Built-Ins!

[cadman]

Hey Guys,

As some of you might know, I'm designing a 50's jet-set house I intend to build in the next year or two (this year it's the matching garage I need to get up). For all intents, you could walk up to the house and honestly not know it was built in the 2000's. I'm talkin' flat and butterfly roofs, flagstone, extensive glass, etc. The turquoise app's I've brought home and redone are slated for the kitchen; the "laundry room" equipment is still up in the air though.

Since I'm building in the country, I can design in things like a clothes chute, two-prong outlets, concealed pushbuttons and other creative subtleties shut down by code-wielding inspectors, so the sky is really the limit when it comes to recreating the magic and mystique of mid-century modernism.

I'm doing what I can to locate original pieces to make the feeling authentic, like NOS light fixtures and switches, but I'm at the point where I'm looking at some of the unique ideas that pop-up on our forum here.

For example, a whole-house fan. That never would have crossed my mind.
Or perhaps locating some authentic built-in wall heaters for the bathrooms.

So my question to you guys, is what other Built-Ins would you love to see resurrected??

 

[petek]

I'm thinking

The ironing board, that should be built in and drop down from behind a waist high cupboard or panel.

 

[petek]

Something else to chaw on.

but I always loved pocket doors, singles or doubles that slid into the wall

 

[polkanut]

How about a built-in...

My grandparents built their home in 1956-57 and they had a built in ironing board installed. The board folds up into the wall, and has an outlet inside as well. The door is finished the same as the rest of the woodwork throughout the house. The board has a support leg on a hinge underneath. My wife and I have one in our 1925 bungalow also, and we just love it. I grew up with one in my parents home which was built in 1922, so I didn't know there were any other kinds of ironing boards.

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Cadman sounds exciting...

Do not remember hearing this news before, sounds fantastic.

If I was doing this, it would be right along all the things you were saying. How about these fun things for consideration:

Those concentric ring vent covers, with a really big one (or two) in the living room, especially if ceiling is vaulted.

If you do an acoustic ceiling, make sure you add the sparkles!

A room divider "screen"

Over a den table, dinette table, etc: One of those hanging lamps that hangs by its own encased cord. The cord retracts into the "bulb" a foot or so above the lamp part, allowing you to lower or raise the light!

A vintage NuTone intercom system, with the play through the house radio.

Vintage door chimes, with the long chime pipes.

Wetbar, but a cool one, not a model home one. Mini stainless steel sink with the "doctors" curved spout.

If a two story, a second, narrow staircase at the back of the house.

Centralized vacuum system

A sprinkler system run on the old, big mechanical timer system

A dutch door in the back. This is where the door is divided in half, and you can have just the top open. Add of course the tablette on the outer side.

Pass through window, covered by removable shutters, between the kitchen and the dining room.

Blue bathroom appliances

Laundry room inside, of course. Tile floor in there, vintage tiles if can be found. A retractable clothes line in there also, even if you never use it.

On the patio, a redwood picnic table.

A crawlspace that is so big it could be a room itself.

 

[petek]

Built in stereos and tvs were also quite popular, hidden behind sliding or pull out drawers of a built in wooden wall/shelf unit, speakers also built in behind period speaker cloth and grillwork. They leave the room looking open and spacious in a modern/minimalist house and no octupus of wires to be seen. Somewheres I have a 50's Popular Mechanics showing a nice setup like this in a modern home. Just can't place where it is at the moment.

Kevin.. I remember those retractable lights you mentioned, they were quite popular... oh and a built in kitchen diner nook for eating at. With one of those lights dangling over it.

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Speaking of lights....

What about those brushed gold, triangular shaped lights...either on wall sconces or from the ceiling...know the ones I mean?

 

[dalangdon]

What fun!

First off, excuse me for a moment while I channel that quintessential 50's mascot Reddy Kilowatt: Please don't do an ungrounded (i.e. two-prong) electrical system. It's dangerous and foolish in this day and age, and the last thing you want is for your dream house to go up in smoke.

(thank you for indulging me. I know it's none of my business. We now return to regular programming)

* A "modern maid" (or equivalent brand) built-in toaster is a must.

* Formica counters in kitchen, bath and laundry room

* Massive stone fireplace with slab that just out from the bottom of the firebox.

* Abstract wallpaper "mural" someplace in the house.

 

[retromom]

A Place for Guests!

Hey Cory:

You've got to have a Murphy Bed! It's the ultimate built-in!

 

[drmitch]

Mid-Century

Sounds like a great idea cory, and finding the stuff is part of the fun. I passed a home that was getting a remodel last week and they had all their junk piled on the curb,and there was a turquois toilet! I wanted to stop and get it but my mom said I was crazy! I was wondering if they had a matching tub. Thost kinds of things are going to get very expensive when people start restoring ranches.

 

[Cybrvanr]

Here's some of my thoughts for a nice mid-century house:

Flagstone walls, inside and out!

floor to ceiling picture windows, nice for looking out into the woods, and bringing the outdoors inside

For the rooms and areas that don't have floor to ceiling picture windows...like the walls with kitchen cabinets...use celestory windows at the top of the wall

Vaulted ceilings with exposed beams.b

radiant floor heating. Extremely comfortable in the winter, nice because there's no mechanical hardware showing like ductwork, plumbing, radiators, vents, etc.

Glass block, works anywhere, beside an entry door, around a shower, underneath a bar...Extremely versatile stuff! Install colored neon lights behind it for an even better effect!

smooth, non-patterned wood paneling. Looks very nice, especially after it's freshly varnished and polished!

"boomerang" or faux marble formica countertops with chrome edging

a "Sputink" chandalier in the dining are (or in the entryway too!)

A carport with a concrete geometric patterned block screen

 

[Cybrvanr]

PHONE BOOTH!

You'll definitely hafta add one of these somewhere in the house too!!!

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[hoover1060]

Kitchen...

This may be too much 1960's, but here's what my dream retro kitchen would look like:
Birch cabinets, white/gold fleck counters. Built in cooktop and wall oven in stainless steel, SS dishwasher and white fridge.
OH don't forget the switch for your disposal has to be on the fake drawer front in front of the sink too!

 

[westytoploader]

A whole-house fan would be nice, preferably with the louvers! Also, a chrome Broan/NuTone wall fan in the kitchen to complement the vintage Vent-A-Hood. Vintage disposer, Hobart KitchenAid DW, '64 Frigidaire set ;-)

This may sound a little off-the-wall, but how about a room with glass walls? On jetsetmodern.com there's a house with walls that are basically one big giant window!

Last but not least: Electric wall heaters, washdown-type toilets, and 1960's Speakman showerheads in the bathrooms!

 

[westytoploader]

Another idea...

I was watching "Ugliest Bathroom" a few months ago, and the winner that got the renovation originally had solenoid-valve faucets!!! Yes, the sink, tub, & separate shower were controlled by Osterizer-style pushbuttons on the wall--one for "Hot", "Warm", "Cold", and so on. The control center was in the basement. I had never seen anything like this before!

Good luck building your dream home!!

 

[swestoyz]

Slipery When Wet

All of these ideas are great Cory, I hope you find some inspration in these. But have you seriously contemplated some sort of body of water, besides for bathing, somewhere in the house? Like the Sanatra house, where the pool comes in the house? I think I also want to hear the sound of bubling water, or maybe a little fountain as well when we enjoy a nice cold Hamm's with the ladies... not THAT big of a deal here in Iowa...

Ben

 

[Cybrvanr]

Howabout a big organ

Oh yes! the gold fleck countertops would be perfect for the kitchen!!!

One of the things that many of the more affluent folks had back then was an electric organ! Back before the days of electronic synthesizers and computer chips, it was all done with electro-mechanical tonewheels. While these organs were certainly cheaper than a pipe organ, they were still quite expensive, costing as much as a new automobile!

The sounds that come out of one of these old organs is unique and very popular in both classic tunes and in the latest music. They are very fun to play, and with all the knobs and buttons, one can get very creative with all the interesting sounds they'll make. If you're musically inclined, you'll definitely enjoy playing one!

For a mid-century modern style home, the Hammond X-66 would look just right in there!

 

[toggleswitch]

or a mid century (or was it early 60s?) GE central control panel that used low voltage wires to power relays that turned lights on and off from a central location..... how futuristic.

Personally, I am interested in off-the gridders and non-electric stuff. Especailly old non-electric (electrically controlled, that is) central heating systems.

Non-electric lighting & washers however? BOOO-HISSS, IMHO

http://www.lehmans.com/index.jsp

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Cybr...what year.....

Is that Hammond organ? And are those Leslie speakers???!!!

My dad still has the "Schober Theater Organ" he made from a kit. He never plays it and I have been needling him to get it tuned again!

Organs were very big. Hammond was higher end, but there was also Lowry and Magnus on the very low end. I restored a tiny Magnus.