Groovy Mid Century
There are a ton of houses like this: 1970s ranches with wood paneling, dark brick, and generally cheap materials throughout. The previous owner of this home had upgraded some of the critical elements like windows, roof, water heater, and HVAC, which meant it was all down to aesthetics for me, my favorite part!
The home came with a 40” Westinghouse range, which I absolutely adored. Why buy new appliances that look retro if you have the genuine article? And if we’re sticking with the retro range, then we have to go retro throughout, am I right? The wood paneling stayed. The slab doors stayed. The wood trim and louvered closet doors all stayed! While I didn’t keep the original cabinets, I did keep the slab cabinet style and matched the wood color to the wood paneling in the open-concept living and kitchen area. I also removed the popcorn ceilings, painted the brick fireplace and exterior, and replaced the light fixtures.
Keeping the wood paneling was a point of contention among the folks I spoke to about the design. Some were adamant it should be removed or covered, and I heard suggestions that it should be lightened or bleached. No one argued in favor of keeping it. As it turns out, all it needed was a deep clean and polish (Liquid Gold!) and to break up the expanse of wood with a little white: white curtains, white paint on the brick fireplace, white countertops, white appliances, and a white backsplash balanced the wood.
This is also where I fell in love with Rubio Monocoat. This oil treatment works perfectly for minimalist, rustic, Scandinavian, and any other style that needs an ultra-matte hardwood finish. I absolutely abused those floors while living in this house, and if anything, the floors looked better.
The half-bath en suite had a large linen closet, which was turned into a petite shower. I may never recover from the heartbreak of having to leave behind the tile floor for that bathroom: a macro terrazzo-look tile that Cruella de Ville herself would have swooned over. The full bathroom also received a deep remodel, with all new fixtures, tile, and vanity.
So what lessons did this home teach me? Sometimes painting brick is the right answer. White+Wood+Black is an amazing color palette. It is possible to design an entire home around an old stove and wood paneling. And as always, love the old home for exactly what it is, and the design will become obvious.
