by Amber Rhea
Identifying exactly when a home became stuck is easier. “Pink-tile bathrooms, Dishmaster faucets, colors like aquamarine and sunbeam yellow — all very 1950s,” said Pam Kueber, who runs retrorenovation.com, a Web site devoted to midcentury design. Shag carpet and avocado appliances indicate the ’70s. Lava rock and ultrasuede? As ’80s as a Rubik’s Cube.
Ms. Kueber posts midcentury time capsules on her site, with photos provided by readers, often taken from real estate listings. In many cases, she said, the homes were occupied by elderly couples who were immensely proud of them. “I think the owners of these homes were tremendously invested in them emotionally, as well as financially,” she said. “They came from an era where a house was very hard won.”
i think that’s beautiful. there’s such an obsession with being better and current and newest… when i buy an object, it’s because i love it and believe in it, and i will stick with it until it physically no longer does what i purchased it to do. (my desktop is five years old. and while i now also have a laptop, it’s a great machine - first generation flatscreen imac - and i have no plans to replace it any time soon.)
