178: Wait. That's Historic?

178: Wait. That's Historic?

From True Tales From Old Houses by Stacy Grinsfelder

March 9, 2026 · 52 min · Season 13 · Episode 178

About this episode

Stacy explores the 50-year rule in historic preservation, discusses mid-century restoration with guest Sarah, and visits the Kohler museum to see vintage bathroom colors.

Wait...that's historic? Stacy digs into the 50-year rule, talks mid-century restoration with Sarah from 1957 House Down South, and visits the Kohler museum to see those famous vintage bathroom colors in person. Wait. That's historic? At some point, the math catches up with us. In this episode, Stacy takes a look at the preservation benchmark often called the 50-year rule and what happens when houses and buildings many of us still think of as "modern" cross the threshold used to evaluate historic significance. Then, Sarah joins the show to talk about her mid-century modern home, which she calls 1957 House Down South. She shares how she found the house, its architectural history, and her meticulous process of restoring all the original features. Mid-century modern homes can be a tough sell. Some people think they're too modern to be historic, while others see them as hopelessly dated, but Sarah's love for MCM may shift that perspective. Finally, Stacy talks about her visit to the Kohler campus to explore the company's design museum and see some of Kohler's vintage bathroom fixtures in person, including the bold colors that once defined American bathrooms. If old house lovers have…

People in this episode

Host: Stacy

Guest: Sarah

Topics covered

  • historic preservation
  • mid-century modern
  • restoration
  • vintage bathroom fixtures

Keywords

  • 50-year rule
  • mid-century restoration
  • Kohler museum
  • vintage colors

Mentioned in this episode

Products: TRUETALES26, The Repaint Tray, The Repaint Tray's, Kohler bathroom fixtures

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