Before open-concept kitchens and smart appliances took over, American homes were filled with objects that were unapologetically bold, colorful, and built to last. The 50s and 60s had a design language all their own — and some of it is worth serious money today.
The Classic Rotary Dial Telephone
You've probably seen one hanging on a diner wall or in a grandparent's hallway — that heavy black handset, the satisfying click-click-click of the dial spinning back. Rotary phones were standard issue in American homes from the late 40s through the 70s, and they were built like tanks. Western Electric made millions of them. A basic black model in working condition fetches $30–$60 today. Colored models — especially pink or turquoise — can hit $150 or more.
Collectors specifically hunt for two-tone models and wall-mounted versions. A working pink Western Electric 500 in original condition recently sold for $175 on eBay — not bad for something that spent decades in a junk drawer.
The Beloved Sunbeam Mixmaster Mixer
The Sunbeam Mixmaster was the KitchenAid of its era — every serious home cook either owned one or wanted one. Introduced in 1930 but hitting peak popularity in the 50s, it came with a dozen attachments and a chrome finish that stayed shiny for decades. These mixers were handed down like heirlooms. Many still run perfectly today, which is more than you can say for some modern appliances. A clean, working Mixmaster in original chrome sells for $45–$120 at antique shops.
Replacement bowls and beaters are still manufactured, meaning a 60-year-old Mixmaster can be fully restored to working order. Some bakers swear the old motor runs smoother than anything made today.
Avocado Green Appliances in Kitchens
Someone in the late 50s looked at a color wheel, pointed at avocado green, and said: put it on everything. Refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, blenders — if it plugged in, it came in avocado. The shade was so dominant that appliance manufacturers offered it as a standard option well into the 70s. Here's the twist: avocado green appliances are genuinely collectible now. A vintage avocado Westinghouse refrigerator in working condition can bring $400–$800 from mid-century modern enthusiasts who want the full period-accurate kitchen.
Restoration Hardware and several boutique appliance brands have released modern appliances in 'retro green' colorways — a direct nod to the avocado era. What was once a punchline is now a design statement.
The Trusty Wringer Washing Machine
Before the automatic washer took over, the wringer machine was how laundry got done — and it was serious work. You fed wet clothes through two rubber rollers that squeezed the water out, then hung everything on a line. These machines were built from cast iron and steel and weighed as much as a small car. Many are still functional. Maytag and Speed Queen made the most iconic versions. A restored wringer washer in working order sells for $150–$350 and is popular with off-grid homesteaders who appreciate the zero-electricity spin cycle.
Wringer washers used about one-third the water of early automatic machines. That efficiency is exactly why a small but dedicated community of modern homesteaders still uses them daily.
Formica Countertops in Pastel Colors
Formica didn't just cover countertops — it transformed the American kitchen. In the 50s, it came in pink, mint green, butter yellow, and coral, often with boomerang or starburst patterns pressed into the surface. It was cheap, easy to clean, and looked cheerful under fluorescent light. The irony is that original Formica in good condition is now actively sought by renovators doing period-accurate restorations. New old-stock pastel Formica sheets, when they surface at salvage yards, sell quickly at $15–$40 per linear foot.
Wilsonart and Formica Group both manufacture reproduction patterns based on their 50s archives. If you want the boomerang print today, you can actually get it — and it's not cheap.
The Elegant Vanity Dressing Table
Every bedroom in a well-appointed 50s home had one: a kidney-shaped or rectangular vanity table with a trifold mirror, a padded stool, and enough surface space for every perfume bottle, powder puff, and cold cream jar a woman owned. These were functional furniture and a daily ritual space rolled into one. Mahogany and walnut versions with original mirrors and matching stools are the most valuable. A complete set in good condition — table, mirror, stool — regularly sells for $250–$600 at auction.
The kidney-shaped vanity specifically has become a mid-century collector's item. Reproductions sell for $400+ new, which means original vintage pieces in good shape are often the better deal.
Milk Glass Vases on Every Shelf
Milk glass — that opaque, slightly translucent white pressed glass — was everywhere in mid-century homes. Vases, candy dishes, lamp bases, compotes, and planters in milk glass sat on shelves, mantels, and windowsills across America. Fenton Art Glass and Anchor Hocking were the biggest producers. Individual pieces are still very affordable: most sell for $5–$25 at thrift stores and estate sales. But complete sets and rare colored milk glass pieces — especially in pink or black — can surprise you at auction.
A rare Fenton milk glass epergne — a multi-arm centerpiece — sold at a 2023 auction for $320. Most milk glass is still a bargain, but knowing the makers and molds matters enormously.
The Iconic Sunburst Wall Clock
Would you pay three figures for a clock that doesn't even have numbers on its face? Plenty of people will. The sunburst wall clock — with its starburst of brass, gold, or teak spokes radiating from a small central dial — became the defining decorative object of the late 50s. Howard Miller made the most coveted versions, some designed by George Nelson. A standard sunburst clock sells for $75–$150. A verified George Nelson design for Howard Miller? That's a different conversation entirely — think $400 to $1,200.
George Nelson's 'Asterisk' and 'Ball' clocks for Howard Miller are now displayed in design museums. Original examples with intact spokes and working movements regularly appear at major auction houses.
Shag Carpet in Every Living Room
Picture this: a living room floor buried under three inches of rust-orange or harvest gold carpet, so thick your feet disappeared. Shag carpet arrived in American homes in the late 50s and absolutely refused to leave for two decades. It was aspirational — a sign that you could afford something luxurious and impractical. Today it's back in a big way. Interior designers are specifying high-pile wool shag for modern spaces, and vintage shag remnants in good condition sell at estate sales for surprisingly strong prices.
New shag carpet styled after 60s originals now runs $8–$20 per square foot from specialty retailers. The irony? Homeowners who ripped it out in the 80s are paying to put it back in today.
Macrame Hanging Planters in Windows
Macrame had a moment in the 60s that lasted about fifteen years and then vanished — until Instagram brought it roaring back. Hanging planters knotted from jute or cotton rope held spider plants and pothos in front of every sunny window in America. Handmade vintage macrame planters from the era are genuinely hard to find in good condition because natural fibers degrade. When they do surface at estate sales, they sell for $15–$40. New handmade versions from Etsy artisans run $35–$120 depending on complexity.
The macrame revival is real and sustained — not just a trend blip. Craft stores report that macrame cord is now one of their consistently top-selling DIY supplies, outselling many digital-age crafting materials.
The Charming Boomerang Print Furniture
The boomerang print — that abstract, kidney-and-curve pattern lifted straight from mid-century atomic design — didn't just live on Formica. It showed up on upholstery, wallpaper, and laminate furniture surfaces throughout the 50s. Coffee tables and side tables with boomerang-print laminate tops are some of the most sought-after pieces in mid-century furniture collecting today. A clean example with original legs and minimal surface damage sells for $180–$450. Damaged pieces get snapped up by restorers who know how to source reproduction laminate.
The boomerang shape itself was borrowed from post-war optimism — the curved, forward-moving form was meant to signal progress. Sixty years later, it signals 'this person has excellent taste in vintage furniture.'
The Beloved TV Tray Dinner Set
The TV tray dinner set was a monument to a very specific American aspiration: eating in front of the television without spilling on the good furniture. A set of four folding metal trays with a matching stand was standard issue in 50s and 60s living rooms. Most featured printed designs — flowers, autumn leaves, or abstract patterns. Complete sets of four with original stands sell for $35–$85 at estate sales. Sets with unusual graphics or in excellent painted condition push higher.
TV tray sets are one of the most consistently available mid-century items at estate sales — and one of the most consistently underpriced. They're also completely functional, which is more than you can say for a lot of vintage decor.
Pastel Pink Bathrooms With Tile
Here's a number: 5 million. That's roughly how many pink-tiled bathrooms were installed in American homes between 1950 and 1965. Mamie Eisenhower loved pink, the tile industry ran with it, and suddenly bathrooms across the country were floor-to-ceiling pink ceramic. Homeowners spent decades ripping them out. Now preservationists and mid-century enthusiasts are fighting to save them — and succeeding. The website 'Pink is the New Blog' has documented thousands. Original pink tile bathrooms add measurable value to period homes on the real estate market.
Replacement pink tile in the original 4x4 size is now manufactured again specifically because demand from restoration projects has grown. A bathroom that survived intact is considered an asset, not a liability.
The Charming Ceramic Cookie Jar
The ceramic cookie jar sat on every kitchen counter and held everything from actual cookies to spare change to the car keys. 50s and 60s cookie jars came in every shape imaginable — barn houses, smiling pigs, mammy figures, cartoon characters, and vegetables with faces. American Bisque, Metlox, and McCoy were the major makers. Most common examples sell for $25–$60. But rare character jars — especially licensed designs or limited production figures — can hit $300 to $800 at specialized auctions.
McCoy pottery cookie jars are among the most collected American ceramics. A rare McCoy 'Mammy' jar in excellent condition sold for over $1,000 at a 2022 auction — proof that cookie jars are serious business.
Flocked Wallpaper on Dining Room Walls
$500 for wallpaper. That's what a full roll of original 60s flocked wallpaper — the kind with raised velvet-like patterns that felt like touching a painting — costs when it surfaces at architectural salvage dealers. Flocked wallpaper was the height of dining room sophistication in the late 50s and 60s, coming in deep reds, golds, and greens with damask or medallion patterns. It was expensive then and it's expensive now. New reproduction flocked wallpaper from specialty manufacturers runs $85–$200 per roll.
Flocked wallpaper fell out of fashion so completely that most of it was stripped and discarded. Intact rooms discovered during renovation are photographed and documented by preservation groups before the paper comes down.
Matching Bedroom Furniture Sets in Wood
Bedroom sets in the 50s and 60s came as matched suites: headboard, footboard, dresser, mirror, nightstands — all in the same wood finish, all from the same manufacturer. Bassett, Broyhill, and Drexel were the dominant names. These sets were built from solid wood and real veneer, not particleboard, which means they've survived remarkably well. A complete Drexel Heritage bedroom set in walnut with all original hardware sells for $800–$2,500 depending on condition and the specific line. Individual pieces sell for less but move faster.
Broyhill's 'Brasilia' line — with its sculptural carved headboards — has become one of the most collected mid-century bedroom sets. A complete Brasilia suite in excellent condition commands a serious premium at mid-century furniture dealers.
The Handy Swing Arm Wall Lamp
The swing-arm wall lamp was a masterpiece of mid-century functional design — a lamp that could pivot, extend, and angle to put light exactly where you needed it, without taking up table space. Manufacturers like Lightolier and Arredoluce (in Italy) made iconic versions. This is where prices start to get interesting. A basic American swing-arm lamp from the 50s sells for $75–$200. An authenticated Arredoluce Italian model? That's $800 to $3,000, depending on the designer. The same basic function, wildly different provenance.
Gino Sarfatti's swing-arm designs for Arredoluce are now in permanent museum collections. When originals surface at auction, bidding from European and American collectors gets aggressive fast.
The Reliable Toastmaster Pop-Up Toaster
Test it in the morning, every morning, for twenty years — and it still works. That was the Toastmaster experience. The Toastmaster pop-up toaster, introduced in the 20s and perfected through the 50s, was the standard by which all other toasters were judged. Chrome body, clean lines, and a mechanism so reliable that many examples are still in daily use. A clean, working 50s Toastmaster in original chrome sells for $35–$85. The 1B14 model — with its distinctive art deco styling — consistently brings the highest prices.
Toastmaster's engineering was so sound that the company's patents shaped the entire toaster industry. Collectors specifically seek models with original cord sets and intact chrome, since replating is expensive and obvious.
Terrazzo Floors in Mid-Century Homes
Terrazzo floors — that mixture of marble chips, granite, and glass set in cement and polished smooth — were everywhere in mid-century homes, schools, and public buildings. They were durable, beautiful, and labor-intensive to install. When wall-to-wall carpet became affordable in the 60s, millions of square feet of terrazzo got covered up and forgotten. Renovation crews are still uncovering it today, usually in perfect condition under the carpet. Restoring existing terrazzo runs $3–$8 per square foot. Installing new terrazzo? $15–$30 per square foot.
Designers who specialize in mid-century restoration say discovering intact terrazzo under carpet is like finding buried treasure. The material has outlasted every flooring trend that tried to replace it.
Aluminum Tumblers for Every Drink
Aluminum tumblers in pastel colors — pink, blue, green, gold — were the everyday drinking glasses of the American 50s household. They came in sets of eight, nested inside each other, and lived in kitchen cabinets next to the Kool-Aid pitcher. West Bend and Mirro made millions of them. They're still extremely common at estate sales, which keeps prices low: full sets of eight typically sell for $20–$45. But here's the catch — they transfer heat instantly, so your iced tea warms up in about four minutes flat.
Despite the thermal flaw, aluminum tumblers have a dedicated collector following. Rare colors like black or deep red command premiums, and original box sets in mint condition can fetch $80 or more.
The Sleek Eames Rocking Chair
$4,000. That's the starting price for an original Eames RAR — the Rocking Armchair Rod base — in good condition. Charles and Ray Eames designed it for Herman Miller in 1950, and it remains one of the most recognizable chairs ever made. The molded fiberglass shell in parchment, seafoam green, or greige, balanced on a wire base with wooden rockers — it looked like nothing else in any American living room. Herman Miller still makes it. But an original 50s production piece with intact fiberglass and original base is a genuine collectible.
The difference between an original Eames rocker and a Herman Miller reissue comes down to the fiberglass — originals have a slightly different texture and weight. Serious collectors know exactly what to feel for.
Harvest Gold Throughout the Kitchen
Avocado green had a rival, and its name was Harvest Gold. This warm, slightly orange-yellow shade took over American kitchens in the mid-60s and held on through the 70s with remarkable tenacity — outlasting avocado, outlasting the Brady Bunch, outlasting almost everything. Refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, countertop appliances: all available in Harvest Gold. A complete matched set from a single manufacturer can sell as a lot for $600–$1,500 to period-accurate kitchen restorers today.
What separates Harvest Gold from avocado in collector circles is documentation: GE kept meticulous production records, which means serious collectors can date specific units to within a year. That traceability adds real value — and makes fakes easier to spot.
The Handy Lazy Susan on Tables
The lazy Susan solved a problem that nobody had officially named yet: the unreachable center of a round dinner table. A spinning tray in the middle meant the salt, pepper, condiments, and serving dishes came to you. Mid-century lazy Susans came in wood, chrome, glass, and Bakelite. Built-in versions in dining room tables are now considered desirable features. Standalone vintage lazy Susans sell for $15–$60 depending on material and condition. Inlaid wood versions with marquetry patterns push higher.
The lazy Susan is arguably the only piece of mid-century kitchen equipment that has never once needed a revival — it just kept spinning, decade after decade, completely unbothered by trends. Respect.
Decorative Wrought Iron Room Dividers
Wrought iron room dividers were the open-concept solution before open concept existed. A decorative iron screen — often featuring scrollwork, leaves, or abstract geometric patterns — could separate a dining area from a living room without blocking light or making the space feel smaller. They were sold at department stores and through home décor catalogs throughout the 50s and 60s. Vintage examples in good condition sell for $120–$350. Large, ornate floor-to-ceiling dividers with original finish intact push toward $500.
Wrought iron dividers are having a genuine design revival. Interior designers are sourcing vintage pieces for contemporary spaces specifically because the open metalwork reads as modern while adding authentic mid-century character.
The Cheerful Fiesta Ware Dish Set
Here's where things get weird — in the best way. Fiesta Ware was introduced in 1936 by Homer Laughlin, discontinued in 1973, then relaunched in 1986. The original production run used uranium oxide in the glaze to achieve the iconic red-orange color — which means original red Fiesta pieces are mildly radioactive. Not dangerously so, but enough that Geiger counters react. A full original service for eight in mixed colors sells for $300–$600. Original red pieces alone command a premium specifically because of the uranium glaze.
Homer Laughlin still manufactures Fiesta Ware today in dozens of colors. But collectors draw a hard line between pre-1973 originals and post-1986 reissues — the weight, glaze texture, and markings are all different.
Pegboard Tool Walls in the Garage
The pegboard tool wall was a garage philosophy as much as a storage solution. Popularized in the 50s after Masonite began mass-producing perforated hardboard, pegboard let homeowners hang every tool in plain sight — organized, accessible, and oddly satisfying. Some families traced outlines of each tool in marker so they'd know exactly where everything belonged. Original Masonite pegboard from the era is indistinguishable from new product, so there's no collector market. But a well-organized vintage garage pegboard setup photographs beautifully and sells houses.
Stanley and Craftsman both sold branded pegboard hook sets in the 50s, packaged in illustrated boxes that are now collectible on their own. The hooks sell for a few dollars each; the original packaging sells for $20–$45.
The Cozy Barcalounger Recliner Chair
The Barcalounger arrived in American living rooms in the 40s and spent the next three decades becoming synonymous with a very specific image: dad, football game, cold beverage. The reclining mechanism was genuinely innovative — a linked footrest and backrest system that moved in one smooth motion. Barcalounger is still in business, still making recliners. But original 50s and 60s models in their original upholstery — often a nubby tweed or vinyl — have a particular charm. Restored vintage examples sell for $200–$500 depending on fabric condition.
The Barcalounger's inventor, Edward Knabush, reportedly tested early prototypes by napping in them during his lunch break. Quality assurance has rarely looked so comfortable.
Starburst Patterns on Everyday Dishes
The starburst pattern — concentric rings and radiating lines borrowed straight from atomic imagery — showed up on everything in the late 50s. Dinner plates, serving bowls, mixing bowls, and coffee mugs all got the atomic treatment. It was the era's way of saying: we are living in the future and we're excited about it. Sets of starburst dinnerware by manufacturers like Canonsburg Pottery and Salem China sell for $60–$180 for a complete service. Individual pieces are common at thrift stores for $3–$8 each.
The starburst pattern peaked in popularity right around the same years as actual nuclear testing anxiety — a fascinating case of design aesthetics and public psychology moving in completely opposite directions at the same time.
The Popular Tupperware Pantry Set
Tupperware didn't just sell plastic containers — it sold a social structure. The Tupperware party, invented by Brownie Wise in the early 50s, turned housewives into saleswomen and kitchen storage into a community event. The pastel-colored, airtight containers were genuinely revolutionary — the burping seal was a patented innovation. Vintage Tupperware from the 50s and 60s in original colors (especially the pastel cereal set or the 'Millionaire Line') sells for $40–$150 per complete set among collectors who specifically hunt early production pieces.
Brownie Wise became the first woman featured on the cover of Business Week in 1954 — then was fired by Tupperware's founder a year later. Her story is one of the more complicated footnotes in American business history.
Venetian Blinds on Every Window
Venetian blinds — horizontal aluminum slats on a cord-and-pulley system — were the window treatment of choice in mid-century homes before vertical blinds and cellular shades arrived to complicate things. They were practical, adjustable, and made satisfying clacking sounds in a breeze. Original aluminum Venetian blinds from the 50s are not particularly collectible, but the style has never fully gone away. Reproduction aluminum Venetian blinds in period-accurate widths and colors are sold by specialty window treatment companies at $80–$200 per window.
The distinctive shadow pattern that Venetian blinds cast across a room became a visual shorthand for noir atmosphere in film. Cinematographers still request them specifically when shooting period pieces set in the 50s.
The Stylish Pole Lamp in Corners
The pole lamp — a spring-tensioned floor-to-ceiling rod with two or three adjustable lamp heads — was the solution to a real problem: how do you add light to a rental apartment when you can't drill into walls or ceilings? Pole lamps required no installation, could be repositioned in seconds, and came in gold, brass, and walnut finishes. They were sold by the millions through Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs. Vintage examples with original shades sell for $45–$120. Versions with unusual shades — especially fiberglass or pleated fabric — push higher.
Pole lamps are one of the few mid-century lighting formats that never fully disappeared from production. The basic design is so functional that it's been continuously manufactured in some form for over sixty years.
Knotty Pine Paneling on Basement Walls
Knotty pine paneling in the basement was a mid-century rite of passage. Dad would spend a long weekend installing tongue-and-groove pine boards, apply a coat of orange-tinted varnish, and suddenly the basement was a 'rec room.' It smelled like Christmas and looked like a ski lodge. Homeowners spent decades covering it with drywall. Now it's back — designers are calling it 'warm modernism' and specifying new knotty pine for accent walls. Original intact knotty pine paneling in a basement adds period character that restoration enthusiasts specifically seek out.
New knotty pine tongue-and-groove paneling runs $2.50–$4.50 per linear foot from lumber yards. The irony of paying new prices to recreate what previous owners paid to demolish is not lost on anyone involved.
The Glamorous Hollywood Regency Mirror
Hollywood Regency style — all glamour, gilt, and theatrical excess — was the design movement that refused to be modest. Oversized mirrors with sunburst or shell frames in gold leaf dominated the walls of aspirational mid-century homes. These weren't subtle objects. A large Hollywood Regency mirror from the 50s or 60s, in original gilt finish with intact frame, sells for $400–$1,200 depending on size and maker. Attributed pieces from known decorators like Dorothy Draper push well beyond that — think $3,000 to $8,000 at major auction houses.
Dorothy Draper's interiors for the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia set the standard for Hollywood Regency in American homes. Her furniture and mirror designs, when authenticated, are among the most valuable American decorator pieces at auction.
Hobnail Glass Lamps on Nightstands
Hobnail glass — that distinctive pattern of raised dots covering the surface of milk glass or colored glass — was the texture of choice for mid-century lamp bases, vases, and pitchers. Fenton Art Glass made the most beloved hobnail pieces, and their white milk glass hobnail lamps showed up on nightstands across America through the 50s and 60s. A pair of matching Fenton hobnail lamps with original shades sells for $80–$200. Rare colored hobnail glass in cranberry or blue opalescent? Individual pieces can reach $150–$400.
Fenton Art Glass closed in 2011 after 106 years of production, which immediately pushed vintage Fenton prices upward. Collectors who had been casually buying pieces suddenly realized the supply was now truly finite.
The Handy Built-In Ironing Board
Built-in ironing boards — the kind that folded out from a cabinet recessed into the kitchen or hallway wall — were a genuine innovation in mid-century home design. They saved floor space, eliminated the hassle of dragging out a freestanding board, and felt like the future of domestic efficiency. Many were installed by home builders as standard features in the 50s. Intact built-in ironing board cabinets are now considered charming period details during home sales. Replacement parts — the board surface, the cabinet door hardware — are still manufactured by a handful of specialty suppliers.
The Broan company has manufactured built-in ironing board cabinets continuously since the 1950s. A new Broan unit runs $180–$300 installed — which means the original one in your wall is worth preserving.
Chintz Fabric on Living Room Sofas
Chintz fabric — tightly woven cotton printed with large floral patterns, usually glazed to a slight sheen — covered sofas, armchairs, and throw pillows in mid-century living rooms that wanted to project English country house elegance on an American budget. It was cheerful, busy, and absolutely everywhere in the 50s. Chintz fell hard out of fashion in the minimalist 90s. It came back around 2018 and hasn't left. Original 50s chintz upholstered sofas in good condition sell for $300–$700. The fabric itself, sourced from textile archives, runs $25–$60 per yard.
Schumacher and Colefax & Fowler both maintain archives of their original 50s chintz patterns and still print them on demand. A sofa recovered in period-accurate chintz is indistinguishable from an original — which is either wonderful or terrible, depending on your perspective.
The Beloved Davenport Sofa Bed
The name 'Davenport' became so synonymous with the sofa bed that millions of Americans used it as a generic term — the way 'Kleenex' replaced 'tissue.' The actual Davenport was a large, overstuffed sofa that converted to a bed via a fold-out mechanism. It was the practical solution for the postwar American home that needed a guest room but didn't have one. Original 50s Davenport-style sofa beds with intact mechanisms and reupholstered frames sell for $250–$600. The fold-out mechanism, if it still works smoothly, is the key value factor.
The word 'davenport' as a synonym for sofa is now considered a regionalism — used primarily in the Midwest. Linguists have tracked its geographic distribution as a way of mapping mid-century furniture retail patterns.
Atomic Age Prints on Kitchen Curtains
Atomic Age kitchen curtains were a daily reminder that the future was exciting and slightly terrifying. Printed cotton curtains featuring electrons orbiting nuclei, stylized atoms, rockets, and abstract molecular patterns hung in kitchens from Pasadena to Pittsburgh. They were sold at Woolworth's for a few dollars a panel. Today, original atomic print curtain fabric in good condition sells for $15–$40 per yard at textile dealers. Complete curtain sets with original hardware are rarer and sell for $60–$150 depending on the print's graphic quality.
Museum textile collections actively acquire atomic-era printed fabrics as examples of how Cold War anxiety expressed itself in domestic design. Your grandmother's kitchen curtains may be more culturally significant than anyone realized.
The Elegant Credenza in Every Dining Room
$12,000. That's what a Paul McCobb 'Irwin Collection' credenza for Calvin Furniture sold for at a 2023 auction. The credenza — a long, low storage cabinet for the dining room — was the prestige furniture piece of the mid-century home. It held the good china, the silver, the tablecloths. It signaled that you had arrived. McCobb, Dunbar, and Widdicomb made the most valuable examples. But even a well-made anonymous credenza in walnut with original hardware sells for $400–$900. The form has never gone out of style.
The credenza's proportions — long, low, and horizontal — were perfectly calibrated for mid-century rooms with 8-foot ceilings. In today's homes with higher ceilings, they read as grounded and elegant rather than space-filling.
Braided Oval Rugs on Hardwood Floors
End where it began: on the floor. Braided oval rugs — made from strips of wool, cotton, or synthetic fabric braided into tight coils and stitched together — were the hardworking floor covering in mid-century homes that wanted warmth without the commitment of wall-to-wall carpet. Grandmothers made them from old clothing. Department stores sold machine-made versions. Handmade vintage braided rugs in good condition, especially in unusual color combinations, sell for $80–$300 depending on size. The finest hand-braided wool examples from New England artisans push toward $600 for a large oval.
The braided rug tradition in America dates to the colonial era, but it hit its widest mainstream popularity in the 50s and 60s. Today, hand-braiding guilds still operate across New England, keeping a centuries-old craft alive on hardwood floors everywhere.