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50’s Dream House Ready For Occupancy

September 12, 2023
50's era frame house with pink awnings

Take a Step Back in Time

Nestled in the West Haven neighborhood of Portsmouth, Virginia, is Carly Nino’s 50’s themed “Dream House”, a mid-century modern short-term rental house available through Air B&B that will transport you back in time. The details are incredible, from the pink awnings and perfectly manicured lawn, to the 50s Style Century Modern teal furniture, right down to the retro games and vintage dresses hanging in the closet. Carly explains “The house was built in 1951, and I have one of those brains that likes a thing to be what it is. I wanted to make the house look how it may have looked in the mid 50’s when the first original family was living there. I imagined a mom and a dad, a preteen or teenage daughter and a younger son. So I created it around that vision in my head, but I wanted it to really look like, of course with a few exceptions: a modern tv and some modern two women dressed in mid-century dresses laughing and drinking a Coke in a 50s era kitchenamenities to make it livable. but I wanted to make it feel and look like you had really stepped back in time, like that is how the house could have looked when the first family lived there.” I can’t get over the living room, with the teal davenport and afghan blanket with pink accent pillow inviting you to share a can of Diet-Rite or Coca Cola with a fellow housewife and talk about the casserole recipe that you are bringing to the neighborhood potluck that Sunday.

Spin Some Records

rotary dial telephone, turntable, and BB King albumThe retro feel of the 50’s isn’t lost here, with an authentic record player and specific albums carefully selected and collected with the 50’s Dream House theme in mind. It certainly wasn’t lost on the modern day North Carolina band, MKNLY, who recently filmed their hit single “Empty” music video at the 50’s Dream House. Carly said they tracked her down through her social media. She loves the “juxtaposition of the hard rock dudes with the backdrop of pink and green!”

collage of cat clock, 50s style oven with cookies on cookie sheet and bingo game

Get All Dolled Up

When booking the 50’s Dream House, know that the attention to detail is quite nifty! You can don an apron and whip up a meal that would impress the luckiest of dreamboats, entertain your main squeeze with your great board game skills while enjoying after dinner drinks, and take a call on the vintage rotary phone. Step into the cowboy room and find some Buffalo Bill memorabilia while you read the latest book “Roy Rogers and the Ghost two women sitting on 50s era couch dressed in 50s era attire.of the Mystery Rancho!” Choosing the decor for the cowboy room was inspired by Carly’s dad. “My dad was a big antique lover. He was born in 1950 and he loved cowboys growing up, so some of the things that were in the boy’s cowboy themed room were my dad’s when he was a kid or things that I know my dad loved when he was a kid like Roy Rogers and the cowboys. So it was kind of a fun thing to do, to think about him and think about how he would have enjoyed that. He passed away about ten years ago. I never really found my love for vintage and antiques until I hit my 30’s, really in the last five years, so it’s been really fun to see that. I don’t know if you are born with it, or if you just finally realize why your parents appreciated something as you get older. So, I had his love for vintage and antiques in my head when I was doing all this!”


Book the Weekend

Booking the 50’s Dream House for the weekend will surely be out of sight! Carly will ensure that your experience will be a true step back in time. While she does require a two night minimum, people have rented it for cute bridal showers or even reserved it for 3 to 6 months at a time, like traveling nurses. You reserve and enjoy this curated space by contacting Carly Niño directly at: 50sdreamhouse@gmail.com. Photo credits: Francesca of @757Airbnbs  Watch the full MKNLY video at YouTube.

Download this article direct from Canva!  Special thanks to the writer Sheila Janes.

 

Unique lodging opportunity in this 1950’s era home.



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