Meet Josephine Garis Cochrane, inventor of the dishwasher (1892)
The inventor of the dishwashing machine
The patron saint of the emancipated woman of the future will be Josephine Garis Cochrane, the inventor of... Click to read more...
Groovy walls! 25 vintage wallpaper samples from 1963
Careful selection of wallpaper important
By William Pahlmann, Fellow, American Institute of Interior Designers
A beautiful design on a fine wall... Click to read more...
How to be a perfect ’50s housewife: In the kitchen
A lighthearted look back at the 50s housewife during the sunny days of yesteryear, when a woman's home was her castle -- and her kitchen was the heart of that home.
Glorious vintage designer kitchen remodels (1978)
A kitchen remodel portfolio: Help yourself to the inspired ideas - some big, some little, all of them adaptable - in these kitchen makeovers by talented designers! Retro styles from 1978.
A Coleco pool for the backyard: Above-ground swimming pools (1970)
'I just bought the only vacation you can keep -- a Coleco pool. Would you believe it cost me less than taking the family away for two weeks?"'
Modern career girl? Here’s how to decorate your apartment! (1948)
After you get a place of your own, you get to decorate your apartment! You will have such a joyous adventure turning it into the kind of place you like.
Vintage home exteriors: 18 colorfully-painted Victorian houses (1886)
Bold, rich coloring for houses of the era
The day when nearly every building was painted white, and window blinds green, has passed away. It was ... Click to read more...
Everything for the home in the 1963 Gold Bell gift stamp catalog
This catalog of household goods was published to help people 'spend' the gift stamps they had earned at the grocery store -- much like the better-known Green Stamps. Introduced in the mid-'50s by Detroit's Big Bear supermarkets, Gold Bell stamps were mainly distributed in Michigan and the Midwest.
Mobile homes: The hot housing trend of the ’50s and ’60s
Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the American Dream could be had -- affordably, fully-furnished, and in style -- if you wanted to buy a mobile home!
Flower power! ’70s bedding from the 1973 JC Penney catalog
These bold and bright '70s bedding ensembles delightfully epitomize the colorful fashions -- both in home decor and clothing -- of the groovy years.
Michael Landon and his family at home (1975)
Michael Landon's 'Big House in Beverly Hills' is a far cry from the 'Little House on the Prairie' featured in his hit TV series. But, says the former Bonanza star, he and Lynn and their six lively children "really live in this house -- we don't just look at it."
A vacation home on the water: The Homarina beach cabin (1960)
The Homarina beach cabin provides secure boat storage, over 400 square feet of comfortable, practical leisure living space, plus a large deck right at water's edge.
A ’70s designer dream house: The American Home of 1974
You enter the house through the front door, painted an unforgettable bright blue, outside and in. You stand on cool, dark ceramic tile that has the sleek look of polished leather. Take a tour of this '70s designer dream house here!
A vacation home with Japanese style: Summer teahouse (1960)
A touch of Old Japan, added to the occidental comforts and convenience you've come to expect -- that's this charming summer teahouse vacation home design from 1960.
Build your second home: The Ranger A-Frame cabin (1960)
Here's a basic but striking A-frame cabin that's designed for the 'blue snow' country. Inside, there's a wealth of wide-open wonderful space for taking your ease on vacation!
Photo gallery: The canopy bed revival of the 1970s
The four-poster bed with a canopy, known as a tester bed, is back in a big way. At the 1972 furniture market in Chicago, the canopy bed look was bigger than life.
Idyllic scenes from Philadelphia’s suburbs back in 1962
Greater Philadelphia... a great place to raise your family
Greater Philadelphia has everything a family needs for a happy, healthy, well-rounded life... Click to read more...
In the neighborhood? 30 mid-century house designs & plans from 1958
Come see this collection of more than 30 classic home designs and house plans from 1958, during the mid-century housing boom when millions of residences were being built in America.
I Dream of Jeannie: Inside the bottle (1966)
Created to compete against the other big magical female-centric sitcom of its day, Bewitched, the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie popped onto the scene on S... Click to read more...
Super-groovy makeovers to organize your dorm or bedroom (1971)
Are you short on space for storing stereo and records, seating friends? Too-square room, too-full closet? Change your dorm or bedroom into a happy habitat by following these collective tips (ideal for busy students, into-everything activists)!
The suite life: See the rooms at the elegant Waldorf-Astoria (1903)
New York City's old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel -- torn down in 1929 -- was a luxurious Victorian building that served overnight guests as much as Manhattan's social elite. Here, take a look inside the hotel rooms and suites, and see what accommodations would have looked like back in 1903!
Space age: Amazing retro futuristic homes of the ’60s
What did the future look like from the '60s? In this ad series for Motorola, commercial artist Charles Schridde depicted modernist homes of the future - and perfectly captured the era's sleek style and space-age optimism.
7 budget small house designs (1956)
These seven unique budget small house designs prove that good things still do come in small packages -- that originality can make the tiniest house attractive!
Come to Kansas and homestead 160 acres of land for $10 (1863)
On the payment of ten dollars, and the office fees, any person, being the head of a family, or over the age of twenty-one years, may enter 160 acres, or a less quantity, of the unappropriated Public Land as his Homestead. The applicant must either be a citizen, or have declared his intention to become such.
How to be a perfect ’50s housewife: Refrigerator edition
For the picture-perfect housewife of the '50s, the kitchen was the heart of the home. And the heart of the kitchen was the refrigerator/freezer combo -- the kind of luxury that mother and grandmother could have only dreamed of!
Superheros, cartoon characters & more on classic ’80s sleeping bags
'80s sleeping bags were super-popular because they were functional often featured favorite cartoon characters, TV shows, and even everyday products. Here, take a trip back a few decades to see some of the most popular slumber bags of the eighties!
Top 10 terrible fuzzy toilet covers from the ’70s
"A shag carpet toilet lid cover with matching tank cover" sounds like the answer to a question nobody asked, but that didn't seem to matter much to our counterparts in the '70s. They loved their fuzzy toilet covers, and weren't ashamed to admit it.
How to be a perfect fifties housewife: Laundry edition
In the '50s, the love you had for your kitchen paled only in comparison to the adoration you felt for your washer and dryer.
For a ’50s bathroom remodel, glamorize with modern pastel colors
Beautyware bathroom in your choice of colors can now be yours at a price you'll find surprisingly low! Modernize & glamorize your home with stunning bath, sink, toilet and shower fixtures in four distinctive, pastel colors.
See NYC’s stunning historical Fifth Avenue mansions (1890s)
Take a stroll back to the late 1800s and early 1900s to see some of the grand homes and mansions that lined New York City's famed Fifth Avenue.
Loud & proud! Retro sheets and towels with major flower power (1970)
Manufacturers of towels, bedspreads and sheets have come up with bright, colorful offerings to whet any women’s decorating appetite.
3 fun backyard additions: Mini-barn, outdoor kitchen & play castle (1965)
If your family never stays home because there's nothing to do, check out these ways to pep up your yard or garden. Sometimes the simplest things, as in the play castle here, yields the most imaginative results.
Build a dream-come-true play house in your backyard (1962)
Any little girl who gets this playhouse will see the magical land of make-believe come true right in her own backyard. It's a real house, with a Dutch front door and hearts and flowers dormers and a white picket fence.
Beautiful Victorian homes & mansions in old Detroit (early 1900s)
After years of growth through various successful businesses, Detroit became a major transportation hub, and many Gilded Age mansions were built to the east and west of what is now downtown Detroit.
Why not wallpaper your ceiling? (1970s)
Why stop with the walls when decorating your home, when you can add color and flair up high by wallpapering your ceilings? Here are some retro decor tips from the seventies!
9 mid-century kitchen remodels & floorplans (1954)
If you were planning to get a new kitchen for your home in the 1950s, here are nine of the most popular mid-century kitchen remodels and floorplans you might have checked out!
