Owners of mid century houses, tell me about your lovely original features!

[SeventiesFlair]

Hi all,
We moved into our seventies home a couple of years ago and am slowly getting round to renovating. I love our house - good room sizes, big windows, lots of light - however it hasn’t retained many original features and I’d love to incorporate / reinstate some nice period features into the reno. I’m thinking parquet / tile flooring, exposed brick walls, in-built room dividers…. What original features do you love about your mid century home? Bonus point if pic attached!

Have you looked on Instagram ? Lots of lovely examples.

In the spirit of sharing- one of the few features we do have (which I love) - exposed brick wall in hallway

@RoseBucket thanks for your reply 🙂 - are there any in particular you’d recommend me checking out?

Mahogony staircase/Bannisters.
Mid 60s.
Yep. Lots of light.

Have you looked on The Modern House (www.themodernhouse.com )? I (sadly) don't live in one but there are usually lots of examples of mid century modern houses in various stages of preservation.

I have parquet (albeit under carpet. I'm not sure if we're going to keep it as it's on concrete and will be cold - you can shoot me now).

We have some cracking 1960s flower power vinyl on the shelves in our wardrobes and purple carpet.

Until recently a much maligned period of houses I think.

Then thatcher swanned in and introduced captivated Brits to houses with tiddly rooms and windows.

We have a '50s house. Parquet is all we have left after we had to lose the gorgeous but rotten front door a couple of years ago. We are trying to buy mid-century furniture to bring back some authenticity.

Ours is late 60s, only the parquet remains. Lots of light as mentioned, it’s what made me choose it.

I had to replace the front door too. I loved it (receded glass) but it was rotten, huge gaps so was breezy and quite frankly a security risk as a hard push would have forced it open.

My parents house is this age. Love it. They think it's dated, I suspect because they lived through the era. Bit like people used to rip out 'hideous Victorian fireplaces' until someone pointed out they were beautiful and valuable.

Stuff I value in my parents house:

Light and space. Can't be bought.
Glass door room dividers
Hatch to kitchen
Wood that isn't pine or painted
The turquoise bathroom suite
It's not grey
The banisters
Door knobs
It's not open plan

Mines the wrong era (1890) but I just wanted to say that we have the original Victorian toilet. It's huge, carved oak seat, no lid and it's just brilliant. It was originally an outhouse but the house has been extended to encompass it.

@Dildoslag flower power vinyl? Sounds amazing! Think would look great in a wardrobe. I’m jealous of your flooring, sadly underneath our living room carpet (boring, 90s grey) there is only concrete

@wiffin tell your parents this millennial is jealous, it sounds beautiful. I’m off to google glass door room dividers 😃

Does anyone know where I might be able to source interior / exterior doors from that period? Or colourful bathroom suites?

@PeanutButter82 yes I love it but I don’t think I’d be able to go that high end for my own home unfortunately

There was a thread on this a while ago , great house with plenty of original features.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132708749#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media0&ref=photoCollage

@Diyextension that house 😍

Wow. That place is incredible. Sadly not my parents (although that turquoise bathroom looks similar!). The kitchen doors are available, they look like J groove. And definitely that colour wood. I don't know what it is, but it's very distinctive. As so the round silver ish doorknobs with the dip in the middle.

I’ve just used oak doors - some of the original ones were nice but were glass and shattered after we’d been here for a while…!

Mine again has loads of light and lovely big wardrobes!

I don’t have much original decor as it’s simple and white to focus on the light. But I do love buying mid century bits and “returning” then here where I feel they are “at home”. I’ve got a lovely tall rocket light and some mid century glassware and brasses.

And lots of spider plants and cheese plants - some in macrame of course!

A 70s home with original features lol. There wasn’t any, it was all retro bright colours and artex ceilings!

My DPs parents lived in a late 1960s house that was pretty much untouched since it was built.

Wooden cladding on the ceiling over the stairwell
Floor to ceiling stone wall feature fireplace
One avocado bathroom suite, fully tiled walls in avocado tiles with those tile built in soap holders.
One turquoise cloakroom with sink set into a vanity unit
Kitchen had fully tiled walls with a patterned tile with a stylised blue flower pattern and the units where dark blue cabinets with white drawers. Terrazzo floor.
Patterned glass partition between kitchen and hallway
Dark wood (mahogany?) open tread staircase
Parquet (narrow planks, not herringbone) floors in kitchen and living room

Following with interest as I am just about to buy a 1960s dormer bungalow. Great size rooms but not much character. It does have the original staircase but that has been painted white so I will strip that. I am normally good with ideas but this has stumped me a bit as have only lived in Victorian / Edwardian houses with a lot of original features.

@Throwncrumbs that’s the point! 🙂

@honeyandfizz please do share here if you get some inspiration 🙂