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(Music by Bill Loose, Lineland, animation by JuliaPott)
Pam Kueber of blog Retro Renovation was originally looking for the Victorian farmhouse of her dreams in the Berkshires, but for various reasons (price, location, size) she and her husband ended up falling in love and purchasing a 1951 Colonial Ranch house instead. Although the house has aspects of a modern ranch house — the step down living room, the open dining room — a large portion of the house feels more Colonial or, as Kueber coined, “Mid-Century Modest.” As opposed to Mid-Century Modern, Mid-Century Modest is less minimal in its decor, and instead incorporates collections of knickknacks that add touches of warmth and heart, such as Stangl pottery, Cleminson wall pockets, Bargello needlework, Vera Neumann linens, Stylebuilt vanity sets, crocheted afghans and cast iron eagles.
The one area of the house that needed a dramatic retro renovation overhaul was the kitchen. The dark wood cabinets from the house’s 1971 renovation had since fallen into disrepair. Pam happened upon a few of the original steel cabinets left in the garage and knew that what her kitchen needed was a resurrection of the post-war fitted steel cabinets. She searched for five long years for the perfect cabinets to fit her extra large kitchen. It was at a non-profit center run by nuns where she ultimately found the cabinets of her dreams, 1963 aqua-blue Geneva steel cabinets. Everyone thought she was out of her mind installing grubby old steel cabinets into her newly renovated kitchen, but with a little elbow grease and some car wax she buffed those old cabinets to perfection and created a stunning post-war style kitchen.
Eames era lamp, From 51VC, $845.
Catherine Holm Lotus Pot, From HausProud, $80.
Teak Elgin Starburst Clock, From vintagebutterfly94, $135.
White Ceramic Onion Lamp, From LiseVintageLighting, $175.
Retro Renovation offers a wealth of wonderful articles about mid-century decor. You can read about Early American Design, 1950s interior design, as well as a history of steel kitchen cabinets.
Looking for more styles and interiors? Get involved and show us your amazing space in this Flickr pool.
What Etsy items would you add to your retro renovation? Leave a link in the comments!
Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares
More There’s No Place Like Here Posts | Retro Renovation Blog
136 comments
Sign in to add your ownCocoaBeans says:
i love love love did i say love "anything" to do that is vintage:)
2 years ago
MinceCo says:
wow, your kitchen is so bold, it's fantastic!! love red and turquoise together. well done.
2 years ago
gallop says:
I'm with minceco..those cupboards are awesome, and steel aswell, even better.
2 years ago
gallop says:
I'm with minceco, fabo kitchen and I loovvve the fact they're steel cabinets
2 years ago
OffTheHooks says:
i just love the term "mid century modest"!
2 years ago
aggieray says:
I love this... bring back memories of the 70's!
2 years ago
fishlegs says:
Very timely post. I am loving mid century lately! Those pink lamps are fabulous!
2 years ago
manvsgeorge says:
I love the bold retro colors! (But I'm glad that kitchen isn't wall-to-wall harvest gold...) :-)
2 years ago
enhabiten says:
Ha! I love the last line- "Am I serious? Maybe I'm not gonna say." I love it when people take a chance with decorating. Great video, Tara.
2 years ago
bylynnkrestel says:
what fab picks...oh that i could afford that reno in my kitchen!
2 years ago
Iheartmoustaches says:
I love this style! I used to live in a house in Philly that had those steel cabinets. It made me feel like such an old school housewife whenever I cooked dinner.
2 years ago
sewlola says:
Pam, thank you for sharing your lovely kitchen. It is dreamy! I like the fact that the dining table is in the middle of the kitchen. I think it invites to have a nice chat. Enjoy it!
2 years ago
TheJoyofColor says:
Fantastic love it love the period and the wonderful functioanl design
2 years ago
MagicMarkingsArt says:
Love that kitchen - those cabinets would make any day sunny!
2 years ago
polkadotmagpie says:
Wow, love the Catherine Holm piece, and we too had an eagle over the fireplace when I was a kid. Sweet walk down memory lane.
2 years ago
litapsilverj says:
love the aqua blue!!!! Cool living quarters. My friend bought a new refrigerator with an old style door in that color. Love it!!!!
2 years ago
mck254 says:
Cool house! I love to pre-war kitchen photos. The kitchen in my house looked like that until 2000! Great video Tara!
2 years ago
whorange says:
Pam, you are my hero!
2 years ago
accentonvintage says:
Love the Stangl pieces and the great kitchen redo!
2 years ago
victorianbustle says:
too too cool. I want that kitchen.
2 years ago
TheVintageCabin says:
I'm all for mid century modest or modest minimalism. The museum style mid century look is a little too up it's own... great cupboards!
2 years ago
reinaldovalentin says:
That blue kitchen is pretty cool.
2 years ago
BranchandBirdie says:
These pictures make me drool! I'm a sucker for vintage Knoll pieces!
2 years ago
tomatored says:
Well you know I'm all for the vintage look! Hoorah!
2 years ago
pocketcarnival says:
Cute video!
2 years ago
claireferrante says:
Love, love, love it. Please keep the info/posts about mid century coming!
2 years ago
baconsquarefarm says:
We had steel cabinets in the 1st home my parents built, her blue kitchen is awesome, enjoyed this video. Thanks for the tour and history of styles.
2 years ago
EvesLittleEarthlings says:
I loved that video! We tore out a vintage kitchen after 15 years because it was just too beat up and the floor was a disaster...I still miss the way it looked. The new kitchen is modern and clean but just doesn't have the homey appeal of the old one.
2 years ago
beautifulbridget says:
OMG that kitchen!!!!!
2 years ago
helenapuck says:
It's good to see that while people think I'm crazy, I'm not the only one who wants vintage metal 1950's style kitchen. Now to pick the color! Don't you just love color!
2 years ago
HausProud says:
Wow! That kitchen is fantastic! And coining the term mid century modest, brilliant! I will totally be using that one.
2 years ago
alittleVintageShop says:
"there's no place like here ..." What a fabulous piece of thought!
2 years ago
LeopardessBoutique says:
All I can say is "love"!!
2 years ago
BlueRoseRetro says:
I just died and went to heaven in that turquoise kitchen. LOVE...love...love it!
2 years ago
AnniesWearableArt says:
yep, it's all fabulous~!
2 years ago
liliswan says:
that was fabulous! I don't know if I would be patient enough to wait 5 years to find the right cabinets!
2 years ago
JBirdHome says:
Love this whole thing! Enjoyed the video very much and the collection from Etsy sellers is great. "mid century modest" - PERFECT!!!
2 years ago
TipsyTimeMachine says:
Mmm, that turquoise is one of my favourite colours - I have a modern wood cabinet that colour in the dining room that I store all my china in. The pop of the turquoise steel cabinets matched with the white kitchen table and chairs is extraordinary, colour me green with envy.
2 years ago
elitas says:
love
2 years ago
shopgoodgrace says:
Great article ... I love the Retro Renovation blog -- I'd been a fan for a while now... after I found it while searching for some obscure retro object via Google. So happy to see her here on Etsy. :)
2 years ago
beckandcallgirl says:
Amazing!
2 years ago
menzocollection says:
Mid-century is my favorite! Great items! And thanks so much for including my vintage wallpaper in the mix!
2 years ago
vintagebutterfly94 says:
SWEET! Thanks for including my clock. I love this look and all that goes with it!
2 years ago
sharonclancydesigns says:
LOVE THIS, GREAT FINDS!!!
2 years ago
sidquilts says:
I'm drooling.
2 years ago
GloucesterStreet says:
Wow...I'm so jealous! That kitchen is fabulous!
2 years ago
funkomavintage says:
aw, how sweet. that's a good word! Comfy,unpretentious, and cheeeep! Oh yes, the middle class...perhaps we'll see that again.
2 years ago
opendoorstudio says:
i am coveting this retro find by jollytimeone http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=85572
2 years ago
opendoorstudio says:
i am coveting this retro find by jollytimeone http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=85572 i just love this retro post and her kitchen is amazing!
2 years ago
IcingOnTheCupcake says:
LOVE the aqua kitchen!
2 years ago
littlemoandfriends says:
beautiful! like a film set!
2 years ago
candacejean says:
Woo! SUCH neat stuff. I adore that aqua kitchen!
2 years ago
sinoheterrero says:
Love this video. It's like taking a trip on a time machine :-)
2 years ago
NoMoreTwistHandmade says:
what an awesome kitchen! never would have thought about steel cabinets. love it!
2 years ago
streetnoodles says:
wonderful commentary...i grew up in homes like these...spent hours looking at the huge sears roebuck catalogue that had "everything" including pages & pages of livingroom "ensembles"...everything matching!!!...where was candice olson when you needed her!
2 years ago
NinaGibsonDesigns says:
Okay - now I have a name for my decor!
2 years ago
missbatch says:
Stunning! Awesome to hear the history and intention behind the aesthetic. Great choice to be true to the house, lovely results and video!
2 years ago
SmallEarthVintage says:
Thank you for that great piece! I love Pam's blog, partly because I learned from it that we have Doris Day's kitchen. Love her philosophy and the concept of mid century modest.
2 years ago
OnTheRound says:
way to have a vision and follow through! That kitchen is Ah+mazing!
2 years ago
blueberryshoes says:
the ending is the best part. am i serious? i'm not gonna say. that is sooo perfect.
2 years ago
blueberryshoes says:
oh, and imagine these cabinets in pink?! DREAM!
2 years ago
vitamini says:
That kitchen is incredible! The mid-century modest style fits my great aunts house to a T! She had some sleek, modern items mixed in, but most of her furniture was traditional and very american. I'll have to send the video along to my family. Oh, and I love your blog!
2 years ago
TheSucculentGarden says:
Awesome we have a turquoise kitchen too!
2 years ago
1AEON says:
hehe! Great job Tara, like always! Love that kitchen..and that blue, you don't see that often..love it.
2 years ago
ravenwren says:
I couldn't live in the turquoise kitchen but make it red and I'd swoon. LOVE the vintage.
2 years ago
maggiemaevintage says:
that kitchen would brighten any day!
2 years ago
JerichoSam says:
sweet home
2 years ago
nowonder says:
This isn;t cazy its beautiful!! Very retro! Worth waiting 5 years for!
2 years ago
AnnaLela says:
oh my... i love this style... so retro ..great items !!
2 years ago
Poisonerie says:
That blue! Imagine how nice it must be to enter each morning, daily, in the sunlit kitchen, and find that turquoise so happy, vital and energizing!
2 years ago
PattiTrostle says:
Everything is so old it is new again! Love it!!
2 years ago
MonjioCreations says:
Wonderful! Love the kitchen, amazing!
2 years ago
rakshniyavintage says:
awesome! First off - I love etsy videos - mainly there's no place like home and handmade portraits :) Secondly that's a sweet looking kitchen! I loved the color and how informative she was - it's so great how someone so easily explained to you and kind of guides you through the past :)
2 years ago
tinselandtwine says:
i love all of it.
2 years ago
breadandroses says:
Terrific video! Great hearing the back story & how Pam arrived at her design choices. While I appreciate mid century and the early 60s faux colonial mindset, I'd love to have a huge, freestanding porcelain on cast iron farmhouse sink once again for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Keep these features coming!
2 years ago
timesandchimes says:
Inspiring!
2 years ago
Vanessa says:
This brings me right back to my best friend's house growing up. I was always amazed by her mom's decorating - mainly because nothing EVER changed or moved. And it looked exactly like those mid-century colonial photos you show here. Come to think of it, it was a mid-century, colonial ranch!
2 years ago
bread says:
Its kinda retro sci-fi.Its my dream kitchen!
2 years ago
tippleandsnack says:
Great posting. I adore the kitchen!
2 years ago
WanderlustBling says:
I'm drooling over those cabinets! The splash of red in the chairs is awesome. Great picks - I especially like the clock.
2 years ago
ArtDecoDame says:
love!
2 years ago
bejeweledbynikki says:
I love that kitchen!!! A favorite color combo of mine!
2 years ago
SimpleJoysPaperie says:
That kitchen is fantastic! Great color!
2 years ago
swakdesigns says:
Absolutely love the kitchen and the air vent is making me smile b/c I have one Just like that in my kitchen over my sink! Although the one here fits better bc the rest of the kitchen has been designed in a similar style. Well done! :-)
2 years ago
ericawalker says:
i just love these "portraits"! and am fascinated by these glimpses into other's lives. great work, thanks tara.
2 years ago
missbrache says:
Oh my God! That Turquoise Kitchen Rocks!!!
2 years ago
greencouchdesign says:
Beautiful Kitchen! I love the metal cabinets and the wonderful colors!
2 years ago
epoca says:
I can't get enough of the aqua. I just love it! What a great era it was.
2 years ago
mtraub says:
Ah, cabinets to which I can aspire!
2 years ago
milemarker says:
I'm drooling over that kitchen. It's pefection.
2 years ago
vintagemaison says:
The kitchen is SO stylish! and I just love the vintage wallpaper.
2 years ago
milemarker says:
I'm drooling over that kitchen. It's perfection.
2 years ago
eternalsourceglass says:
Pam, Very nice! its always a joy to have the opportunity to peek into someone's world. Getting a glimpse of what moves them. thanks for sharing.
2 years ago
dianekuligowski says:
I loved this piece. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and I'm so attracted to that period. Thanks for sharing!
2 years ago
aisle3studio says:
lovin that powder blue, it's coming back!
2 years ago
okaySK says:
wow what a kitchen. Modest but rad!
2 years ago
BettyandJuneShoppe says:
June and I are discussing burning down our houses and starting fresh with this in mind! Dreamy, dreamy, dreamy!
2 years ago
recycledwares says:
wow, love the aqua marine cabinets. you might start a trend and maybe, just maybe, the cabinet makers will start remaking these great retro items.
2 years ago
KattyKinns says:
Love LOVE it!!!
2 years ago
FlapGreetings says:
Pam...who knew you had a made-for-tee-vee voice? You were great and loved the story!!
2 years ago
neonmorgan says:
aquamarine is my favorite color - and i really dig the fact that they are magnetic! It's like fridge doors everywhere.
2 years ago
retrosandie says:
Pam, snaps to our MCM video Queen!!! :)
2 years ago
StudioZen says:
Love mid century design!
2 years ago
yasminbochi says:
I love this style! Very inspiring and fun!
2 years ago
mietteLove says:
My grandmother has the same cabinets/counter tops in the second picture but they are red and white! Stepping into her kitchen is like stepping back into the 50s.
2 years ago
JennySchu says:
I have the same Vintage Oval Botanical Print that you hand-picked (except in a square frame) in our guest bedroom with my vintage hat collection on the walls around it! LOVE IT!
2 years ago
AnnTig says:
Wow! Beautiful designs! Kitchen is Amazing!
2 years ago
AnnTig says:
Kitchen is Amazing! Gorgeous designs!
2 years ago
peaseblossomstudio says:
Love this!
2 years ago
bellasparty says:
Love the kitchen!
2 years ago
Beaddles says:
Love retro!!!
2 years ago
tiddleywink says:
This is EXACTLY up my alley, and I've long been a fan of RR and Pam's kitchen!
2 years ago
BlueGremlin says:
love this syle someday i hope to have the exact kitchen!!!!!
2 years ago
ArtisticIntentions says:
Great items!
2 years ago
Iammie says:
I love it!
2 years ago
BlueTerracotta says:
Great article and video! I can now put a name on my mom's decorating style back when we were growing up, Mid-Century Modest for sure!
2 years ago
asundrynotion says:
Inspiring feature! I love Stangl fruit decorated pottery and Ransburg metal ware. I've used my hand painted Ransburg pieces, including a prized breadbox, for years. I've seen lots of different Ransburg patterns over the years but not the pearl grey canisters. Real beauties at a great price!
2 years ago
violetsandgrace says:
What a STUNNING kitchen! Love the mid-century look, what a fabulous article, thanks so much! We're thrilled to be included in the featured items :0)
2 years ago
NittyGrittyVintage says:
Great looking kitchen! I love the chenille bedspread.
2 years ago
JanuaryJaniesJewelry says:
Love the kitchen! It has a cool,clean feel.
2 years ago
SusanGistTaylor says:
hey! we had those exact same cabinets when i was a kid, (ours were white tho). Matter of fact I used the sink cabinet and basin in our house trailer when the originals dissolved. Everyone thought i was crazy pulling those grotty old cabinets out of my Dad's shop. But, after a thorough cleaning and new white enamel paint, they were amazed at how good they looked. Now that i have a house with a nice kitchen, they've been repurposed in 'my' shop. You can get a LOT of use out of that pre, post war stuff! Wonderful renovation!!!
2 years ago
maclancy says:
I was born in 1950 and this style never gets old to me and to see it with a refreshing twist makes me wanna dance to my old 45s! thanks so much. Cannot wait to see more of this era all over Etsy!
2 years ago
thimblythings says:
I love, love, love it, Pam! Those cabinets are fantastic, as are all the "campy" things. [I sometimes wonder if my friends are thinking the same thing when they visit me. I have vintage (and kitschy) needlepoint pictures on my walls along with paint-by-numbers.] Thank you for the brief history too. Understanding the new kitchens and the optimistic use of color is all very interesting. I have a lot of that eggshell blue in my house. Wonder what that says about me? :)
2 years ago
jaditekate says:
my friend has cabinets in her apartment that are just like those teal ones... lucky!
2 years ago
empapers says:
I really appreciated this down-to-earth and more everyday look at how the average middle-class home was furnished in the 50s. It adds a nice additional perspective to the mid-century mania (which I'm a part of) and helps put it in proper context.
2 years ago
Missniz says:
Love this video, Pam and Tara. I can't get enough of that blue!
2 years ago
LavenderField says:
I love that kitchen! That light teal/aquamarine color is one of my favorites and it's so attractive
2 years ago
dotdotvintage says:
Cool video!!!
2 years ago
kalliedesigns says:
Very interesting look at the everyday 50s kitchen!!
2 years ago
RebeccasArtCloset says:
Great video!! :)
2 years ago
vella says:
I love love love Pam's blog. I spent last summer working on my 50's house and referred many many many times to her blog for ideas and resources. Thanks Pam for helping me love the house I live in!
2 years ago
annslights says:
Great cabinets ... love the light too!
1 year ago
annslights says:
Great cabinets ... love the light too!
1 year ago
annslights says:
great cabinets ... love the light over the table too!
1 year ago
Tirabaralla says:
I love the feeling in this, TY for this.
1 year ago
TheGrassHarpist says:
Love the blog!!
1 year ago