House Tour: Nikki’s 60s Ranch Makeover

by Lee Franklin June 25, 2020

Less than a year ago, Nikki bought her 1964 ranch home and, in this short time, has been transforming it throughout … playing out a personal battle between colourful kitsch and MCM minimalism …

Where does your love of vintage come from?

I’ve always liked things that are a little off-kilter. I prefer to decorate my home with items you won’t find in someone else’s and I’ve been obsessed with decorating since I was a child. Seriously, most kids would head to the toy Aisle, but I always went to the bedding aisle to find cool sheets for my bed. I don’t have that one piece that sparked my love for it, so I think my style has just evolved on it’s own over time of shopping at thrifts and antique malls. I was lucky and I did grow up with some modern pieces, but I didn’t realize how special they were until I got older. 

How would you describe your own vintage style?

I really don’t know anymore, so I’d have to say eclectic. I was an MCM purist years ago and the entire house was only designer MCM pieces I had collected over the years. After a friend made a comment that he was afraid to visit because he was scared of breaking something that couldn’t be replaced, that put everything in perspective for me and I stopped focusing on trying to be the most authentic and purchased only items I loved that were comfortable. After another visit with a friend, I fell in love with his minimalist style. I feel I've really embraced that and have downsized my collection quite a bit over the past couple years. It’s always a work in progress and my style is fluid. 

Do you have any specific criteria for your home décor based on style/era/colour … or is it a gut reaction?

No, not really, I just decorate with things I love. We purchased our 1964 ranch home last year and it’s style is drastically different from the 1942 minimal traditional home we had. In our last home (@collectedhome.) It was not an open concept and it was much easier to decorate each room with it’s own distinct style and I did. I had rooms devoted to ‘50s, ‘60s, a ‘70s corner in our basement, an Elvis bathroom, tiki kitchen, etc… It was all very kitschy and constantly evolving, painting rooms practically weekly and constantly moving furniture around. It was fun, yet exhausting to live there. Our home now is an open concept, so it’s been a bit of a challenge for me to make the house feel cohesive. I love color and I have rainbow everything, but in this house I’ve purposely tried to limit my use of color in the main living areas because I get visually overwhelmed easily. If I keep things neutral, I'm less likely to want to constantly redecorate.

Photos from @collectedhome:

Do you have a favourite piece in your home?

My most favorite purchased item is an Alexander Girard Environmental Enrichment Panel titled “Palace” and it currently hangs in our living room. We found it in an antique store on my birthday a few years ago. My husband took the day off work to go antiquing with me and I refused to leave the store without it. It was quite the splurge and one of the most expensive things we’ve purchased, but it was so worth it.

Do you have a favourite era or maker?

I would have to say late ‘60s to early ‘70s. I love color and designers were experimenting with every color under the sun then. I’ve always been a flower child and fully embraced the music and culture of the era, so it just made sense to decorate like it, too. I’m also a bit of a Christmas hoarder and my favorite items are from this era as well. I think it just boils down to color. The more color the better.

You haven’t been on the ranch all that long (and you have done so much already!), but what plans do you have for your home in the future?

We closed on October 19th last year and didn’t move in officially until Halloween. During that time the goal was to take our time and move things over one room at a time to minimize having to pack stuff and yeah, that didn’t happen. Before we were even moved all the way in, my husband was tearing apart the original kitchen (it was beyond repair.) So for the first 2 months of living here, we didn’t have a kitchen. It was SO HARD, but it made for an awesome Christmas present because we finished it on Christmas Eve. So far, we’ve gutted and replaced the kitchen, replaced all the flooring in the main living areas, replaced light fixtures, painted almost every room, added a deck and garden in the backyard, painted the entry, shutters, and garage, and removed a tree, so we are tired! 

The goals for the future are remodeling both bathrooms (they are hot messes,) painting all the ceilings and the back of the home that isn’t brick, and hopefully be able to fit both cars in the garage. 

Follow Nikki’s ranch on Instagram @64ranch and have a browse through her previous home @collectedhome

 Photo credits: All photos kindly provided by Nikki

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