RetroBabs Vintage

Happy New Year and Happy Superbowl day!  We were scheduled to have a party today but a foot of snow fell in Chicago so people kept cancelling. I cannot blame my guests but what am I to do with 5 lbs of spicy wings and a 20 inch pizza??  Hubby and I ate a few pieces and we froze the rest.  I thought you might like to see my latest project.  My mother graciously  gave me a chandelier that I believe came from my grandmother.  It is an antique and has beautiful hanging crystals.  I have always liked it and would never give it up because of the wonderful memories BUT....... it didn't really fit into my decor.  So I asked my hubby if he had anything we could put "around" it.  He has made other items for the yard as art- globes, obelisk type ornaments etc. Here is what he came up with once I described I wanted to do a Pottery Barn hack. He said the metal was from a snake  (a long ,thin piece of metal you put down a drain to unplug...

1.  That tin from the 1950's came from my father-in-laws garage!  It was filled with nuts and bolts.  I had to have it- Isn't it fabulous? 2.  Hill-Rom desk, Lurelle Guild chair, and 1960's Royal manual typewriter. 3.  My beloved Temporama dishes and Dryden pottery.  Did I mention I collect all things ATOMIC ? 4.  Vintage Pyrex coffee carafe' 5.  Bar cart featuring my father's martini shaker and my collection of aluminum serving set. 6.  Yellow Blendo popcorn bowl with six side dishes. I use these on movie night and fill them up with kettle corn. YUMMY Wanted to start the year off right by giving you a little "share fest" of my personal collection.   1.  That groovy little metal tin is from the 1950's and I fell in love with it instantly.  I couldn't let it sit in a garage and rust. Nuts and bolts nonsense! 2. Hill-Rom desk is special because it has an aluminum body.  Hill-Rom makes h...

I recently was working on a project to freshen up my bedroom.  The hubby never cares what I do so I decided to move all the furniture around. I have a rather long narrow room with many windows. I decide to create a mood:  I was going for a 1950s Tiki vibe, Hawaiian tropic sort of motif.  Vintage Bark cloth in Hawaiian theme framed in hoops and wooden frames. This fabric usually has a scene woven in.  Our grandmothers had draperies made out of Bark cloth.  Some vintage fabric has threads of fiberglass which was a new innovation in the 50. Use your collections to enhance a space. My groovy wooden bowls are teak, monk wood and cherry wood. Each are hand turned on a lathe and I consider them works of art. 1. Use your collections to freshen things up .  I collect vintage fabric called Bark cloth.  You know you have seen this type of fabric.  It is made out of natural fibers and dates from the 1950s. Your Grandmother's drapes were probably ...

Welcome to the backyard wedding June is the month for weddings and here at RetroBabs we thought you might like to see how we used our vintage items and ideas to make Becky's fabulous wedding. Bec and Camm 1. Use old picture frames hanging from ribbon to make a portrait for photos.  Guests will have a fun time framing themselves. It is a good idea to provide a backdrop for group photos. Gingham themed backdrop is a flannel blanket!   2.  Make a Chupa' (tent/awning) out of old tent poles, trampoline parts, fabric etc.  Make the perfect spot to be married. Say your vows, a kiss for luck, create a focal point. PVC poles and trampoline arch add structure to the yard.         3.  Make flags and bunting to enhance the venue.  Use fabric sewn to string, old doilies, old handkerchiefs etc. 4.  Make lighting for the evening hours, use mason jars with candles inside, fish bowls dangle from wires for a ...

My husband and I go to estate sales and flea markets, resale shops and garage sales.  We tend to pick up the old, discarded printer drawers.  The ones we gravitate towards are usually in some back corner, covered in dust! The drawers were used by printers to hold the alphabet print blocks for newspapers in days gone by. The printer would have a bureau or dresser full of these drawers and they would slide out.  He would have his pick the the blocks. Printer drawer The drawers have lots of little dividers that are perfect spot for little figurines,coins, thimbles, collectibles, treasures etc. Add legs and you can make a funky, retro, coffee table So the hubby and I made one of these  drawers into a coffee table.  We had the legs and frame of an old mid-century modern table laying in the garage.   My husband,Len, mounted the printer drawer by making a frame for on top of the legs.   I found a piece of glass that would cover said drawer....

I like to reupholster single chairs if they have interesting backs. I think the back adds to the design. If you pick the right fabric it can enhance the over all look.  Here is an example of picking the fabric for the style of chair. Vintage bark cloth fabric with hunting motif  I think this chair being walnut and from the 40's would look silly covered in modern fabric, it just wouldn't fit the era of the chair. The dark colors and vivid green compliment the herringbone, wood diagonals on the back. I have another example to show you. This chair was a score, found in the garbage and is probably from the 1950's.  It has the same style as- Navy chairs (ladder back, sturdy aluminum).  The fabric I picked was actually from an old apron. I notice it has Miller High Life beer on it. I guess that was the beer of choice in the 50's.  I choose this fabric because of the fifty's vibe, a picnic scene. When is the last time you saw ties being worn at a picnic? ...