Meanwhile Back At the Ranch

We are on the hunt for new chairs. However, we have a problem. A marital design dillema, which Rex and I rarely have. We have a HUGE chair in our living room - soft comfy and OLD. He loves it. Adores it. So, I want to replace it - really, I wouldn’t have this kind of a chair in a dorm room. I’ve tried to put it out for the dumpster several times and he won’t have it.

This is the sort of thing I’d love to replace it with:

But he’s put his foot down…it’s not comfy, it’s not warm. How can he cuddle with the kids and watch TV. Sigh. So, help my mid-century friends…I need suggestions!

Awwww, how completely sweet! That’s right.  Frugally Retro has awarded me the “I Love Your Blog” award and is making me BLUSH!  So, I am passing it on to seven other bloggers.  If you are one of the recipients and you want to participate, here are the instructions:

1. A winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate up to 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to the nominated blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the nominated blogs.

So, wow, only 7, eh? Ok, here are mine:

1. The Atomic Playhouse - wow! I want all of their stuff!

2. Atomic Addiction - again, eye candy until you die!

3. Frisk the Frigidaire - I want to shop with them!

4. House in Progress - the almighty crowned family of Housebloggers! Thanks guys!

5. Decorno - a funny look at decorating…very modern!

6. Ranch Revival - Green before “green” was cool!

7. Retro-renovation - Pam, what can you say, her blog is the best!

Ok, if you’re in Huntington, PA or nearby I want you to go check this out or the article is here too:

http://foodio54.com/blog/?p=157

Send me photos! There HAS to be a 1950’s mid century nut out there who will take it…someone?

It’s been over a month and nope (especially to “Red” - who didn’t leave me any contact info! ) we have NOT measured and replaced the window and put in the air conditioner. Many other things have stepped into the way of it happening. Not the least is our complete fear of measuring - ha, ha! I do appreciate Red’s input tho and hopefully we’ll do it soon. Although - if I don’t get picked for a jury tomorrow - we leave on vacation on Thursday! We’re heading to South Dakota , the Black Hills, to do the totally touristy thing! Can’t wait!

However, one project we did finish after the patio was our “crazy patio”. We had a ton of blocks and bricks left and wanted to use them. Rex had a great idea make a tiny patio in the back near our old incinerator. We bricked that up (the holes in it) and we purchased some gravel for the bottom

We started matching up the rocks to make a patio. We had taken the bricks from another project (we found a different material) - a lot of this was pieces of concrete, bits of flagstone or very old concrete blocks that had a red color - we found those when we dug up the area to put the garden in.

We just brushed some sand over the top and kaboom! We have a little patio. It’s kind of funky looking, but it sits at the base of our big peach tree. Off to the left is a lilac which I hope will flourish and bloom next year. I’m so proud we used up all of our materials…it also ties in the incinerator and our neighbor’s rustic flagstone wall.

So, we did all of this and were pooped (tired, exhausted…my kids still giggle at that expression). So, we didn’t get to the air conditioner. We’ll get it in soon tho! I want to just “flip a switch” for next year!

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!