Some of those 50's ranches are to die for! Beautiful architecture and details aren't limited to one style or period home. And, of course, there are many versions of ugly throughout time, too.

I'm sure you're right, and more folks will come to realize and appreciate this style architecture. But 50's modern has been very popular during the last decade, especially in areas where there was a building boom during the 50's, such as California and Florida. Don't know of any websites and preservation societies off hand that have this focus, but there are probably plenty. Give it a google!

By the way, I have a 1870s home in the NE, but also own a condo in Florida that we have decorated with second-hand 50's and Danish modern furniture purchased locally. It's a totally different look, and I love it. You could say I'm a little schizophrenic in my taste....

Tina

My place is pretty simple... but the original kitchen cabinets and built-ins around the fireplace are still there... though unfortunately under gobs and gobs of paint.
Someday I'll get adventurous and start stripping. The insides of everything are the 50's honey blonde so I'm sure thats what is underneath the paint.

Here is the fireplace... its awesome! And somehow was spared through the 70's and 80's from being painted. There is another just like it below in the basement.

Not sure what I'm going to do about the Wall Mount TV thingy and the cable & outlet panel high on the wall there. Cover it up with pictures.... I don't like TV in the Living Room. I though about putting a fish tank on it... LOL!

I googled on "ranch houses preservation" and the links below were some of the results I got. You'll have to copy and paste these into your browser. I'm sure you'll find many more.

An article in the L.A. Times about the growing preservation movement for the ranch home:
http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-ranch20oct20,0,4082801.story?coll=la-home-home

Here's a specific website devoted to preservation:
http://www.recentpast.org/types/resident/

A magazine my 50's furniture guy gave me:
http://www.atomic-ranch.com/index.html

And a National Park Service article that's interesting:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/suburbs/Bricker.pdf

Tina

Those links are excellent... Thanks!

Some miniaturists were working on 1950's houses and complained they couldn't find pictures of interiors to help guide them in reproducing the era.
I happened to have old magazines and I scanned images and put them into a Webshots album. If you'd like to take a look at typical 50's interiors check out any photos labeled with 1940's or 50's dates.

Here is a link that might be useful: album: 20th c. homes

Our house was built in 65, but one thing I've enjoyed doing is buying old magazines from eBay for that time period. women's magazines have lots of interior pictures.

Gloria

Try the Old House Journal online and go to their "talk" section. They have old house discussions divided into eras. Good luck with your home!

You should check out my website: http://ranchredo.com
Also, at houseblogs.net, there are several other 1950's bloggers.

Here is a link that might be useful: 1951 Ranch Redo

On HGTV's "House Hunters" show there have been several people looking for homes built in the '50s. They usually show at least 3 homes in the 1/2 hour show and give complete room by room tours. After the Buyer settles in, they usually revisit and show the improvements the new homeowner has made.

I enjoy "House Hunters" especially when someone is looking for that perfect period home.

I'm looking for something similar as well. I have a 1955 tract Cape Cod that appears to have been designed by an MCM architect. I get the impression that this is what a developer who discovered that people didn't want bold MCM, they wanted something traditional-looking. Kind of a transitional between traditional closed floorplans and the "modern" open ones.

It's still mostly original. Original kitchen cabinets, never painted. Original hardwood floors. Original weird low-voltage lighting control system that doesn't work right anymore and almost no one knows how to work on (that one's getting changed). Original windows. Original bathroom tile and bathtub. Etc.

I'm trying to figure out what to keep, what to restore (there was a minor renovation in 1978, but it was mostly stuff I'd have to replace anyway. Kitchen countertops, linoleum, etc - replaced the stove and fridge but kept the originals in the basement! I still have the original pink fridge and stove, and both even still work. Thinking about returning them to the kitchen.

The bathrooms are still 50's, except for the toilets and sinks that have been changed. I'm thinking about restoring them as well. Same for the kitchen - it will be a 50's restoration, not sure exactly HOW faithful. (Actually, that's giving me a lot of trouble. How to have some reasonably modern kitchen appliances and still be retro.)

What to do with the windows is baffling too. I don't want to do anything out of character, but I'm not sure if the original windows are even significant. Definitely thinking about what to do with them.

Wow I posted this so long ago... glad its been resurfaced! I'd like to say I've come a long way on fixing up my little house but the job takes me out of the country a lot so not much has been accomplished. The floors have been refinished and the living room painted (and I got rid of the wall mount TV thingy).

Perel.. I'm so jealous you have the original Pink appliances!! I'd give my right arm for those (since I'm a lefty. LOL!) I know Pink is an aquired taste but you should definately keep them! If its a Gas stove I would have someone check it out though to make sure its ok to use.

And DEFINATELY fix that electrical problem. Its one thing to preserve esthetics... its another to leave bad electrical because its original, or to not have some modern conveniences because it wasn't around back then. I just replaced the original Electrical box in mine and installed central air and I feel zero guilt. ;)

Perel - I feel your pain re: the windows. Are you sure they're not special? What do they look like - are they double hungs, casements, or what? I ask because you might not realize how special they are until you start looking at replacements. Most of those are vinyl or aluminum pieces of junk that you can't repair when they fail (and they will, sooner than people realize).

Also, I doubt you can get stock windows now that will fit the openings. Do you have pics you can post? Just as 100 year old windows look just right on a 100 year old house, so do 1950's windows for a 1950's house!

As for the kitchen - there are lots of really nice 1950's and 60's stoves that would work great. Also, have you seen Jane Powell's book _Bungalow Kitchens_? It's not just about kitchens from 1900-1930 or so! Lots of good ideas there.

I will try to get some photos that really show the windows. They are single-hung aluminum sliders in standard sizes. Unpainted, so the inside window frames are permanently grungy-looking. The weird thing about these windows is that each half of the window is a two-pane TDL, horizontal split. The overall effect is two narrow slats of glass on top of each other, with a very thick muntin between them.

Certainly not something I've seen elsewhere, but it's *UGLY* and really gets in the way of seeing out the window. The part of me that values historical fixtures for their own sake likes them, but the rest of me hates them.

The outside view of these windows is that of normal white aluminum triple-track storms. I *think* the storms were added in the 1970s.. they are boring but work okay.

The basement windows are side sliders and in much worse shape. Several NEED to be replaced; if I was to keep them original that would involve salvage from another house.

Interestingly, the ductwork in my house (high wall returns) strongly implies that the house was built with central air in 1955. That is plausible - it's a spec house, but whoever originally bought it selected ALL the "upgrades".

The only thing that makes me hesitant about using the original fridge is that it's manual defrost and I *know* I won't get around to doing that. The only thing that makes me hesitant about using the original stove is that it's single-oven, and the dual-oven 1970s stove that we have in there now is *SO* nice to have.

Yeah I would be getting rid of those aluminum windows if I were you. I know everybody gets all up in arms about replacing wood ones... and thats fine for some who have the time, money and know-how to restore them (which isn't me).

I had a couple aluminum windows in my previous house and they were a nightmare. In the winter they would freeze, and if you touched them in the summer you would burn your hands. I don't care how original they are... they are not energy efficient no matter what you try to do.

Too bad you don't live closer.... I'd take those Pink appliances off your hands in a second! :)

It doesn't appear anyone has posted anything for quite awhile regarding 1950's homes but I thought I'd give it a try. My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a 1957 ranch-style home. It has it's original maple (I think) woodwork. Thank God nobody painted over it! The kitchen has it's original cabinets and the oven in the wall is the original Tappan silver in color. It still works so I am leaving it as it is. The cabinets need nothing done to them except for maybe a coat of polyurethane? As you can tell, I don't know what I am doing! LOL All I know is I want to keep what is original in nice shape. Any ideas on how to treat the kitchen cabinets to bring back their luster? There is also modern wallpaper in the kitchen which will cost little to replace. Does anyone have any suggestions as to patterns 1950's reproduction wallpaper that may be out there? Thank you anyone for your help!!!! Lu

Have you checked out atomic-ranch.com? They also have a quarterly magazine now. About a year ago I was contemplating a transfer to a town where the 1920s neighborhoods were out of my price range so I started looking at the '50s neighborhoods. Some great houses! That's when I found Atomic Ranch.

shannanigan,

Just happened to be passing by and saw this post. Glad you are progressing nicely with your home restoration! These things take time, don't they?

I grew up in a 1957 cape that my father built. He purchased architectural plans for a layout my mom selected. Our kitchen had a pink refrigerator, pink GE wall oven with clock and timer, and a stainless electric cooktop with push-button temperature controls. Linoleum floor was mostly cream with black and other color speckles. Cabinets were built on-site, stained, and they were unbelievably sturdy. When my parents sold their home in 1993, the only thing different about the kitchen was a new white refrigerator and white formica countertops. I loved this kitchen and home!

One time in an antique shop I spotted a pink wall oven just like the one we had; it was functional and dirt cheap. They are out there! My sister-in-law has one in her ranch home just like it in white and it works like a charm. I guess those appliances were built like tanks.

Oh, by the way, the home across the street from us had all aqua appliances -- very pretty as well.

Tina

Here are a few wallpaper sites....

Real vintage wallpaper... not cheap though!
http://www.secondhandrose.com/paper/wallpaper.htm

Melindamade... reproduction wallpaper. Again, not cheap!
http://www.melinamade.com/

I would suggest (as someone else has) picking up Atomic Ranch magazine. Lots of advertising in there of Mid-Century Modern stuff. Or Dwell ... a "green" modern homes magazine for the environmentally concious lover of the modern look.

I don't know if any of you will check this thread again, but here is a link you may be interested in. These aqua cabinets/appliances don't suit my needs but they are really great.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Complete-Set-of-1957-General-Electric-Kitchen-Cabinets_W0QQitemZ170051131946QQihZ007QQcategoryZ85879QQcmdZViewItem

Bumping this up to add the website lottaliving.com
Great forums all about midcentury homes.

I got most of my MCM pictures from old books and magazines I bought at second-hand book sales run by the public library and local schools, as well as thrift shops.

Another resource might be the magazine 'Old House Interiors' an off shoot of the 'Old House Journal'. They have MCM articles pretty regularly.