Seasons Greetings from Versatronic

[Versatronic]

Seasons Greetings to everyone in Applianceville.

There’s a long story about the light below. I tried for quite a while to get my hands on it but it was “Not For Sale!”. But I won out in the end and purchased it about two years ago, but I didn’t have a place to hang it last year. But this year I do. It has never been out of the original box, until now. When I plugged it in, all three lights came on. Success!

 

[Versatronic]

Mini aluminum Pom-Pom tree.

So here in my kitchen is a mini-aluminum Pom-Pom tree. Yes, there was a table top version. Finding vintage turquoise colored ornaments to go with the kitchen is not easy. Behind the tree is what Santa brought me this year. I guess there was a shortage of lumps of coal.

 

[Versatronic]

My little grass shack

Guests around the holidays usually gravitate to the tiki lounge, so I have to erect a mini Pom-Pom in there as well.

 

[Versatronic]

Oh bring us, some...

Of course, I’m expected to serve my famous figgy pudding. So, I need this oversized metal tray to deliver all that goodness. (I said figgy, ok?)

 

[Versatronic]

Buttons, buttons, whose got the buttons?

So here’s the tree. This is the second year for this particular tree. I found it new in the box, so it still looks perfect. It’s in a vintage rotating stand that has an electrical outlet on it for your color wheel. No only does the stand rotate, but you can flick a switch and it plays music like a music box. I forget the tune, I think it’s “How Dry I Am” or something. Also got the color wheel going. Last year as I was carrying a color wheel down from the attic, I dropped it and smashed it to bits. Lucky I had a back-up. I can always be counted on to break 2 or 3 beautiful vintage items a year.

Anyway, between the tree spinning and the lights and the music and the colors and the peyote, whew!

 

[Versatronic]

Disco Christmas

Here’s the tree without the flash of the camera. I have enough vintage ornaments to decorate 5 or 6 full size trees. This year, my GF went crazy with the red disco ball lights. A friend of mine found boxes and boxes of these things on the curb awaiting trash pick-up and snagged them for me. Well, she put tons of these things on before I even knew what happened. And I was like “Whoa, Whoa, what about my sputniks, what about my…?.”. So, this year I basically have a red disco ball tree.

 

[Versatronic]

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Here’s a shot of a vintage Noma candelabra that I found new in the box. The bubble lights are bubbling away. To the right is a cool atomic looking Christmas light that I also found new in the box. I love when that happens.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Next job, pack up my Secret Santa stuff.

 

[toggleswitch]

Very festive!

HO HO HO!

 

[frigilux]

Love the tiki lounge; Are all your kitchen appliances turquoise, Mike? Pictures, pictures!

 

[Versatronic]

Glorious Turquoise

Hi Frigilux. I've listened to Pinky Salute a couple of times and enjoyed it very much (I'm listening to it right now). Thanks for sending that along. You should have my care package by now or should get it very soon.

One day I will put together a virtual tour of my place and post it in a permanent place like on my personal website, but I won't get time to do that for at least 5 months. I just don't have time to put something like that together with my overwhelming work schedule right now.

No, my large appliances are not all turquoise, just the fridge. I have a white DW and a SS Built-in oven and cook-top. I'll throw up a couple of kitchen pictures for you in a couple of minutes.

P.S. As far as small appliances, I have a turquoise version of every small appliance except for a waffle iron.

 

[Versatronic]

Kitchen Angle 1

Frigilux, here’re four pictures of my kitchen from different angles to give you a feel for the room. I own a modest ranch house, but the kitchen is huge by today’s standards. The generous counter space gives me a great opportunity to display vintage smalls.

This first photo is from an angle that I have never put up on AW.org before. Things to note: The coffee maker is a ‘70s vintage West Bend. PeteK posted an old catalog not to long ago and my coffee maker was in it. The microwave to the right of that will be replaced with a vintage Radarange on this coming Wednesday, which will fit the kitchen much better. The ceiling is metal. The walls are baked porcelain over metal. That sputnik light on the ceiling took me hours and hours of restoration. It doesn’t take too kindly to modern 35 watt floods so I’m going to have to pull the last remaining floods and stick in 7 and a half watt bulbs.

The turquoise plastic canisters seem to be the canisters of choice for AW.org members. I’m not surprised by their good taste, but I am surprised that so many have these because they are rare as anything. The cabinets appear darker in the photo than they actually are.

 

[Versatronic]

Kitchen Angle 2

Angle two is from the corner we just viewed. You can see that the DW is white, not turquoise and you can see the built-in over and the cook top. There was a dead socket in the upper right where the clock is. I got that reactivated and that’s why I have a place for my vintage Seasons Greetings light this year.

 

[Versatronic]

Kitchen Angle 3

Angle three is from the corner we just viewed, toward the kitchen table and original banquette. Since the ceiling is metal, the Nelson Bubble Light is hung with a magnet to avoid drilling holes in the ceiling.

 

[Versatronic]

Kitchen Angle 4

And the last angle is from near the built-in oven down the hallway out of the kitchen. I hope you enjoyed the snapshots.

 

[dalangdon]

Your kitchen is so cool! I'm glad you kept the cabinets, walls, ceiling and banquette, as they are certainly unique. I've never seen those kinds of walls and ceilings in a residential kitchen, but it makes sense, and is very sharp-looking.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[drmitch]

Mike, your home is AMAZING! One of the big magazines should do an article on it! I mean it, Its truly a showplace!

 

[frigilux]

Wow, that is one beautiful, big-ass kitchen, Mike! I would kill for all that counter space. The banquette and Hydra-esque overhead lighting fixtures are too cool.

 

[Versatronic]

Thanks guys

I appreciate the feedback. Especially from you Dan. Your house is just so fantastic.

 

[Cybrvanr]

That is a totally cool home! Looking at these pictures reminds me of Christmas of past years. My grandmother had one of those neat shiney trees like that. Really makes me remember times when I was young unwraping gifts on the floor with my sister. We had wood paneling similar to what's in your tiki lounge there in the basement den, along with crystal blue linoleum tile, and danish furniture simliar to yours. Defnitely brings back memories of family gatherings back when I was a young un

The color wheel really adds to it!. That kitchen is truly amazing in it's own right too!

 

[goatfarmer]

Great place!

 

[rickr]

Love your home Mike! It is very authentic. That kitchen is fantastic! Thanks for sharing the great photos.

 

[gansky1]

So vintage festive!! Very nice pictures, thanks for taking them for us. I would love to have a kitchen that size!!

 

[petek]

Isn't it great! I'm so curious about those walls and ceilings having never heard of them before. Is it just your house or do others in the area have/had the same?

 

[Versatronic]

Metal Ceilings

Mr. Gansky, I can just picture your turquoise imperials in my laundry room. But, hey, even those sheer looking control towers would give the room a real sparkle. I sure hope you're my secret santa.

There aren't a lot of houses that look like mine in the vincinity. It's a real fish out of water. About a year and a half ago, I stumbled upon a house that had a lot of the same characteristics as mine. There's no doubt that it was the same architect and built in the same time period. I've been very tempted to knock on the door and ask them about the place. I'd love to get a tour.

The walls of my laundry room have the same porcelain walls, but in a light green color. The ceiling is metal in there as well. I also have metal ceilings in both bathrooms. One is blue and the other an off-white. Pete, I have not seen another house in Harrisburg like this one, with metal ceiling and such.

Here's a picture of the laundry room so you can see the similar walls and ceiling.

For Dan L., the ceiling light is not marked, but I'm 99 percent sure it's a Laurel lamp. I've never seen another Laurel ceiling lamp like this. It's has a great Jetsons look.

 

[dalangdon]

Vers, you've inspired me..

I am always happy, nay eager, to crib a good idea for myself. Coincidently enough, I was looking at your pictures this morning and thinking "wow, what a cool banquette!" and then went over to Craigslist for my usual morning browsing. Suddenly, there is was: a dainty little booth, with turquoise benches and cunning little table covered in the "salmon" Skylark Formica!

I contacted the seller (who lived way out in the Foothills) and went to pick it up. After a ridiculous experience with a big dog (who turned out to be a sweetheart) and a somewhat fierce long-haired Dachshund named Gladys, I finally got the owner to turn down her stereo and sell it to me.

I'm always wary of the new "retro diner" stuff, but I think this is the genuine article from the 50's. The former owner remodels houses, and this came out of a mid-century house that had been abandoned for several years. Judging from some of the labels on it, and some of the other stuff that came from the same house - but no appliances, unfortunately - I think it's the "real deal".

It's in pretty good shape, fits the kitchen well, and looks sharp. I just need to move that fixture over a bit.

 

[Versatronic]

Great snag Dan!

Wow, you can sure got a lot done in one day. Looks great. The lamp looks like a Poulsen and I would swear those chairs are Bertoia side chairs. Skylark is the infamous boomerang pattern, isn't it?

Looks fantastic. Great grab. My philosophy is that if you insert a banquette into a modern setting, as you and I have done, you avoid that tacky "nifty fifties" look (unless that is your goal). So, the lamp and the chairs are a big help since it give the whole thing a modern look. Great job!

I'm not sure who made my wire kitchen chairs but they are high end chairs. I suspect they were made by Overman or Plus-Linje, but are certainly scandinavian in origin. I did have some turquoise plastic chairs around the table (which I still own) but the ones I'm using now pull it closer to a modern look.

Dan, I loved your fireplace tools. Here's a picture of the set that I found. I don't know who manufactured it or when, but I suspect they came from Italy. The middle part is a big column of lucite. It's hard to get good pictures of shiny metal, but perhaps you can get the idea. This was NOS, never been used.

Once again, great catch. I just snagged a Heywood Wakefield revolving cocktail table on eBay that is local. It's not often that a HW piece is available locally. I should be swinging by to pick it up tonight.

 

[gregm]

AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike, I love, love, love all your stuff, that 50's stuff is so amazing, I love your knick-knacks, furniture, lights, all the turquoise, those yellow counters with the metal edge. Your place rocks big time. Even the curtains are so far out. Great job ! Has it taken you a long time to acquire all this stuff and get everything set up the way you want/like ? Happy Holidays !!

 

[lightedcontrols]

JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Versa! Everything is beautiful!!! Your home is sooooooooo cool! I would however, take those bulbs out of the Seasons Greetings sign, and put in the 4 watt (night light) bulbs so you don't get brown marks or burns on that old plastic. The older 10 watt bulbs that are most likely in that decoration burn very hot, and I'd hate to see anything happen to it. Everything in your home comes together so perfectly! You must be very proud!!! Mark

 

[Versatronic]

Thanks guys

I was collecting stuff before I moved into this place, but I've stepped up my collecting to realize my vision for the place. It's a work in progress, but each year I get closer to my vision. Replacing my master bedroom furniture set and getting the fridge were two major milestones I hit this year.

How about if I shoot for a killer washer and dryer set for my laundry room in '06? WHO'S WITH ME??!!!! Please help me achieve that goal in '06 by keeping a lookout for a killer set for me. When you run across a killer set, ask yourself this question: "Would this set look great in Versatronic's house?"

Lightedcontrols, I share the same concern about the lights, especially the middle one which appears to be right up against the plastic. I'm going to have to see if I can get the back open and replace them. Thanks for the advice.

 

[goatfarmer]

Name what your killer set would be.Hopefully not on the unobtanium list.

kennyGF