We all love a good fixer-upper, right? There is just something special about seeing the before and after of a well-done house project. For one woman in Narrowsburg, NY, her 1940’s home needed some serious work, yet turned out to be a beautiful homage to a wonderful period of time.
Tina Spangler loved the Narrowsburg area because of the history.
Most of us have never heard of the city, let alone visited! Narrowsburg was a popular vacation destination for the African-American community in the 1950s. Eventually, the lake that was nearby was drained when they decided to take the dam out of commission, and the old vacation spot lost its popularity.
For Tina, one of the cottages nearby would turn out to be her own personal project.
When Tina saw the dilapidated cabin pop up on bank forclosure, she immediately thought, “This is a house that needed to be loved again.” With that in mind, she got to work restoring many of the facets of the home to their original glamour!
Instead of tearing it down and making it modern, however, Tina wanted to keep the 1940’s and 50’s theme throughout.
She developed a love for the time period when she moved into an apartment in Boston and the furnishing left over from the previous owner had something special about it. Since that apartment, Tina has been in love with the time period and has been adding to her collection.
There are some fantastical elements to the refurbished home!
With hardwoods and detailing throughout the home, the cottage definitely has a retro feel about it. One of the coolest details has to be the refrigerator! Known as a “monitor top refrigerator,” the device was built in the 1930s and was made to last! It has a big motor on top and pulls heat away from the case.
Tina also loves “jadeite”.
Fire King jadeite was a popular glass material used for tableware during the ’40s and ’50s. It often came in a milky green color and was a staple of the period. Over the years, Tina has collected different colors of the fun tableware.
Ever heard of a linoleum rug?
While most of us have heard of linoleum floors, we probably haven’t heard of a linoleum rug! They were initially made in the ’20s for people who couldn’t afford the expensive wool or cotton rugs that some could. Tina has one in her house and she never has to vacuum it!
The bedroom closets don’t come with doors on them.
Probably done stylistically, the closets around the home don’t have doors on them. The house is so small that it could have been done to make the rooms feel a bit larger. When Tina bought the foreclosed home, there were few things left. One of those items, however, was a closet curtain that she put up in her master bedroom!
The home has just the perfect amount of character.
The feel and character of a home aren’t created from having all new things, its made up of the collection of things and how they all work together. Tina’s home is unique and has its own special character.
Check out the video below!
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