Back to the '50s

Jeff Ovik and Matt Rentsch had just moved into their 1952 rambler and were cleaning the blond oak buffet that came with it when they discovered a yellowed Better Homes and Gardens article about a model home. The house looked awfully familiar.

That's because their Robbinsdale home was a carbon copy of the model featured on the cover of the popular magazine. Discovering the history of their home was the icing on the cake for Ovik and Rentsch, who had bought the well-preserved rambler for its authentic 1950s qualities and were committed to returning it to its retro roots. The magazine gave them a template.

"Now we had a great resource to help us furnish all the rooms," Rentsch said.

Over the past two years, they've filled the three-bedroom house with mod furnishings, such as atomic sunburst clocks, Sputnik-inspired light fixtures and sculptural lamps topped with fiberglass shades. And they've continued to search for mid-20th-century modern pieces characterized by breezy colors, sleek shapes and what they consider the best design of the time.

"The 1950s was an exciting time with lots of scientific advancements," said Rentsch. "It was great how the designers transitioned the enthusiasm for science into everyday objects."

But the men choose their furnishings with care. "I want our home to look classy, not a cross between a rummage sale and Pee-wee's Playhouse," said Rentsch, who recently scored a Paul McCobb credenza that he's refinishing.

That means '50s kitsch is a no-no. One exception is the onion-shaped plastic salt and pepper shaker set Ovik bought Rentsch as a joke.

Ovik and Rentsch have gone beyond period decorating, but they haven't done any renovations. Instead they've tackled a few minor restorations -- such as tearing out the dated 1980s bathroom vanity and installing a seafoam-green sink that matches the original bathtub.

A learned love

Ovik grew up in a 1970s ranch-style home in Mora, Minn., but he loved his mother's '50s turquoise metallic weave couch and coveted his sister's red vinyl and chrome kitchen table set. So about 10 years ago, he started his own 1950s revival, picking up pieces here and there, but so many of his finds seemed out of place in his 1920s Craftsman home.

Rentsch, on the other hand, was an Arts and Crafts enthusiast who gradually started to appreciate midcentury mod when Ovik would show off his latest buy. "I was indifferent to retro," said Rentsch. "But then I noticed a lot of it has good design."

By the time the men decided to buy a house, they had two requirements: It had to be built between 1950 and 1960 and it had to be without major "updating."

"We didn't want to pay for a house that we would have to undo updates to bring it back to its original condition," Ovik said.

They were immediately sold on the Robbinsdale rambler's contemporary design and unconventional open floor plan. The large picture window in the living room faced the side yard rather than the front, and the garage was attached to the side of the house. It also had unique features, including stonework inside and outside, a breakfast bar and a 1950s version of a built-in entertainment center in the spacious living room. Best of all, it was relatively untouched.

"It was an original piece that was waiting for us to clean up and preserve," Rentsch said.

"Clean up" meant cosmetic improvements that included tearing out the 1970s rust shag carpeting, painting every room and replacing tarnished light fixtures. They based the home's color palette on cues from the original decor: pink, turquoise, gray and yellow with chrome finishes.

Old is new

Most homeowners are eager to update older kitchens and outfit them with all the latest appliances. Ovik and Reutsch did just the opposite. They replaced a two-year-old refrigerator with a pink 1960 Frigidaire Imperial they scored on Craigslist. It was a perfect fit with the vintage Western Holly wall oven that still worked and the original green Formica countertops edged with chrome. The '50s vibe is alive in every other room with a mix of big and little period pieces, ranging from knickknacks to a blond oak stereo, still carrying its Gabberts tag.

The duo continue the hunt for 1950s furnishings that they feel make a statement. "I like having a household unlike everyone else's," Rentsch said.

And they've looked beyond that copy of Better Homes and Gardens for design inspiration. They have a subscription to Atomic Ranch, a magazine for ranch house fans, and they regularly watch TV shows such as "Bewitched" on DVD. "We watch it not for the show, but for the decorated sets and kitchen gadgets," Ovik said.

Ovik and Rentsch see the restoration of their rambler as more than a design decision.

"Not only do we have fun searching for and saving these cool things," said Rentsch. "We've given them a second life in our daily use. The bonus is that it's green living."

Lynn Underwood • 612-673-7619