The Vintage Patio

My favorite place to read is in the shade of our crape myrtle. To be honest, it is my favorite place to paint, sand wood, really do anything in the afternoon shade of the canopy. While flipping through a 1961 issue of Better Homes and Gardens I noticed my favorite backyard spot was one of their ’50 Improvements Under $50’.

Years ago my dad put the patio together using locking bricks around the crape myrtle. Because of California’s perpetual drought, having a draining patio in place of lawn helps eliminate run off and of course there’s less lawn to water. In 1961 they recommended cement finishing to accompany the patio bricks, but I've listened to Jeremy talk about the importance of proper drainage to know that gravel helps water drain through the patio, instead of around it.

The wrought iron patio furniture in the magazine is very similar to ours and made me wonder about its history. I found an article in Country Living Magazine that explained how American blacksmiths “popularized wrought iron during the 1920s, and it remained in vogue until the Eisenhower era [1952 – 1961], when lighter, cheaper, rust-proof aluminum caught on.” We brought our patio set from Mexico, so I was surprised to find that wrought iron furniture had deep roots in America.

Do you have summer patio plans of your own? If you do, remember, “material costs, wise buying, and the way you adapt the idea will make the difference.”

1950s Glidden Interior Paint

Remember the exterior paint catalogs I shared? Here are two interior paint swatch color catalogs for ranch homes.

1950s Glidden Decorating Pastels inspired by the South Seas makes me think of Tiki Bars across the country! The 22 colors came in satin, luster, flat and latex finishes in colors like Paradise Green, Pebble Beach, Jungle Moss, Teak and Tropic Sun. Changing the color of the walls doesn’t mean the décor had  to change with the color planning guide on the back. I’m sure this made it easier for the 1950s housewife to talk a modest husband into giving a few rooms a face lift.

Ready to use Spred Satin in latex, luster and flat finishes also provided beautiful pastels with great beachy names. It was guaranteed washable from crayons, grease and other household dirt and to last until you wanted to change the color.

I love the pastel colors for the interior walls just as much as their tropical names reminiscent of WWII travels to the Pacific. I'm pretty sure if I look close enough my bedroom walls sure look a lot like Shoal Green.

Growing up I only knew white walls and wood paneling so it is refreshing to now have colored walls in almost every room. What colors do you live in?

1950s Glidden Exterior Paint

The house my mother grew up in was a Ranch style home. It was also the house I spent a lot of my childhood in. The Ranch was built in 1954 and my grandparents bought it in the early 1970s. The exterior was avocado green with matching kitchen appliances. Since then I've seen the house painted bright Weber Bread blue, burgundy and more recently, a subtle peach.

I found a great interview with Atomic Ranch magazine editor Michelle Gringeri-Brown from Stir Magazine. Gringeri-Brown explains that there are three color categories depending on region. Eichler homes were painted in neutral colors, while Ranch homes in Southern California and Florida were brightly painted in vibrant colors, and traditional homes in off white colors with brick or natural accents. From this account it sounds like my grandparents Ranch has seen paint jobs from all three categories. 

For those wanting to be era accurate for their 1950s home, I came across 3 Glidden exterior paint catalogs from 1958 and 1959. I picked them up at an estate sale in a ranch house last summer. The catalogs were from Don's Paint in Garden Grove. 

Endurance Velvet 1958 offered a flat exterior finish for shingles, shakes and siding with 24 colors to choose from. Ready-To-Use colors were deeper hues in the brown, green and red family, while the Dramatone Colors were bright turquoise, lime green and pinks. Selling points included a quick drying time, flat finish and that the paint allowed the walls to breathe.

In 1959 Endurance House Paint offered 16 Ready-To-Use colors and 20 Dramatone colors with a handy guide on choosing the best house colors based on the roof color. With the rise of suburban tract homes, Glidden marketed their different paint colors as a way to set a home apart from the rest.

Spred Glide-On exterior (1959) vinyl latex paint was available for stucco, brick, concrete and asbestos shingle siding. The ready to use colors also came with 1 to 2 lighter complimentary colors as well. The weather-resistant colors are described as “California and Caribbean hues” which, if I had to guess, were for the many Southern California Ranch homes with exterior stucco walls.

What color will you choose for your ranch home?

Metalcraft Products Steel Furniture

Metalcraft Products out of Lynwood, California sure knew how to appeal to the housewife and working husband during the atomic age. Offering furniture made of "Space-Age Materials" – or steel – their designs offered strength and durability, the ease of cleaning and yet appealed to the Mid Century Atomic look.

The “people proof family furniture” for the living and dining room combined tubular steel frames with wood tones, foam filled cushions with a vinyl finish and durable plastic table tops.
In the children’s room, bunk beds made of the same strong steel were tough enough for boys, but more delicate paint colors made them likeable for girls too. Matching chests and desks completed the child’s bedroom and were also made to last and easy to clean. I’m loving the aqua and blue Deluxe Model bedroom set!

For the unexpected overnight guest, Metalcraft Stowaway and Rollaway beds solved the problem. The steel framed beds could be used at home in a spare bedroom, or while camping and were easy to store at just 7 inches thick.

I wish I was able to find out more information about the company, but I didn’t find much out there. If you do, please leave a comment.

Aluminum Window Awnings and Patio Covers

West Anaheim is a hub for Ranch homes, many with aluminum awnings. Some are horizontal slats, others vertical. Some are just silver, while others are painted to match the color of the exterior walls and trim. No matter the style or color, they no doubt add a retro appeal to Ranch homes. Of course they have a functional use too by shading rooms from the hot summer sun. An added bonus is hearing the ping of rain fall against the aluminum awnings.

 

The National Park Service Preservation Brief of Awnings describes aluminum awnings as being widely available by the 1950s due to being longer-lasting with lower maintenance than canvas awnings. The awnings were much more common with homeowners who could paint the slats, or pans, “to create stripes or other decorative patterns” as well as arrange them horizontally or vertically.

 

“Aluminum kept the awning relevant to the postwar ranch house and afforded an economical way to update older structures. Colorful awnings helped suburban dwellers distinguish their homes from other, similar, models in the neighborhood.”

- National Park Service

 

This Flexalum Aluminum Awning advertisement appeared in Better Homes and Garden July 1961 issue. Our Ranch became well dressed in 1961 with two window awnings and a matching aluminum patio cover. The window awnings are still on the windows, but the patio cover removed years ago. Aluminum home awnings may be a thing of the past, but they add such a great retro look to Ranch homes. Retro Renovations has compiles a list of places you can still order aluminum awnings for your Ranch home. 

Extra! Extra! Announcing New Series!

We are excited to announce new series coming this week to The Sunshine Grove blog! Hope you enjoy them. We welcome any feedback in the comments or you can send us a message at thesunshinegrove@gmail.com. Thanks for reading. We appreciate every one of you!

 Are you a bookworm? Do you love vintage? Start reading for Victory and for pleasure with Victory Book Club! I’ll be reviewing books about or written in the 1920s through the 1960s. If we can’t live in the eras our hearts love, at least we can live vicariously through book characters for that oh so good, vintage feel.

If you love Mid Century Modern as much as we do then you must dream of your perfect Ranch Home. We’ll share characteristics of a ranch, 1950s and 1960s tips to make your Ranch Home have that authentic feel and while we are at it, we’ll share a bit about the Ranch home we live in that was built over a former orange grove.

Have a drool worthy collection of vintage Pyrex? How about a Mad Men styled office? We are looking for our readers to showcase their vintage collection or one prized collectible. If you are ready to share, send us a message for all of the details. We can’t wait to see your fabulous vintage!

We’ve shared many stories about Anaheim and aren’t done yet! Along with Andy Anaheim, we’ll be your tour guides of our city’s yesteryears and today. We’ll show you there is more to it than just the Magic Kingdom, but a Citrus Empire as well.

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