The Time Machine

[Senator Jack]

Now that I've figured out how to post pictures, I'll be showing off some of my stuff.

I was wondering who else has completely done up their place in vintage. Here are few pics of my living room. When I close the door on the outside world, it's 1957, so that's why I call it the time machine. The TV does work and it's color. I had the guts taken out and a new set installed. There's a guy in NJ who does that for a fee. The typewriter is a 1920s Underwood Portable that I do write on. And, yes, the floor needs to be done, but I gotta get on the landlord about that.

 

[Wild Root]

My room is earlier then 1957. Well, so is my house! My house is about 1915 or 1920, don't really know since there is no real record of it being built!

My room is mostly 30's and early 40's! I just put a vintage 1930's Sears iron bed frame with head and foot board. That really did the trick! Yes, I have a few more radios then a normal man my age would have but hey, I love them! I'll post some photos soon. I'm working on getting the kitchen all vintage. It's not to bad right now. Just need the right fridge and stove but, that's about it. The house has it's original cabinets and I just gave them some NOS dark red plastic 40's knobs and handles!

I use a 1930's toaster, a late 30's Waring Blender, Have vintage cups and such. The living room has a 1937 Grunow All wave console radio that gives it a nice feel to the place. My brother lives with me so, I can't go 100% in the whole house but, some day when I have my own place then I'll go the whole 9 and maybe not even have a TV! If I do have a TV, it's going to be so hidden like my PC.

Well, I'll post some photos some time soon in this thread but, nice to see a serious vintage pad!

=WR=

 

[Absinthe_1900]

You can go the vintage television route, although as I'm finding out, it's very difficult to find a person that can work on a '49 Dumont.

There is one guy on the net, that takes some of the old boat anchors, and put's modern sets in the vintage cabinets.

 

[Senator Jack]

I wish I could get my kitchen done, but I'm at the mercy of the landlord with the stove, fridge, and cabinets. All I have is the 50s dinette, which I restored myself, and my small appliances: mixer, blender, juicer, and ice crusher.

What's really difficult is getting vintage bedrooms to look right. The furniture is always too large for modern apartments. I live on the top floor of a house that was originally one family and is now three. The way the place was divided, I can't fit the bed and two nighttables along one wall as they should be. They have to be split up. I always loved art deco sets, and a number of years ago I had found a great mint set (head and footboard, two dressers, and two nighttables), for a few hundred, but the trouble with them is that they're huge. You really have to have a house for 20s/30s pieces.

And, WildRoot, you should check out this guy. He has a lot of sets from the 40s

http://www.harryposter.com/vintagetelevision.htm

I had been interested in his pieces for some time as the last thing I had to replace in my living room for complete vintage was the tv. Though they were all cool, none of them was really the "perfect" one for my apartment. Then about two years ago I found one on ebay that wasn't working. I planned on buying it, having it shipped to me, and then bringing it to him to have the set replaced. I got outbid at the last minute and to my surprise it was BY HIM! I immediately sent out an email expresing my desire to buy the piece and we worked out a a deal. Talk about coincidence.

The set works great, though of course it's not the best set in the world. The guts are a low end Sylvania with not many features but I don't watch TV that much anyway and when I do it's mostly DVDs of 50s/60s tv shows.

But was it worth the money to go whole hog like that? Sure! When I completed my apartment it was the first time in my life that I actually felt comfortable in it, and I still do.

The PC is a difficult problem and, being that I'm in the computer biz, I had been trying to come up with ways to make computers for people with vintage furniture. I wondered how much and how many people would pay for an imitation bakelite case. Or maybe ones painted in 50s colors. Then, of course, you have to do something about the monitor too and such things like the cd drive/keyboard and mouse. In the end, I found there was too much variance to be able to make it work.

But let's see some of those radios, WR. I know what you mean about being addicted. After years, I'm finally learning to pass up a lamp!

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Wild Root]

Vintage TV's.

If I was to buy a vintage TV, I'd love to have one of these:

Or, the RCA TRK-12, Phantom Teleceiver

Or, the TRK-12 FROM the '39 World's Fair in Lucite!

If I had one of these 25,000 dollar collector sets, I'd be so careful how I'd up date it! I'd take out most every component but the speaker, and I'd put the original works some place very safe so, if I ever decided to sell, it'd keep its value and history.

So, your land lord won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t let you have a vintage fridge or stove? How dumb is that!

Oh, and the thing about vintage furniture is kind of bogus. They made stuff in all sizes! I have seen some VERY small 1920's and 30's apartments and trust me, they had to deal with the same problem as you do 60-70 years ago! It's not a law that you must have a night stand on ether side of the bed or that you have to have a vanity and a dresser and so on. Fact is that most single guys back in those days had a one room apartment, a dresser with a mirror, a twin or double sized bed, one nightstand, a sofa, and arm chair, maybe a table top radio, and a small kitchen with a small apartment sized four burner stove, and an icebox. Watch a movie from the mid or early 30's and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Of course we all have this grand idea of what is perfect for a vintage apartment but, most bedroom sets we see are designed for a 2-4 bedroom home. Pick and chose the pieces you can fit into your room and it will look nice if you do it right. Say, pick the era you want to emulate and just get one of each item of furniture you want. When you get a bigger place, sell off the small stuff and then up grade to the set you have always wanted or, something close to it!

All the best,
=WR=

 

[Raffles]

Nice! I myself live in a 1980's monstrosity but my girlfriend lives in a 15th century blacksmiths house.

 

[boomerchop]

Love the rug Senator

It reminds me of Piet Mondrian and the Broadway Boogie Woogie painting. Anyone know what vintage that was?

Paul

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I'm lucky, I own the 1931 Bungalow I grew up in, but the I'm slowly being surrounded by those modern McMansion/box houses the yuppies go gaga over.

Unfortunately preservation doesn't seem to be in the yuppiods vocbulary.

 

[Mycroft]

It reminds me of Piet Mondrian and the Broadway Boogie Woogie painting. Anyone know what vintage that was?

Paul

It is Mondrian, it is from the years 1925 to 1927, but orginated in 1922. My grandpa is a huge fan.

 

[Senator Jack]

Though Mondrian worked in the 20s, and he was inspired by his time, his work influenced the Eames who would bring his work into the 50s an 60s though their design. Here's a pic of their house they built in 1949:


[URL=http://imageshack.us] [/URL]

It's hard to imagine that no one has ever seen one, but in case one hasn't, here's Yves St. Laurent's 1965 Mondrian dress. The look was huge in the mod 60s. Occasionally, I still see a woman who disregards the idea that the dress is passe. I tend to think they always look great in them.

[URL=http://imageshack.us] [/URL]

That Lucite TV is the limit, WR. I can't believe I've never come across that before. And about those 30s rooms with one dresser, now HOW would I ever fit all my shirts, suits, trousers, overcoats, and shoes into one dresser and a closet?

Kind regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Sefton]

Nice! I myself live in a 1980's monstrosity but my girlfriend lives in a 15th century blacksmiths house.

A 15th century house! Now that is a golden era that goes waaaay back!

 

[ShanghaiJack]

Do I See A Gretsch??

Do I See A Gretsch in the background??? Humm Do I???
I am a longtime Gretsch-A-Holic too!

:cheers1:

 

[Senator Jack]

Do I See A Gretsch in the background???

Good eye you have there, Shanghai! That's a 6120 semi. I've always compared playing a Gretsch semi to going around with a wildcat woman: they sure are a lot of fun, but you need a cool hand to keep 'em under control.

I had a Broadcaster in the 80s that I sold for a Rickenbacker and had always regretted that. (I also regret having since sold the Rick) Then about five years ago I got the itch for another one, having got into three finger banjo picking on a Telecaster. I nearly bought a Tennessean (The George Harrison model) but when I saw the 6120 in blue I knew it was for me. Unfortunately, we don't get out much these days, but we still enjoy quiet evenings at home.

Cheers,

Senator Jack

 

[The Wingnut]

Fact is that most single guys back in those days had a one room apartment, a dresser with a mirror, a twin or double sized bed, one nightstand, a sofa, and arm chair, maybe a table top radio, and a small kitchen with a small apartment sized four burner stove, and an icebox. Watch a movie from the mid or early 30's and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.

Sounds like my place! Built in the '40s. One-room studio 'shotgun' shack (without the back door), hardwood floor in the living area, 1" square tile in the kitchen and bathroom, art deco steel counter in the kitchen, tiny stove, no tub, just a shower stall, single bed, waterfall deco dresser, '37 Airline floor model as a nightstand(it works!), and not much else. The closet(3' hanging rod) is about to explode from all the clothes compressed in there.

Shame I'm moving out in March. Joining the Air Force kinda screws things up that way.

 

[Wild Root]

Nut, you're joining up? Dude! What are ya going to do with all your great stuff? And don't tell me you're going to sell it all off! That wont wash with me! You can store it all down at my place:cheers1:

Well, keep us posted Wingnut!

=WR=

 

[The Wingnut]

Yeah, I finally bit the bullet. Everyone's always told me I should be in the Air Force. I almost signed up last year when I was laid off, should have done it then. I tried when I was fired early this year and was told that I'm too old! Missed the cutoff age by 3 months. So I kicked open the back door and hit the Reserve. It's the same basic training and 4 - 8 months of tech school, you just don't have to live in the EM dorms and put on a uniform every day after you get out of tech school. Pays for college, free aviation tech training, and I get to FINALLY tell people that yes, I'm in the Air Force when they're prompted to ask by my jacket, wallet, shirts, etc.

At any rate, everything's going into storage, either at my parents' place or in a storage unit somewhere. Maybe I can take over my old closet. It'll be a tight squeeze, the hanging rod is only 24"!

 

[EL COLORADO]

I wanna see more pics of the wet bar.
Thats alota hooch I see you got there!



EC