Making the most of our 50s/60s/70s homes

[Lelivre]

Following on from the 1974 thread here
...

This is for those with mid-century homes, trying to modernise or update them in a way that is sympathetic to that period.

There are a few of us out there, no lurking now, please join in!

Hopefully we can share ideas, products, gumtree/eBay/Carboot finds and other sources of inspiration. Also I hope, receive feedback on our plans and build enthusiasm for 'features' that others zealously take out!

For starters I enjoyed this article here

If you will; introduce yourselves, your homes and where you are with things

[kittentwo]

Hi it was my original 1974 thread ?? but I would love to join this thread as we are planning similar. We are just getting some plans drawn up having just about decided what we want to do she says having changed my mind about a dozen times. We are definitely changing one bedroom into a lounge which leaves the ongoing debate about how to configure the kitchen dining living utility etc. The problem is the current layout small kitchen large utility lots of storage. lounge diner works. Really works. But we are making a 3 bed bungalow into a 5 bed house and I can see original kitchen far too small. Also have fantastic views at back so plan to make current utility an kitchen smaller and turn into laundry room wc coats and shoes and make lounge diner a big rectangle kit lounge diner. I am recycling my turquoise loo and old kitchen cupboards are going into utility. Re using coloured glass hall tiles an going to buy old parquet flooring for main living hall. We also have a marble fireplace an we are going to use marble for splash backs in bathrooms. And my favourite a wooden concertina kitchen door is definitely staying. Thanks for that link to article gosh that looked great more please.

[Lelivre]

Kitten - sounds fantastic, I'm with you with all of that and the marble sounds perfect. Yes the house in that article is cleverly done if a little dark.

In our case we have a young family and recently moved into a mid 60s 4 bed detached with lots of different shades of brick. We have original banisters, internal door furniture, thresholds and windows over the doors upstairs on all rooms. The bathroom is pretty small. The windows are huge. The rest of it is very tatty and 1980s.

Whatever we do has to be sensible budget wise, practical for young kids but I would love a sixties feel without getting carried away.

I'm coming back with some bathroom and kitchen tile ideas later...

[cpic]

We have a 1960 4bed detached that has a double height extension from the 1990s. When we moved in, no working boiler or gas supply, knackered double glazing; neither bathroom useable and everything else looking v dated and nineties. We had a 9week old baby! Still, 15months on and inroads are being made slowly. It'll take at least five years tho.

[TeddyBee]

I've been throwing a lot of mid century stuff into our house (extended thirties semi). Have a sudden crush on all things mid century! Best find so far was some gorgeous Cadovius wall units on eBay and Ikea Brakig wallpaper (now discontinued). Our house lacked any kind of character at all, but we found some original front doors and had those fitted and we sources one over three doors when we replaced all the interior doors.

[meadowquark]

I buying a 1969 town house (completion in 2 weeks time). Mine is non standard with flat roof, 3 bedrooms and open plan L shaped kitchen dining living space, all small sized. I am hoping to separate the lounge with french doors and extend the dining part. I am very nervous about the move as moving from a period house, but it is meant to be for better area / schooling. We will also have warm air heating (modernised though), bland "period" doors and stairs / banister from the same period. Also low ceilings.

So much to take in...! Deep breath...

[ThePerfect1IThinkNot]

Love to join in... We are buying a 1950s house. It still has the original kitchen! It is a bit of a project... Can't wait to get on with it.

[CreamSubstitute]

We live in a 1969 townhouse which is a mixture of original features and modern changes. I can't be sad that the original metal framed windows are gone as our windows are huge and the house must have been so drafty back then.

We're slowly doing the house up bit by bit as and when we have spare cash.

We recently remodelled the original kitchen as it was beyond salvaging. We went with handleless cupboards like the original ones, just a more modern version. Kept the serving hatch though.

Teddybee do you have a picture of your Brakig wallpaper up? I've got a roll which I haven't done anything with. I'm looking for inspiration. The wall unit looks great.

Has anyone got nice doors that they'd recommend? We're going to replace our original doors as they're paper thin and rubbish. I was thinking something like this www.doordeals.co.uk/products/internal-doors/internal-fire-doors/internal-white-primed-pattern-10-firedoor.aspx
Have no idea about handles though.

[TeddyBee]

Which Brakig do you have? I have three of the four patterns ;)
This is in my son's bedroom - felt a bit loud for a downstairs space, although I have two rolls left and I think I might do the wall opposite the window too.

I have the grey and white all over the place (hall, stairs and utility room) and the pink and white in my office. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow, when I've tidied a smidge.

[CreamSubstitute]

Oh that looks good. That's the one I have. Thinking of using it in my daughter's closet or my office.

[Apatite1]

I have a 1960s that was pretty much destroyed with hideous 80s updates. So we have to take it down to the foundations and rebuild, keeping the 60s front facade. I'm keen on mid century furniture, including an eames chair, low ceilings, open plan living, le corbusier influenced building etc etc

I don't like bright colours, and no orange! Probably will get a handleless kitchen and dark floors.

[Lelivre]

Teddy, love that! Very inviting and with personality.

[TeddyBee]

It goes up really well and the match is quite small, so you get lots out of each roll! I love it.

[Lelivre]

anyone got sliding doors

[MonkeySeeMonkeyDooo]

We have a 60s four bed which we're doing a total refurbishment on and an extension. It a total modernisation project. Completely unliveable previously.

[Lelivre]

Creamsub - regarding doors, yes those would work wouldn't they. Here are some other styles I've been looking at as I would love to change ours (they have been changed for the wrong kind of panelled door) but that won't happen for years (so I have just been told)

So those have glazed panels so perhaps unsuitable for some rooms, but I like them.

[Lelivre]

Clearly 'so' is a favourite word of mine this evening haha!

[Devora]

Can I join in, even though my house is 1930? It's been very badly modernised along the way, and not one original feature is intact. I think it was always a plain little house - no bay windows or anything like that - but then everything got stripped out (unlike my neighbours, who still have original banisters and doors ). The result is something that looks kind of post-war, with large windows giving the airy feel of a 1960s house.

When we moved in it was done up 'country style' with lots of thickly varnished orange pine, stable doors [shudder], orange paint everywhere, wood-effect kitchen units, scarlet woodwork... I've always loved 1930s/art deco, but have found that in this house it works rather better to go a bit mid-century. I haven't been able to afford any drastic make-overs, so I concentrated on painting (white or pale grey) and elsewhere I've been trying to work with the givens while introducing a mid-century feel.

For example, I've used blinds rather than curtains (white wooden venetians). My sitting room had the chimney breast ripped out so I had white shelving built across the entire wall. The kitchen is sadly still country style, but I painted the scarlet tiles gloss white, the wood-effect units were painted pale putty, and I've introduced lots of burnt orange and olive green (the effect is country retro). In fact, the whole house, when I think about it, is white or pale grey walls with accents of grey, orange, mustard, yellow, green.

[Devora]

Those taps on the other thread, I REALLY love those. I haven't found any modern taps as nice as that shape. Seems like the choice is either modern or olde worlde. Has anybody found any modern taps that mimic that style?

[Apatite1]

Oooh I like the ones with the small glazed panels!

[tethersend]

Can I join in even though I live I a Victorian flat?

Am a big late 60s-70s enthusiast and have 70s interiors throughout. Am just waiting to be able to afford a 60s/70s house, am ver jealous of some of the period features on here...

[Lelivre]

Devora and tethersend of course, all with any enthusiasm or interest are welcome, especially if posting links and pics

I've just lost a long post on tiles because I had too many pictures.

I fancy some yellow-mustard or green and white tiles in the kitchen. And teal in the bathroom. Also loving geometric tiles, is this sixties?

I've found some that I like but either I can't afford them or they are overseas.

I can't track down my favourite at all like this one...

[Lelivre]

I quite like these too for a kitchen or bathroom

[Lelivre]

And these I would love to go with my kitchen when it goes in (flush grey units and worktop, blonde floors) they are about £167 m2 I need something cheaper...

[Lelivre]

Oh and no one said about those sliding doors which I posted last night, I thought they were fabulousness

[Lelivre]

Here is the pic of the sliding doors - wows!