Hooked on Houses

By JULIA @ HOOKEDONHOUSES.NET

This is the title page from my 1956 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book I’ve shown photos from before (we looked at some ’50s kitchens and living rooms). I love the retro stuff.
Today we’re taking a gander at the bathrooms, which will explain a lot of things–such as why [...]

August 25th, 2008 | Tags: 1950s, 1956, bathrooms, Better Homes & Gardens, books, Decorating, pink, retro | Category: Retro Rooms | Comments (37)

I’m still on vacation where it’s hot and I’m sunburned (I apparently forgot the sunscreen on my shoulders yesterday–ouch). Maybe that’s why I’m going crazy over these Big Chill appliances, which look so cool.
Look at this sky-blue fridge and dishwasher. They may look old, but they’re brand spankin’ new. What a fun way to give [...]

July 22nd, 2008 | Tags: 1950s kitchens, Appliance Trends, appliances, dishwashers, kitchens, refrigerators, retro, retro kitchens, stoves | Category: Appliance Trends | Comments (29)

By JULIA @ HOOKEDONHOUSES.NET

Now and then I just have to show you some more retro kitchens that I’ve found. This picture was originally on the cover of a magazine called Kitchen Business in 1956 (it’s still in publication under the name Kitchen & Bath Business).
I love this pink kitchen with the breakfast bar. Who wouldn’t [...]

July 12th, 2008 | Tags: 1950s kitchens, 1956, Appliance Trends, Decorating, dishwashers, pink, retro, vintage | Category: Retro Rooms | Comments (22)

What I should have been doing tonight: working on some of my writing projects that need attention. You know, for my real job that I actually get paid for.
What I’ve been doing instead: searching for old decorating books on eBay and then waging a bidding war on a vintage one from 1965, simply because it [...]

May 29th, 2008 | Tags: 1960s, 1965, books, kitchen, retro, vintage | Category: Retro Rooms | Comments (8)

Back in February I posted photos of 1950s kitchens from an old Better Homes & Gardens Decorating book I had just bought. It continues to be a popular post all these months later–apparently there are a lot of people Googling “retro rooms.”
I had promised to show you more photos from the book “in weeks to [...]

May 21st, 2008 | Tags: 1950s, 1956, Better Homes and Gardens, carpet, color, Decorating, draperies, family room, fireplace, Flooring, living room, retro, wallpaper | Category: Retro Rooms | Comments (15)

This week at Hooked on Houses we’re touring houses for sale in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati. I think you’ve all got the hang of the Fantasy Open House by now. Just like with House #1 on Rookwood Drive, you take the tour and then place your vote.
The next one on our tour is [...]

April 7th, 2008 | Tags: 1950s kitchen, Cincinnati, crown molding, fixer upper, for sale, Hyde Park, MLS, Ohio, open house, Real Estate, renovation, retro | Category: Fantasy Open House, House Tour | Comments (15)

By JULIA @ HOOKEDONHOUSES.NET

Remember this aqua-blue kitchen I showed you in the post about Retro Kitchens? It was a page out of a vintage Better Homes and Gardens decorating book from 1956, and I thought it actually looked like something you might find in a magazine today, especially with the stainless-steel appliances.
Well, imagine my surprise [...]

March 4th, 2008 | Tags: 1950s, appliances, Before & After, Better Homes and Gardens, blue, cabinets, Decorating, Flooring, kitchen, modern, retro, stainless-steel | Category: Appliance Trends, Retro Rooms | Comments (15)

What do you think this young homemaker from the 1950s is thinking about?
“I wonder if that gold refrigerator I bought will look dated in a few years?”
“Should I hang that horse and jockey wallpaper in my kitchen?”
“If only I had a portable stereo in here!”
Write your own caption for her in the comments and tell [...]

February 29th, 2008 | Tags: 1950s, cooking, homemaker, housewife, humor, kitchen, refrigerator, retro, yellow | Category: Retro Rooms | Comments (14)

Dark Roasted Blend asks: “Now, do you appreciate your iPod more? In the 50s you had to carry the CART with you, wherever you went.”
You know I love me some retro, so I got a little crazy with excitement when I found this photo via bb-blog. The homemaker looks more excited and proud about her [...]

February 28th, 2008 | Tags: 1950s, Christmas, Decorating, electronics, homemaker, housewife, iPod, kitchen, pink, radio, retro, stereo, technology | Category: Retro Rooms | Comments (9)