Meanwhile Back At the Ranch

Well, here’s the update from our world. Last month we acquired a good window air conditioner that we can have installed for practically nothing.

However, we have side opening windows, so we need to replace them - and frankly they are metal, which on a brick house is deadly for heat efficiency. So, we’re switching to vinyl. Bad, I know, but frankly they look better than the metal ones…and we can put in the air conditioner (we’re just starting with the one window).

And in true Houseblogger way we are putting it in ourselves. Suggestions? First on measuring. Here are pictures (those are cheesy plastic storm windows on the inside by the way):

and here’s the outside:

I think we want to put it right in the center. The metal one is on the outside, but is thinner than your two section vinyl one would be. So…our question is this….where do we measure?

Has anyone done this?

I’ve had my Mid-Century interior design books out a lot the past month. We purchased a new flat screen TV and despite the design possibilities it adds, it also creates a ton of design dilemmas. 1950’s home designers never pictured a room designed around a TV much less a flat screen that hung on the wall. According to the Ladies Home Journal Book of Interior Decorating, “Television need never dominate a room but it must be available without a great shifting of furniture”. However, back then built in TV’s were quite common.

As I was pondering my design dilemma, I read a lot about room flow and traffic patterns. Traffic patterns were a central design feature in interior design in the 50’s. Most design books of the period emphasize how to get through a room and walk around furniture more than conversation groups. They thought about conversation groups, but not at the expense of good “flow”.

This sounds completely foreign in today’s design world….or does it? I started thinking about Feng Shui with the general desire to have a home clutter free and have the chi flow through the home. Isn’t this basically substituting air flow for a traffic pattern?

Feng Shui translates literally to “wind-water”. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal of Feng Shui is to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first in ones environment and then in one’s life. (www.reddawn.com/glossary.html ).

This picture that I posted ages ago shows what they termed in the 80’s as “spin art furniture” which is, essentially, furniture all arranged along the walls. But it definitely has a Feng Shui feeling to the air flow and the movement in the room. Clean clutter free design is also central to Feng Shui as well as 1950’s design. The other parallel between the 1950’s and Feng Shui is the use of Asian art in design. Clean lines along with cherry blossoms, floral prints, and other Asian motifs make the blending of these two design styles quite logical.

So, instead of dismissing 1950’s design style as passé, maybe it’s better to think about how it translates into the new Feng Shui ideals. The two may have more in common than you ever considered.

One of the realities of owning your own home is that eventually you might want more space. A lot of people move! This is one options, but lets say you love your neighborhood, you like your house and you just want to live there longer?

Well, obviously “popping the top” is a really great way to do this. Now…with a budget (like lets say you can’t hire a pricey architect etc). I Think this can be a disaster and a fine way to completely destroy the look and feel of a house. Especially if you have any desire to preserve it’s historical value. Blonde brick ranches were designed as ranches and as such, I think you’re better building off rather than up. However, I think you can do a good job if you try.

Here are two good ideas. Now, the first one is really cheating because it started out as two story. However, I think someone creative could get good ideas from it and it’s identical to our home - except for that pesky second floor!

The second, I think is my favorite pop up ever. It keeps with the “theme” of the mid century ranch, but makes it something special…definitely more modern, but a great looking house! I suspect an architect was involved in this one and even though I know the owner, I need to get more details!

Do you have any good mid century pop up photos? How about bad ones? post and let me know!

Ok, so there’s your mid century eye candy for the day! I’m out to work in the garden and work on our mid century house.

Ok, this is the “Mid Century Style” surprise! Along with the fact that we are in redecorating/landscaping chaos this weekend, I’m going to launch the Mid Century Style Ning group! I suspect this will eventually be instead of the webring, but we’ll see!

I’m hoping Pam will hop on there and start a steel cabinet group and I would love people to start little subgroups for states (I’ll kick it off with Colorado). Other than that, the sky is the limit!

I got introduced to Ning from a friend who did a fiber art group on it. I now belong to several of those and the wonderful “posh mama” who’s fearless leader is going to be one of our first members!

So, welcome, email me if you have questions and lets get this started!

Oooo, and more pictures of the back yard to come…we have been killing ourselves doing work, so hopefully we can actually enjoy it soon! (hubby has actually promised to post! I can’t wait!)

Well, you’re probably sick of our patio, but it’s done! Hooray!
And for a more traditional view, see our Flickr Houseblog photos.
No cover yet, but we’re working on it! I’m busy working on a midcentury style surprise that should be ready by - at the latest - next weekend…so stay tuned!

So, it’s only a TRUE home renovator that would work through her supposed relaxing Mother’s day, but putting in a flagstone patio. However, that’s what we’re doing! The supplies have been purchased and we’re motivated!

So, while we’re working away, I figured I’d give you some links to surf around the net.

Ranch Redo finally got her Rockin Screen door put in. I’m LOVING this!

And low on our list, but definately on it, is painting the house and I love this post by Pam (of course) with some fantastic color options for housepainting your 50’s house.

Thanks to everyone on your playhouse suggestions. Right now I think we’re going to look through Craigslist and maybe buy one and fix it up….I’m actually thinking I might paint it to look like our house and add some black wrought iron to dress it up….whatcha think?

I also appreciate Pam’s suggestion on the patio covering. We’re still not sure on what we’ll do - so we’re still open to suggestions. Gotta lay that patio first! Woo hoo!

Ok, off to work!

We’re so excited to make progress (compare to the photo in the previoius post). Now we can’t wait to finish it. There was weeding to do and flagstone to move - I’m sick of moving the stuff!

Because of water run off issues, we had to grout in the row of travertine (weird choice, but it looked the best) and the flagstone will run up to it.

So, I’m sure we’ll have more to post next weekend! We can’t wait!

If you’ve read my blog for very long, you know that our back yard has looked pretty much like the photo below for 4 years.

We got that far in a mad rush 4 years ago for my son’s 2nd birthday celebration and the project stalled. Lack of time, energy (have you hauled around that many flagstones?), a glitch in the design idea and other issues….did I mention energy?

One of the first dilemmas was how to finish the top edge…we’re doing that today, so I will soon have pictures! Then we need to just regrade it, add a LOT more sand and go buy some flagstone…as well as get another type of edging for that bottom section. So, hopefully over the next two weekends we can make some major progress.

One unfinished bit is what to cover it with. My choice are these:

I think they look very 50’s and frankly the other option - I think - is a corrugated roof on a solid structure. One bad point there is that it would require a permit. Second, I think they’re ugly! (gasp!) Pergolas - not of the period - and not enough shade.

So, purists…what do you think?

And so have the projects around the house! We’re starting to make lists! Some are as simple (and unspectacular) as putting carpet in the kids bedrooms, but the big news is the back yard. We’re going to finish it all up! Woo hoo!

First, the patio, but we’ve decided to move our garden and put in a playhouse for the kids. Which leads me to playhouses….first, they’re all colonial. Second, they all are a bit too elaborate for my taste:

So, then there’s this one - more 50’s ish, but too rustic?

and this one - cute if you had a house like that, but complicated and a bit foofy for us:

So, help guys! Do you know any playhouse patterns that will go with a 50’s house out there?

Note:
Because the comments were deactivated, I got this post on my flickr page:

There is this book by Sunset called “Children’s Rooms and Play Yards” that looks like it could have what you are looking for. Here is the 1970 ed. on Populuxe:

www.populuxebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69_73&products_id=431

and the 1966 version on Amazon

www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000PGB0KI/ref=sr_1_olp_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208478931&sr=8-2

If you read my “other blog” you realize I love to stitch. I’m a crazy quilter and a self-confessed fabric-o-holic. However, I think I’ve found the perfect blend of my love for midcentury style and my love for fabrics. This past Friday I had the chance to help a gal in our neighborhood mount a piece for an exhibit of these wonderful fabrics:

The design is by Lucienne Day, who is one of the most noteworthy British designers of the day. If you want to see more (before the exhibit that is) there are more pictures here at Classic Textiles. Her husband, Robin, is a furniture designer and she created the fabrics to compliment his designs.  I think you’ll recognize a lot of the designs (chair and fabric) - I know I did! Here’s another good article.

 Her work will all be featured in an exhibit in Colorado Springs, Colorado from September 20, 2008 - January 25, 2009 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

I enjoyed the time with Paulette (although I suspect she’ll probably redo a lot of my stitches - that’s ok, I learned a ton!) but preservation and mounting of textiles like these is really an interesting process (she’s great by the way, if you need textile preservation email me and I’ll get you her info).  She gave me some great resources for preserving textiles and so expect a post really soon on that subject.

 On a more blog-related subject, I’m still struggling with comments. If you’re not able to get comments through (and you’re a real person) can you please email me at mary-frances at widgetinc dot com? Thanks!