Often these preserved gems pop up on MLS and depending on the area can be surprisingly affordable. Most haven't been updated since they were built 40-60 years ago. Ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed the rich, darker Earth tone palette and use of natural substance like exposed wood beams and paneling, flagstone look floors and stacked stone fireplaces, brown, green or orange shag carpeting, lots of plants and planters and floor to ceiling glass walls and clerestory windows to let the surrounding foliage and sky inside. Here are some prime examples... The ubiquitous globe light  ..read more

As Mattel intended: And the one of a kind customs... This would also be great for Barbie and the Rockers or Jem's Misfits house.   I'm so glad to see stacked stone incorporated into the house. I was thinking of doing a house with a brown roof and tan floors and I can see here how the tan floors work really well.  I have struggled with if and how much to enclose the house with foam board inserts. I am perfectly happy to add ground level side panels to enclose the kitchen and living rooms but upstairs I leave open.  ..read more

 I have some architecture and design books, having collected them over the past few decades. Today, I thought I would share some of the pages I think most inspired our favorite half century old toy. With origins dating back as far as 1920's Bauhous, and adding styles from MCM Atomic era minimalism, to 1960's groovy chalet kitsch and finally to 1970s Granola, Earth-tone beach house modern hybrid, our home is complete.  ..read more

Thank you all for staying with me year after year! It is amazing how fast time flies. Our favorite toy house is now...46 years old this year. So, this is an anniversary AND birthday post. How long has this house been in your life? Do you have vintage memories of it, or are you just now discovering how unique and amazing this play set it? Would love to see your comments below. I still remember being in the ToysRus and KayBtoy stores and seeing this in the original 70s colors on display, and later the pink version assembled in store and hanging from ToysRus's ceiling above the Barbie aisle in ..read more

 If like me you were without the 1982 Cottage flower boxes I made some from scratch for almost nothing: using a paperboard box from a discarded food or health and beauty item cut in half, sand the edges, cover in white contact paper, heat seal the edges with a lighter, cut to size florist foam, glue inside the open box, glue on florist moss, cut to length and shape dollar store thick gardeners wire, paint them white, glue them in, select plastic flowers from Walmart aquarium section or dollar store, attach to wires, stick in the foam and arrange, voila, here is how mine came out:  ..read more

Check this out, a wonderful new book with stunningly sharp and professionally taken photographs of our favorite of all houses and some of the furniture. While only a small chapter is devoted to the 70's Mid Mod structure we love so much, the write up is exquisite. At $300 a copy, I'll have to just enjoy what's posted online, but wanted site followers to see the Reader's Digest version. I'm still hoping someone publishes a book solely devoted to our 1978-1985 house, until then, enjoy: https://www.curbed.com/article/barbie-dreamhouse-architectural-survey-1979-excerpt.html https://www.pinup ..read more

Some home owners looking for an alternative to the ultra open airiness of this house may like this paper board I found at Dollar Tree the other day. It is the classic 1970's diagonal wood wall paneling. It has made a comeback, I have even seen new front doors on vintage traditional homes with this look. I love it, but just make sure it's a mid-mod house, not a Federal or Colonial! Anyway, if this were to be mounted on paperboard, cut to size and fitted into the vented slats on the house it would help enclose it without diminishing the overal design asthetic. You could even make panels that p ..read more

Hello, devoted obsessives like me! I am now on the east coast in the Carolinas. While there is a plentitude of the California Dream home from where I moved from in Socal, even out here in any given city there are streets upon streets of groovy Brady-Bunch-esque homes to peruse, pervey and otherwise admire these 40+ year old gems, these moemnts in time that I do not believe we will see again as new construction. So, here they are: There were many, many others, but this gives you an idea. When my friend asked me what years did I think these were from, in all my years as a realtor, and as a ..read more

Yes, it is quite possible. First, check out the current issue of Atomic Ranch magazine (if reading later it's September/August 2021). They gutted a 1950s shoebox ranch house, raised the roof and now it's an asymmetrical mid mod house with insanely cool breeze panel patio accents in the front.  Once installed, these beautiful, maintenance free panels will give your house a unique, fetching look for years to come.  Contractor white paint is slightly cheaper than tinted, two coats are better than one. Railing easily found in any home improvement store, or custom made b ..read more

 Ever wanted to make affordable window replacements? How about filling in those big empty skylights with skylight 'glass'? Of, you could make your own floor to ceiling glass walls. As I was shopping at my local big box home improvement store, Home Depot, I noticed these plexiglass sheet in varying sizes near the lumber aisle. Finally, you can obtain the material inexpensively to fully customize your 1978 A Frame DreamHouse.   As you can see it's not expensive and is readily available in different size sheets. Not only can you use this as faux glass, you could frost it with basic p ..read more