Decor for 50s Style Ranch?

[Cheerio]

DH and I live in a ranch that was built in 1958, so I'm looking for blogs or other places where I can look at decor of similar style homes. It is NOT really a mid-century modern style house with cool architecture, just a normal old ranch like the one pictured below. Does anyone have any recommendations for blogs or other places to look?



Also, I always hear/see people say that you should keep renovations with the character of the home - is this still the case with a ranch? If we were to redo the kitchen, is there a certain style we should avoid or lean towards?

[wawa]

Oh, welcome to my decision making process!

I'm in a 1957 split level. Boring (and in my case damaged) clamshell/ranch trim. Original pink and green tile bathroom. BLECH.

Our kitchen had been gutted and redone about 15 years ago, so that part of it was no longer a concern for me.

Basically - my theory with my house is that it had limited character to begin with. So the things I liked about it (hardwood floors. Brick fireplace) are staying. The things I don't like - peeling and cracked orangey oak ranch trim, ugly flat panel doors, pink bathroom (which was falling apart anyway) - are gone.

But at the same time we've tried to at least think about whether the things we're putting back in actually fit the home. I ADORE craftsman style casings and doors. But they don't belong in a 1957 brick split level. So I don't have them. Stuff like that I've tried to at least consider whether it fits the house.

I don't over think it - because again, this is not a beautiful Victorian or 1800's farmhouse or something, it's a mass produced little box - but I do try to keep in mind that I don't want it it to feel like a different house from the inside to the outside.

[tarheels]

For decor, I wouldn't worry about the year it was built. Just treat it like any other home. You never see people say, "My house was built in 1980 and I'm really interested in being true to its original style." In the case of a typical, standard house like yours, I'd decorate it however I felt like And even if I owned an MCM home, I doubt I'd decorate it like a museum anyways.

As for renovations, I think it's more about being sensitive to the fact that your almost Cape-Cod-y house wouldn't have had sleek enamel cabinets with chrome trim or glass mosaic tiles on the backsplash or, heaven forbid, those silly vessel sinks. Just don't put in something screamingly trendy, ya know? Keep it classic and it'll age well. But at the same time, in an effort to be classic, don't throw back to an era older than the house (subway tile is from the early 1900s and pre-dates the house).

[mrs.jacinthe]

tarheels and wawa have said it better than I ever could. With a house like that, you can do whatever you want with the exception of museum-level "era" renovations - i.e. no art deco kitchen, KWIM?

[lys]

You can have some fun looking at HGTV.com/ratemyspace

[Deleted]

I also have a 50s ranch. It all honestly I didn't in anyway account for the style of the home when I decorated. It's my home and I did what I liked.

[FoxInFiji]

I agree with the others do what you want with a house like this unless you're already really into the mid century style. Just try to keep permanent fixtures classic or vintage inspired so they fit with the home. What I mean by that is things like cabinets look like they would be in an older home but you can't necessarily put your finger on what time frame they are from. Where you can easily go off course is when you take cheap builder grade cabinets and throw them in the kitchen of an old home and they stick out like a sore thumb because of the construction, door design, and lack of a good fit (ie. using only standard sized cabinets in home built before those standards were established). Decor is different and can easily be changed or modified so use what you have and go from there.

[auntie]

Jan 9, 2013 16:50:08 GMT -5 tarheels said:

For decor, I wouldn't worry about the year it was built. Just treat it like any other home. You never see people say, "My house was built in 1980 and I'm really interested in being true to its original style." In the case of a typical, standard house like yours, I'd decorate it however I felt like And even if I owned an MCM home, I doubt I'd decorate it like a museum anyways.

As for renovations, I think it's more about being sensitive to the fact that your almost Cape-Cod-y house wouldn't have had sleek enamel cabinets with chrome trim or glass mosaic tiles on the backsplash or, heaven forbid, those silly vessel sinks. Just don't put in something screamingly trendy, ya know? Keep it classic and it'll age well. But at the same time, in an effort to be classic, don't throw back to an era older than the house (subway tile is from the early 1900s and pre-dates the house).

LMAO at the notion of preserving my home's 1986 awesomeness- the golden oak kitchen, the mauve wall to wall and the beige bath fixtures and appliances. Woot!

But I have to laugh about the mid- 50's kitchens. The dumpy little houses I grew up around in Levittown had weirdly sleek stainless kitchens with enamel finishes.

www.levittowners.com/house_kitchen.htm

[cosmowife]

There is a blog called "retro renovation" that focuses on exactly this style.

There is also an awesome book called "atomic ranch" that became my bible while we were renovating our 1958 rancher. I got it from the library.

[auntie]

I have Atomic Kitchen- I love that book.

www.amazon.com/Atomic-Kitchen-Gadgets-Inventions-Yesterdays/dp/1888054980

My BFF had to move to the city when she married a judge employed there. They bought a 1960 raised ranch twin. She hated it at first having hand a small Victorian twin and then a Craftsman style home. But she decided to embrace it and is having fun giving it a new spin.

[tarheels]

Jan 10, 2013 10:25:39 GMT -5 auntie said:

Jan 9, 2013 16:50:08 GMT -5 tarheels said:

For decor, I wouldn't worry about the year it was built. Just treat it like any other home. You never see people say, "My house was built in 1980 and I'm really interested in being true to its original style." In the case of a typical, standard house like yours, I'd decorate it however I felt like And even if I owned an MCM home, I doubt I'd decorate it like a museum anyways.

As for renovations, I think it's more about being sensitive to the fact that your almost Cape-Cod-y house wouldn't have had sleek enamel cabinets with chrome trim or glass mosaic tiles on the backsplash or, heaven forbid, those silly vessel sinks. Just don't put in something screamingly trendy, ya know? Keep it classic and it'll age well. But at the same time, in an effort to be classic, don't throw back to an era older than the house (subway tile is from the early 1900s and pre-dates the house).

LMAO at the notion of preserving my home's 1986 awesomeness- the golden oak kitchen, the mauve wall to wall and the beige bath fixtures and appliances. Woot!

But I have to laugh about the mid- 50's kitchens. The dumpy little houses I grew up around in Levittown had weirdly sleek stainless kitchens with enamel finishes.

www.levittowners.com/house_kitchen.htm

Oh, ha. Yeah, I know about those, but wasn't thinking when I wrote that. I was thinking something uber-modern, but you're right that by word description, I could very well have meant those cabinets. I should have crafted my sentence better.



You actually grew up in Levittown? Wild. I kind of think of that place as Pleasantville - something that exists in the movies, not IRL.

[pitterwoo]

Jan 10, 2013 10:25:39 GMT -5 auntie said:

Jan 9, 2013 16:50:08 GMT -5 tarheels said:

For decor, I wouldn't worry about the year it was built. Just treat it like any other home. You never see people say, "My house was built in 1980 and I'm really interested in being true to its original style." In the case of a typical, standard house like yours, I'd decorate it however I felt like And even if I owned an MCM home, I doubt I'd decorate it like a museum anyways.

As for renovations, I think it's more about being sensitive to the fact that your almost Cape-Cod-y house wouldn't have had sleek enamel cabinets with chrome trim or glass mosaic tiles on the backsplash or, heaven forbid, those silly vessel sinks. Just don't put in something screamingly trendy, ya know? Keep it classic and it'll age well. But at the same time, in an effort to be classic, don't throw back to an era older than the house (subway tile is from the early 1900s and pre-dates the house).

LMAO at the notion of preserving my home's 1986 awesomeness- the golden oak kitchen, the mauve wall to wall and the beige bath fixtures and appliances. Woot!

But I have to laugh about the mid- 50's kitchens. The dumpy little houses I grew up around in Levittown had weirdly sleek stainless kitchens with enamel finishes.

www.levittowners.com/house_kitchen.htm

oh yeah, haha totally space age.

[Cheerio]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Definitely gave me some things to think about.

[stellarose]

Cute house though and the freedom to do whatever should be fun!

[funnygirlglee]

What a great house, and I also agree you can do whatever you like!

[annalatte]

I live in a 50's ranch. We are the 3rd owners (we are currently trying to sell it), and there have been updates made by each owner to keep it from looking dated. Just about every room has been updated, and they are traditional in style, but still very current. The woodwork, fireplaces and hardwood floors are all original, but just about everything else has been replaced. So any type of decor will work, really. Good luck!

[Deleted]

Jan 10, 2013 10:25:39 GMT -5 auntie said:

Jan 9, 2013 16:50:08 GMT -5 tarheels said:

For decor, I wouldn't worry about the year it was built. Just treat it like any other home. You never see people say, "My house was built in 1980 and I'm really interested in being true to its original style." In the case of a typical, standard house like yours, I'd decorate it however I felt like And even if I owned an MCM home, I doubt I'd decorate it like a museum anyways.

As for renovations, I think it's more about being sensitive to the fact that your almost Cape-Cod-y house wouldn't have had sleek enamel cabinets with chrome trim or glass mosaic tiles on the backsplash or, heaven forbid, those silly vessel sinks. Just don't put in something screamingly trendy, ya know? Keep it classic and it'll age well. But at the same time, in an effort to be classic, don't throw back to an era older than the house (subway tile is from the early 1900s and pre-dates the house).

LMAO at the notion of preserving my home's 1986 awesomeness- the golden oak kitchen, the mauve wall to wall and the beige bath fixtures and appliances. Woot!

But I have to laugh about the mid- 50's kitchens. The dumpy little houses I grew up around in Levittown had weirdly sleek stainless kitchens with enamel finishes.

www.levittowners.com/house_kitchen.htm

I have a very similar kitchen in my old house, which is now rental. I loved it!