My parents bought paper drapes. You read it right. Paper. Cost: $1.00 and "looked like real fabric!" We lived in a three-room apartment above a T G and Y store. It had a large bay window that went from floor to ceiling and we needed drapes because ten feet away was another apartment with the same windows facing US. We had a brown nylon freize' sofa and a coordinating persimmon orange armchair like the one below.
I was horribly embarrassed at the time to live there, but remember it with fondness - maybe because my brother was born while we lived there? In fact, when we moved back to Missouri from Georgia I drove my honey right to the place though it had been over 45 years since I'd been there. Did anyone live in an "unusual" place? Do you like persimmon? Photos: Arm chair; Waverly Drapery fabric; Crate and Barrel plates, pillow and vase.
I was horribly embarrassed at the time to live there, but remember it with fondness - maybe because my brother was born while we lived there? In fact, when we moved back to Missouri from Georgia I drove my honey right to the place though it had been over 45 years since I'd been there. Did anyone live in an "unusual" place? Do you like persimmon? Photos: Arm chair; Waverly Drapery fabric; Crate and Barrel plates, pillow and vase.
Feel the 1959 persimmon orange, baby!
27 comments:
When I was a kid (many, MANY moons ago!), my grandparents lived in a one bedroom apartment above the old theater on Federal in Denver. My grandfather was retired by then, but had worked as an usher at the theater for about 10 years so they all knew him. When we went to visit, he would always take my sisters and me to matinee at the theater ...free tickets for all of us and free popcorn and sodas. I just knew I had the coolest Grampa in the world!
What a sweet story. I think my Mom had a chair very much like that one only it was an ugly green.
The sofa was slipcovered and the curtains were frilly tie back sheers.
Boy are you taking me back!
Great post.
Sissie
No, but I haven't heard anyone mention "TG&Y" stores in years!!! If I recall, their color scheme quite matched your parent's apartment!
I love persimmon! I don't think I'd love paper drapes though. I guess they'd come in handy if you had to suddenly blow your nose...
Justine :o )
Nope, never lived anywhere 'weird', unless you count a house I rented in my single days. It was a very old house with a very old floorplan - no closets and a lot of doors. I lived there for a year. That house and I had a love/hate relationship! But I loved what I did with the bedroom - I had a cool bedrom in that house!
Oh, my word! I love the retro arm chair. Didn't everyone's parents have something just like that? I know mine did! And it swiveled, too!
Oh, the old TG&Y stores. I haven't thought of them in years and years. My dad used to call them "Ted, George and Yappie's". Don't know why though. Thanks for bringing that memory back to the forefront of my mind.
I'm sure my parents had that very chair!
The strangest place we ever lived was on a new Air Base in Alberta in the 50's. As I recall, our house was made of what I thought was tin - it was long and narrow and most likely an old quanset hut.
Good ol' TG&Y. I remember those. I do like persimmon in small doses, but I am more of a cool color girl.
Ive used sheets and beach towels, but never paper. I grew up in trailers (not mobil homes). The first was 21 ft. long and had an "ice" box. Mom, Dad, sister and I. The last one was 48' and looked like Luci and Dezi's "Long,Long Trailer" fom the movie. We lived in "Trailer Camps" and moved often. Kids called me a gypsy. I have very fond memories of my childhood. Love the colors of orange, but have never used them in decorating except for fall.
I miss the TG&Y stores! I worked at one when I was a teenager. Oh, the memories!
Smiles,
Carol
When I was young, my grandparents bought the farm I still live on and there was a old Quonset hut. Still is but is has been remodeled into a very cute apartment. But we thought it was the best and would go in every afternoon to sit and have coffee with my grandpa. I think I was the luckiest kid in the world to live on a farm with my grandparents.
Oh, my gosh, that fabric is all the colors that my mom used to decorate my room when I was five. Ha! That was almost 60 years ago! To this day, I really don't like that chartrese color...I mean, come on, I was five. How about a little fun girl colors...must be why I was such a tom boy! lol
What a nice story......and the armchair !! beautiful mine parents have also such chair.
What a lovely colorful pictures....i enjoy again !
Have a nice evening greetz Ria
I love persimmon...I have it in my home now. My walls are milk chocolate brown and my floors are hickory wood stained dark..so I have brought in lots of bright colors...persimmon being a bold one and we just love it!
I don't think I have lived in a strange place...just big old farm houses most of my life. I always enjoy your posts...come say hi :D
So cute and fun! Liked the story too...reminded me of when my mom and step-dad bought a house without telling my sister and I {yeah! can you believe it! lol ;)} but it was because they knew we would hate it...it was mustard colored on the outside and very old and run down on the inside. I cried for months. The funny thing about it now 13 years later...now when they update a room in this very old house I get sad. I like the layers of old wallpaper, mint green trim and old doors. Funny how our perspective can change with time ;)
Neat Story!! I think of persimmon as a burnt orange or something similar. I've never been a big fan of that shade for decor except in small doses. Part of a combo for the pop. But I did so love seeing the retro post!!!! Always Fun.
Funny! I think it sounds wonderful! I too didn't always like where we lived but look back now and think they were great! Of course Grandmas was always best!! I still dream about my grandparents living in the places they lived when I was very young. I think I have a picture in a plaid suit on a plaid couch! hehe
Hugs, Lisa
i love persimmon. and i had no idea there was such a thing as paper drapes!
i lived in a haunted house for 6 years. we heard footsteps, felt eyes boring holes into our backs, heard bumps in the night. we also heard a child giggle/cry in the foyer. let's just say...i definitely don't look back at that house with fondness!:-/
I love that floral paper or curtains you have there. Persimmon isn't a color I'd use, but I like it in the picture.
1959 was a GREAT year - I think you could probably guess why :D! In fact in our house there are two reasons why it was a GREAT year!
I LUV persimmon - such a wonderfully vibrant colour!
My parents had plastic drapes, plastic over the furniture and plastic over the runner rug in the hall........now that was embarassing.......:-) Hugs
Wow! Great colors! and paper drapes?? Very economical!
I remember something about Paper Drapes. I had a very nice childhood. We always had sofas with plastic covers. I did not like those at all! I am so glad people don't do that anymore.
TG&Y! :) A "Georgia" childhood favorite! Ranks right up there with the Jiffy Store! :)
T, I didn't know Georgia used to have Jiffy stores? We had them in southwest Missouri, but I didn't come across anyone else who'd heard of them! Used to walk to Jiffy store with my friend for bread nearly every day as a young teen...
thanks for leaving a comment.
Never heard of paper drapes. I grew up in the NE. We lived with my grandparents while our house was being built on the lot next door, then I lived in the same place all my life until I married my former husband. My parents lived there all their life. What I did love was going to my dad's mom's home. We walked "down" to get in. Then "up" to get the long back yard. Yup it was a basement apartment. My grandmother was immaculate, you could eat off any floor or surface in her charming home. She was far from wealthy financially but so rich in love and the meaning of family. Dad and I would go every Sat as my mom worked for her dad answering phones in his butcher shop (remember those, where you could get the best meats?)on Sat's. Dad and I would stop at this Italian bakery and buy the most delicious little cookies for Gramma. She had a huge oak, pedestal table in her kitchen. My dinning room table is a "white" pedestal table and yup, I think of my gramma with love all the time. PS, I love your white table!!
Lynn
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