There’s something simultaneously pleasant and unsettling about stepping into a different time. Thoughts range from “Aw, I wish we still did that” to “Wow, I am so glad we no longer do that.” (Take a look at your first cell phone and you’ll know what I mean.) These homes found across the U.S. stir up similar feelings. On the one hand, their shameless midcentury kitsch, lurid colors, and bizarre light fixtures are kind of awesome in the historical sense. On the other, well, I’ve developed a new taste for neutrals.
The Sputnik House, 1957, Houston, TX
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The original family wanted everyone to know their love for spacecraft, and installed that light fixture when they moved in. It’s actually pretty cool.
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Inside, the light fixtures continue to impress, like these blue glass dealies, and there’s lots of terrazzo and dark paneling everywhere.
A house with a beauty parlor, 1965, Reading, PA
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That’s right. This house has a beauty parlor built right into the basement. Check out those chairs!
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Not only do you get a beauty parlor, you also get…this. It’s a bar, although it looks more like a candy shop. And it certainly doesn’t look like anything that would be found in a house
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The family room (there’s another, more formal living room elsewhere) has a laid-back, beachy vibe to it, and those green chairs help.
Disco-era house, 1974, Nashville, TN
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This glamorous, airy house still features the carpets and lighting of the disco era. You can probably imagine it as quite the party house.
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I’m going to be honest here. This kitchen reminds me of every 70s horror movie I have ever seen.
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Blinding yellow seems the opposite of a relaxing bedroom, but maybe that’s what they were going for.
The “Swankienda,” 1957, Houston, TX
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The whole house is built around a circular living room. Due to the religious nature of its original occupants, it also comes with a built-in prayer shrine.
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The bathroom, all in blue and outfitted for safety.
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A classic ’50s kitchen with a yellow and turquoise color scheme.
These houses are pretty amazing. They’re almost like museum installations. To live in one of them day in and day out, though, requires a special aesthetic. The homes, their appliances, furniture, and other features were kept in perfect condition, and their owners celebrate every inch of their special houses. I know I would if I had a place that looked like this.
