Dreamy Mid-Century Decor in Amazing Time Capsule House

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Over on Retro Renovation, Pam shares the story of an amazing time capsule home in New Jersey “with original interiors, still in place, by the renowned and super important midcentury interior designer William Pahlmann.” The house is for sale, and the Realtor shares information about its spectacular history:

Built by the owners in 1962 and decorated by Wiliam Pahlmann, a Manhattan decorator w/a newspaper column in the ’60s. The house is exactly as decorated when new… It looks as if it was done yesterday! The jelly beans in the bowls in the living room are color-coordinated to the “summer” slip covers and they will change with the season!

I’ve been swooning over the pictures all weekend long. If you have any interest in or appreciation for mid-century design and decor, you must check it out. And if you happen to have 1.4 million dollars, you can make the home yours.

4 thoughts on “Dreamy Mid-Century Decor in Amazing Time Capsule House

  1. Karli says:

    Really? This is considered “dreamy?” While I appreciate the nostalgia, I can’t help but notice the hideous carpet clashing with the hideous couch upholstery pattern. I love the dark columns, tables, slip covers…sadly they clash with the turquoise rattan chair and the tile. The painting is too small for the wall. This is like making a smoothie with originally fresh and awesome ingredients, but put together poorly..causing a palatable clash.

  2. Eklectic1 says:

    Karli, I’m afraid you’re right…I grew up in this time period, and this particular house is not filled with dreamy stuff…it’s more “quaint” stuff that people got rid of when their parents died and they could clean it out. I’ve been to estate sales that were held in houses that looked like this.
    There’s fascinating retro design and then there’s…this. Just because a known designer did it doesn’t mean it’s classic or livable…it’s really what I would type as “middlebrow”, a 50’s expression, I believe. Not ambitious in its goals, but still fresh-looking and homey in a way that is purely of its time.
    The living room looks so much like a period ad for Corian Floor Tile, it’s striking. And the seating area in the first photo looks like a photo setup for one of those circa 1960 sewing book chapters on how to do your own slipcovers.
    Time capsule, yes. Dreamy, no. I’m so sorry, Rachel…I mean no offense to you. It’s just that I’ve been in too many of these suburban sub-modern homes…they’re kinda sterile in tone, actually.

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