Do you use a land line still? They are a bit of a dying breed it seems. For years my husband and I used our cell phones as our primary numbers and we didn’t have a land line phone at all. Then when I opened up my decorating business a couple years ago, I had to get a fax machine (ridiculous in and of itself), which requires a land line. I surprised myself with how much I actually enjoy using the house phone. Crystal clear calls that never drop and it makes me feel all business-y and professional. :) The sad news is our phone is ugly, as seen here:
I really really want a vintage phone. They are just so dang cute. I know the cord situation is not all that practical, but I make 95% of the calls at my desk anyway. And when I say vintage, I mean vintage looking with modern wiring and parts. Something refurbished would be ideal for me, but if you’re up for a challenge, check eBay, etsy or local thrifts for inexpensive and truly vintage phones.
If there were no limitations, I’d spring for one of these pretties from Old Phone Works, favorite of big budget decorators like Miles Redd (in House Beautiful) and Nate Turner (in Domino).
These run between $200 and $300.
I am so crazy over this blue one. Is it possible for a phone cord to be chic? This one is.
Lindsey Coral Harper used a cute red phone in her bathroom.
This one ($50) looks nearly identical:
This red phone is pretty great (also available in black and chrome for around $50). I like that there are push buttons in the shape of a rotary. All that slow turning would get old. In fact, one of my earliest memories is watching my grandmother use the old ivory-colored rotary phone in her kitchen. I remember thinking it took a long time to get all those numbers dialed. Sure looked cool though!
I love this post, and couldn't agree more on how nice it is to use a conventional house phone after getting used to a cell phone. Great photos too!!!
I got rid of my adorable vintage wall phone…what LOUD ringer. I worried it would wake the neighbors!
I love these. What a cool accessory. Love the punch of color it adds.
LOL – All I can see is Batman and Robin kissing.
Until 2 years ago I had a vanilla colored version of the red push button phone at work. Not sure how old it was but since our desks were 1950's vintage that would be a safe bet.
That one red one reminds me of my dorm room phone in college. It was cream though. Yikes!!! That was not that long ago either. Scary…
With a phone like this it makes a call different.
I invite you to visit my store. I have some very affordable pricing models.
a great post! now you have me thinking….
-{darlene}
fieldstonehilldesign
We had that blue phone growing up! It took 20 minutes to dial a number… :) A friend has a cute one on the wall in her kitchen that she got from Pottery Barn a few years ago.
I love vintage phones. I went to this great B&B in Cape May this summer and they had this awesome phone in the cottage we stayed in. Here is the post of me "on the phone"
http://www.nesteaglerock.com/2010/06/congress-hall.html
I hear you! Modern phones are so ugly, and I so like things that I have to use all the time to at least look nice. I've had my eye on this one from anthropolgie for awhile, even though I can't justify the price or the inconvenience of rotary dialing to myself:
http://tinyurl.com/4ex8te7
I love these old fashioned styled phones, in fact I have been toying over the idea of buying one for a while now – decision made! P.S totally love your blog, one I visit daily – was particularly excited when I saw your post on the Ikea chest as I have one sitting in my spare room begging to be transformed – thanks for the inspiration.
I love these, but I haven't had a land line in over five years!! When I started my business and needed a fax, I just used e-fax (all you need is a scanner).
I love them. I can totally remember the first calls I made on the old rotary phone and just the whole aesthetic of the sounds and the waiting for it to come back to zero. I want one and I think like writing real letters we need to get back to the land line. Sitting in one spot, talking on our phone…how is that a novelty!?
Oops…I just left that comment as my husband!! I like the old phones….thought I am POSITIVE he would agree.
OMGOSH! I literally just told my husband last week, "I'm buying an old phone, I'm so sick of this ugly phone!" hahaha! I love this, thanks for the inspiration to just DO IT!
I'm all about the old vintage phones! I actually just ordered my own last week:
http://www.modcloth.com/Apartment/Gifts+Electronics/-Call-My-Direct-Line-Phone
Hopefully the quality meets my expectations!!
You can find one that looks exactly like the last one you posted at Pottery Barn! I've had mine for about six years now and I love love love it!
I have a vintage phone. Looks cool but an absolute pain to rotary dial.
Like many others, my parents still have their old phone, just like one of them pictured, and yes they still use it.
I also have the pottery barn desktop phone, but I got mine at the Downeast Outlet for less than $50!
There is another reason to get a landline, in a disaster these old analog phones take their power from the phone line itself. The portable digital phones need to be plugged in to a power source.
After the Christchurch earthquake the big New Zealand telecommmunications company advertised throughout NZ asking people to donate their old analog phones and help restore communications. The phones worked even if people didn't have mains power. It became even more apparent how important these phones are as the batteries in the mobile phones ran out and people were unable to recharge.