitchen!

Guess you're not planning on living in S. Florida. lol No basements at all. Water table is too high.