28 January 2011

The Mini-Mod Wants to Retro Renovate

While pouring over vintage home design & decoration guides yesterday afternoon, spawn of P-I-C saw a photo of a teen girls' room circa 1965. It was amazing in it's pink, orange, and white laminate glory with floral linens and curtains.

Certainly a bit too Carnaby Street for my tastes,



 but we got to talking about if she wanted to rewind her bedroom. It's nothing that we wanted to feel like we were pushing on the spawn, (of which there are two) however with all of the buying and decorating frenzy they have certainly loved feeling swept up in the excitement. They have voiced their own opinions about pieces, colors, schemes etc. They've picked through warehouses with zeal, and an eye for the sorts of things we always look for. I have tried my best to teach them about 'way back when' and how people lived and the purposes that what we were hunting down and buying had served back in the day.

Books and magazines (and the internet... I've been known to say "just google it!") have provided glimpses into the past for them to see, enjoy, study, or even make a face at. I think they are both at the age now that they appreciate this "old stuff".

Spawn #1 (age 15 as of  last week)  expressed interest in re-doing her bedroom. Right now it's a typical teen girls' room. Contemporary white furniture, white walls white sleigh bed, pink sheer curtains, white bookshelf, vintage 50's desk, painted white. Her bedsheets are usually pink, purple or teal for color. There are throw rugs on the floor in the same girlie colors. Beatles posters on the walls. Extremely typical, and usually messy.

After looking at the books we own, the internet, and some blogs for good measure, she got to check out the options she would have if she wanted a mid century teen bedroom. Almost just as typical, she decided on blonde wood furniture, Heywood Wakefield or something to that style. Again, not my tastes at all but I gave her some links that may have something like what she is looking for, for sale. Bless her heart, she found a set she fell in love with instantly - on Ebay of all places - and also for only $100 BIN, local (to us) pick-up! For our $100 she will get a headboard with built in bookshelves in it, 2 side tables with 2 drawers and storage in each, and a dresser with built in lingerie drawers as well as regular larger drawers. All matching, with gorgeous hardware and details, blonde wood like she digs, and.. did I mention all 4 pieces were only $100 !?!

sorry for the rude photoshop, the seller is a fan of shabby chic apparantly and the amount of florals and goofy shit on top of this dresser was distracting me.
I would show a pic of the headboard & side tables but I can't photoshop THAT MUCH shabby crap out of those photos. Trust me, it's a cute set for a teen and gets picked up tomorrow. Is it weird that I'm half-hoping it needs to be refinished a bit? I need a new project!

3 comments:

Dana@Mid2Mod said...

Although I know people who have gorgeous Heyood Wakefield collections (like my friend Ester), and I have a few pieces of blonde furniture I love too, I usually jokingly refer to it as "the gateway drug" to serious mid-century collecting...and it has a legitimate place among the pieces we all love so much. I think it's a perfect way for your daughter to start her own personal MCM collection. I bet her room turns out to be phenomenal if she's developing an eye like her mom's. And $100 is GREAT!!!

stacey said...

i think you're right! blonde wood is just not my style but it's what i always seem to find in shops so i am thinking about furnishing our guest bedroom in blonde, just out of convieniance. :)

Krazy4Mod said...

WOW!! $100.00 and local pick up!! Now that's a deal. I have to agree with you and Dana on the blonde furniture. But, I think it will be perfect for a teen girl room and might be easier to work with pinks, purples, etc. It's nice to hear you have planted the seed for love of vintage with your daughter. Please post pics of the redecorating of her room. Can't wait to see how it looks.