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!
love it! I was so startled to scroll down and see my cousin's bathroom. "Hey, that's my grandma in that photo!" Lindsey has fabulous taste :)
OMG…i had the exact same orange phone in the second image..one I wouldn't shy of putting in the living room…really an excellent decor prop….you don't want to know how it met its end..i truly regret the loss :(
I know they're kind of lame, but Pottery Barn makes a cordless vintage-looking phone (and a corded one). It looks just like a black old fashioned phone, except it has a tiny little antenna and no cord.
I am with you! I have always wanted a vintage phone in my house. When we get a land line, I might just spring for that cute blue one. :)
Please tell me your desk isn't always that neat. . .
Love the idea of the vintage phone. I would definitely get the kind with numbers you punch :)
My BFF put a vintage phone in the man cave. The kids get a kick out of the rotary dial aspect of it. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
Those phones are so cute. We don't have a land line at this point. I wish we did though. Good luck finding the perfect one.
I was just looking for a corded phone! We just went back to a land line after so many years without one. The red one is my favorite and it's going in the man cave as well. Thanks for posting all these great options!
I had the same style as those, only baby pink in my room growing up…it was old then, but still loved the color…Hmmm, my Mom and Dad keep everything! Wonder if they still have?
juliesfreshperspectives.blogspot.com
What fun to think this is old school.Hate the land line price every month.
I've also been enamored by these vintage phone. I even posted about it on my blog about a year ago
http://decoriadore.blogspot.com/search?q=hola+nostalgia
I haven't found nice ones in any of my local thrift stores though :(.
My 13-year-old daughter was standing behind me while I read your blog, and asked, "Is that a real phone?" Too funny!
They are so cool. My mom's first phone (when she was a teenager) was just like that, but pastel pink. She still has it. Perhaps I will sneak it home next time I visit!
love the bottom red phone, but if you're used to cradling the handset between your head and shoulder, watch out for the pointy ones like this. they're very difficult to cradle! (experience speaking!)
We had a brown phone like that growing up!
We had that red phone growing up! The calls were always much better sounding, and there is something so nice about holding a sturdy phone in your hand!
Remember the first cell phones? Mine came in a big carrying box!
Have you ever seen this website? It has several vintage phone options for under $75 bucks! Including a fabulous SILVER and RED option.
http://www.everythingofficefurniture.com/retro-phones.html#axzz1G1E4nQKf
Or this precious red one from urban outfitters for $48!
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=18795047&pushId=A_ENT_ELECTRONICS_PHONE&popId=APARTMENT_MEDIA&navCount=45&navAction=poppushpush&itemCount=80&itemdescription=true&parentid=A_ENT_ELECTRONICS_PHONE&startValue=1&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,
love your blog!
I have your same {ugly} phone! We also have a vintage looking corded phone on the wall of our kitchen. After searching seemingly everywhere, I found online at Target.
I've always had a land line. I don't think I can give it up. And I found a cool old red phone for my kitchen:
http://ellenpatton.blogspot.com/2009/11/call-waiting.html
Very cute phones! I remember learning to dial from a rotary phone & recently found the vintage FP tag along phone for my kids to "practice" on – thanks for the great links to get a "real" old phone!
My aunt still has (and uses!) her rotary phone. It's really cute but it really does take forever to dial a number!
love it!
i found a cute donut phone at my local d.i. and it sits in our kitchen.
seen here:
http://thriftstoregal.blogspot.com/2009/10/donut-phone.html
we call it the bat phone!
I have not had a land line in years but I do love the look of that red phone.
My mom has an old black rotary phone I was going to appropriate – but I think I'd still have to have a cordless somewhere else for the "Press 1 for English" option menus.
Pottery barn used to have some beautiful ones and I still use one just for decor. It isn't connected go anything.
I still use a land line. I had a "vintage" looking phone from pottery barn, but broke it – just have plain old cordless phones now. Love all the colorful ones featured today!
http://covetdujour.blogspot.com/2011/03/mmc-giveaway.html
I still use a land line. I had a "vintage" looking phone from pottery barn, but broke it – just have plain old cordless phones now. Love all the colorful ones featured today!
http://covetdujour.blogspot.com/2011/03/mmc-giveaway.html
I adore the orange phone. It is so much cuter than the cradle phones!!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
These phones are so fantastic! We have an old white one (cream, maybe, not white) that we use as a bookend…it has the commodore logo on it!
Jenny, I have a black Pottery Barn vintage phone I would be willing to sell you (we don't have a land line so it's been in the closet for two years after only being used for about one year…)
Email me if you are interested.
Doris in Des Moines
We have an old school rotary phone in yellow in our kitchen. I love the phone! The old ring is so much fun, but our dog hates the ring! lol
The things I would do for one of those in orange :) Loved this post Jenny!
We haven't had a home phone in years. I do love the look of these though, great decoration for sure.
We have a rewired black bake-a-lite vintage phone in our kitchen..The old ringer still works, when it rang for the first time I remember it reminded me of that old horror movie from my pre-teen years, where the phone rings and the creepy voice on the other end rasps "Are you alone in the house?". If you get a vintage phone you will not want it too close to your girls' rooms at naptime as the ringer bells are very loud with no button to turn down the volume :) .
I have a new old phone, I love the look of it. My only hang up (hehe) is not having caller ID on it. Does anyone have a solution to this issue? Or am I the only one concerned about it? :)
Glad I'm not the only one who loves a land line! Big bonus – I can balance it on my shoulder while chit chat – doesn't work so well with my teeny tiny cell (and I hate my blue tooth).
My grandparent's had a candle stick phone – it was way too cool – I wish I had it now!
I was just looking for an phone at the flea market the other day. Wanting something pretty for my desk too. I've got a blue one on the brain too. I'll let you know if I come across anything.
xo Trina
Growing up we had a green wall hung rotary kitchen phone and a black desk top rotary phone in my parents bedroom. Some of my friends got their own bedroom phone when they were older but not me. Cut to a few years ago when the retro phones came out, I got myself a yellow princess phone. I loved it until I had to use it. Waiting for the dial to return kills me and I can't tell you how may times I pulled it off my nightstand. I now have a second cordless phone in my bedroom but I love looking at my childhood dream of a phone.
This a "internet phone" but looks like vintage. I have it and i love it!
It's called Hulger- http://www.hulgershop.com/view?product=p_phone_usb_base_white
Wow! We have loved your blog for a long time since your style is so closely matched to ours — but when we saw this post, well, we just had to comment! Our blog's logo is an old fashioned phone because we each have one in the same color and adore them! Check it out here: http://www.75thandsedgwick.com/ and the little explanation about the phone in our "About Us": http://www.75thandsedgwick.com/p/about-us.html
We love the look, obviously, and highly recommend it!
Thanks for great daily entertainment and inspiration!
Your fans!
Blythe + Deweese
I love vintage phones, I wish I could change mine too. Pottery Barn has these silver and black vintage phones that I really like. Someday…
I love that one at the bottom…makes it easier to use, but looks so awesome!
I have an old rotary phone that I used until a few years ago. Now I have it out for the kids to play with. I miss it though, it's so much more comfortable to use.
Just found your blog and I love it! You are on my link list, now.
You are also on my blog today! I posted about wallpaper and linked to your posts about kitchen wallpaper and your happy tape wallpaper alternative. Thanks for the great ideas!
What timing! I was just saying this morning that I'd like an old-school wall phone — so I would always know where one phone is. Functional and fashionable–isn't that the perfect mix?
i'd go for the red retro phone for $42.50, it's super cute and stylish and such a deal.
I have the black Pottery Barn desktop phone in my home office, as well as a PB wall-hung phone in the kitchen. They are NOT lame, and I love them!
A while ago I bought one of these phones at pottery barn of all places..
check it out…..
http://amberinteriordesign.blogspot.com/2011/02/just-cause-its-purty.html
My grandpa has a phone just like that. But I am pretty dang sure he didn't spend $200 to $300 for his…
I bought the Crosley phone, vintage look, modern parts. PIECE OF JUNK. I have had it for less than a year & can hear a thing. Rattles like the parts on the inside are not hooked it. It is cheap plastic and the chrome parts, are chrome plated plastic too. I was SO sad. I keep it there because I love the red, but we never can answer it if we plan on having a conversation.