Midcentury Lovin'

Midcentury style and the color aqua are two of my favorite things. (I find it fortuitous that the color was so prevalent during the 50s and 60s.) Consequently, this article in the NYTimes made my heart pitter-patter for so many reasons.

(Photo by Nancy Palmieri for The New York Times)

Blogger Pam Kueber began Retro Renovation in 2007 and it's become the go-to place for midcentury homeowners and enthusiasts. Whether they're hunting for a vintage pink tile resource or light fixtures to complement a 1950s bungalow, "Midcentury Modest" homeowners turn to Kueber—and her dozens of other bloggers—for help. It's a place to share the tips and trials of restoring a midcentury home to an authentic state. Kueber's long-sought, turquoise set of steel kitchen cabinets make me absolutely envious!

Wood Floors and Character

Several months ago, Justin and I came home to find our neighbor's mattress in the hallway. We later learned that a pipe had burst on the terrace above us and flooded his bedroom. Fortunately, the walls in our apartment did not need to be replaced, but several weeks later, we discovered that water had seeped into our floors and caused them to buckle. The entire living/dining/kitchen area was covered with a swath of curved planks. When you'd roll a suitcase across the room, it would make a rattling thunk, thunk, thunk like a train. Long story short, our management company sent a contractor to assess the damage, and instead of pulling up the boards, he just sanded down the top 1/4 inch and then put on another coat of polyurethane. Bottom line: in the weeks since, the boards have started separating from each other. So when I saw a post today on Design*Sponge about wooden floors, I alternated between lust and envy. The folks at Exquisite Surfaces have done some incredible work with reclaimed, aged French oak. Someday, we'll have floors that we own, and we can have something like this. Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Exquisite Surfaces