Saturday, December 17, 2016

1950s Blast to the Past ~ Christmas Home Tour






Mid Century Modern 

Have you noticed?

The 1950s are back in vogue!




A recent holiday home tour in Georgetown, Texas

featured five homes built in the 1950s.

Aluminum Christmas trees,  Shiny Brite ornaments, and

other throwbacks to the 1950s were the style du jour.





Period cars such as this 1957 Chevy Belair

were also featured at each of the homes.




One of the homes belongs to my 

niece, Samantha and her husband, Michael,

a couple who are passionate mid century design enthusiasts.




Samantha and Michael have furnished their home

with authentic mid century furniture,

some of which belonged to my parents.

As such, I admit, I'm not as 

enthusiastic about the relics of this era.

"Been there, lived it!", as they say.




That's not to say that I can't appreciate it though.

I have much respect for my niece and her passion

for this period of my childhood.

The mid century console is from Michael's parents.




It's fun and refreshing to see her confidence

in developing a style esthetic all her own.





I remember her joy and excitement when she found

this period dining room table and chairs at a shop in Houston.

The dining room mirror hung in my bedroom when I was a teen.




Samantha inherited the "dish" gene from her aunt.

She's definitely a girl after my own heart when it comes

to setting a table with a collected vibe. 





Placemats ~ Target

Tartan Charger ~ Arita, c1960s

Old Curiosity Shop Dinnerware ~ Royal, c1950s

Salad Plates ~ Southern Living 

Star Napkin Ring ~ Z Galleries

Flatware ~ William Sonoma

Glassware ~ Vintage



I admire the way she mixes vintage

with an unexpected contemporary twist.




The updated kitchen is an open concept

and truly the heart of the home.





Samantha loves to cook and

carries on the family tradition of baking

cut out cookies.  The cutters are ones that were

passed down from my mother's kitchen.





Glass front cabinets feature

some of the dish habit I referred to above.





 Colorful Vintage Pyrex 

produced from 1947 to the late 1960s

mixes with vintage 50's Santa mugs for a holiday touch.





Vintage Pyrex Snowflake

adds a winter motif.




Franciscan Atomic Starburst 

dinnerware from the 1950s.




More of the Franciscan Atomic Starburst

with a vintage ceramic tree.




Contemporary Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

platinum-trimmed dessert set by Lenox.





This set of mid century acrylic candle holders

were found in a shop on Galveston Island.





The master is an addition to the original 1950s home

and includes a spacious, modern bath.





The added space is large enough to accommodate a king bed,

a size that was first introduced in the mid 1950s.

It's also large enough for a full size Christmas tree.

Isn't that romantic?





Retro pillows by Catstudio

add a festive mood to the bed.





The original layout provided three bedrooms and two baths.

This was the original master that included a small bathroom.





 Samantha's collection of Mc Coy pottery marches across the top 

of a vintage wardrobe that had been in Michael's family.

Vintage glass Christmas tree ornaments are nestled into 

the vases and planters produced in the 20s and 30s.





The mid century swivel bucket chair 

was from my childhood home.

Santa is a hot water bottle from the 1970s.




Down the hall are two more bedrooms and a bath,

Michael's home office and a second guest room.

The vintage Christmas stockings were stitched by one of my aunts.

Samantha rescued the blue stocking from my aunt's estate sale.

The pink one belongs to me, authentically from the 1950s,

it is my cherished childhood Christmas stocking.



A covered deck was added across the 

back of the home at some point.





It offers a wonderful outdoor space to relax 

or for entertaining friends and family.




A small table at the far end is perfect  

for alfresco dining for two.




Tell me, are you a fan of mid century modern,

or are you like me, "Been there, lived it!"

All photos by Michael Walton

Click here to view a previous post on this home.

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Monday, December 5, 2016

Cozy At Christmas Holiday Blog Tour




Welcome to  

Cozy At Christmas Blog Tour




It's not snowing, but it certainly is

cold and wet here in Austin.

Perfect weather for staying at home

and adding festive holiday touches around the house.





Come on in, and I'll show you

what I've been up to.





But first, have a cup of

 peppermint hot chocolate.

We want you to be

Cozy at Christmas!




Our home is very modest,

and I use things collected through the years

for our holiday decorations.




Greens, pinecones, and golden faux pears

are added to the antique scale that sits atop the mantel.





Little chickadees dressed in winter clothing

scamper among the greens and set the

tone of whimsey that is reflected in our holiday decor.





More greens and winter berries are added

to favorite Quimper pieces on the bookshelves.




Critters around the house are often

given a touch of tartan.




My collection of Mary Engelbreit Christmas tins

marches across the top of the 

Irish pine cupboard in our kitchen sitting area.




Most of these tins were given to me during 

my years as an elementary teacher,

and date from the late 1980s and early 1990s.




Each year the same treasured Santa figures

and Christmas tree ornaments come out of the boxes.




The 1950s jolly old Santa that was on

my childhood tree every year for as long as 

I can remember was given to me by my mother when

I first began putting up a Christmas tree of my own.



These plastic figures were made to go

over the big light bulbs that were strung 

on Christmas trees in that era.

Santa glowed when the tree was lit.




The chef's childhood Santa made of

plaster of Paris, now chippy and flaky 

from years of Christmas past, is dated 1940.




Out come needlepoint Santa figures that were 

stitched in the early years of our marriage.




More Christmas needlepoint is tucked

 here and there .   .   .




This cross stitch sampler belonged to a 

dear friend who is no longer with us, 

and I'm honored to have it in our home now.





The trio of antique Santa chocolate molds

landed on the Welsh Dresser this year.



Small faux chocolate Santa figures along side 

preserved boxwood topiaries in Courtly Check pots

were added to the side niches.




A trio of wooden Santa figures sits among

greens on the top cornice of the Welsh dresser.





The antique iron rabbit and whimsical elf

greet you at the side entrance.




We've had our Christmas tree in the sunroom the last

few years, but decided to place it in the living room

this year so that we could enjoy it by a cozy fire.




Sadie and I hope you've enjoyed a peek 

at our home dressed for the holidays.




Many thanks to Katie @ Let's Add Sprinkles for organizing our 

Cozy at Christmas Holiday Blog Tour.

Click on the links below for more holiday inspiration this week.




Cozy At Christmas Blog Tour

Let's Add SprinklesHyacinths for the Soul/ Southern DayDreams/ White Spray Paint/ Garden Up Green/ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson/ Ellie and Elizabeth  

Brookhollow LaneAt Home With Jemma/ My Heart Lives Here/ The B Farm/ Botanic Bleu/ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen/ Art and Sand/ Ash Tree Cottage

Sweet Nothings/ At Rivercrest Cottage/ Opulent Cottage/ Decor to Adore/ Fern Creek CottageThe Dedicated House/ Bluesky Kitchen


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