4 Ways To Give Your Home Exterior That 50's Retro Charm
If you've recently purchased a home that was constructed in the 1950s and want to restore the exterior to authentic mid-century style, you're in luck -- there are plenty of available strategies designed to make your home appear as if it's still the 1950s on the outside while the home interior has all the ultra-modern conveniences enjoyed by today's homeowners. Following are just four of the many ways to provide the outside of your home with that charming 50s flavor:
Wishing Wells
Picturesque wishing wells were a standard feature in 1950s yard and garden areas. They were usually painted to match the home and were ringed by colorful flowering annuals, with many of them holding a charming hanging basket brimming with bright blossoms in the center. Most of them held no water or served any practical purpose -- they were purely decorative. Although few homes from that period have retained the original wishing wells, replicas are becoming increasingly available as retro trends continue to grow.
Clotheslines
Even though household appliances entered the mainstream in a big way during the 1950s, outdoor clotheslines were still widely used. A clothesline full of billowing sheets and pillowcases in the process of being dried by the sun and the wind provides an excellent way to add an accent of nostalgia to your home interior as well as save on energy costs. As an extra-special added benefit, few things are nicer than drifting off to sleep at night wrapped in sheets and pillowcases featuring that sublime sun-dried scent.
Retro Mailboxes
A mid century mailbox offers the perfect way to accent a classic mid-century home, and, in fact, provides an excellent introduction to a 50s themed home because it's front and center on your property. You can choose the mailbox that best suits your personal tastes and preferences from a variety of options, and you can also have it custom-painted to match your home and your wishing well.
Pastel Colors
Pastel color schemes were huge inside and out in homes of the 50s. Painting your ranch home a pale yellow, blue, green, or pink will really amp that mid-century ambiance. Two-tone pastel color schemes were particularly popular in the 1950s, with the secondary color usually being white or cream and use primarily on railings, shutters, and the trim around railings and doors.
If you're wondering where to start with your exterior renovation on your 1950s era home, start with a retro mailbox and let the inspiration flow from there.