Kirsch Guide to Window Beauty 1961 Mid-Century Curtain Drapery Decorating Book Sturgis Michigan Retro Illustrations

This is the Kirsch Guide to Window Beauty, a 1961 mid-century decorating guide from the Kirsch Company of Sturgis, Michigan, with 95 pages of window treatments, room ideas, and how-to instructions.

The cover shows writing, stains, and wear, and the back cover is faded, but the inside pages are bright and full of lovely color illustrations.

Kirsch walks through every kind of window, from picture windows and corner windows to dormers and sliding glass doors, then every kind of house, from the ranch and split level to the Cape Cod and the apartment.

There are color charts, fabric facts, and step-by-step lessons for making curtains, draperies, and slipcovers, which makes it a treasure for anyone designing or restoring a mid-century home.

Details

• Item: Vintage home decorating guide
• Title: Kirsch Guide to Window Beauty
• Author: Kirsch Company
• Illustrator: Not confirmed from photos
• Publisher: Kirsch Company, Sturgis, Michigan
• Publication Year: 1961
• Edition and Printing: Not confirmed from photos
• Format and Binding: Softcover, stapled
• Dust Jacket: None, as issued
• Pages: 95
• Genre: Interior design, home decorating, sewing how-to
• Language: English
• ISBN: None
• Dimensions: 12 in x 8 in x 1/4 in

Condition Grade: Good

Positives

• Graded Good: This guide is complete and readable, with cover wear and markings, and every flaw is named here.
• The inside pages are bright, with crisp color illustrations of mid-century rooms and window styles.
• The table of contents runs from Ranch Windows and The Split Level House to How to Make Slipcovers.
• Pages shown include Corner Windows, New Beauty for the Older Home, and Bedrooms, Private Domains.
• The original 25 cent price is printed on the cover.

Issues / Wear

• A previous owner's name is written in cursive on the front cover, along with other pen writing and doodles.
• The front cover has a stain near the title, plus rubbing and edge wear.
• The back cover shows wear and fading.
• The table of contents page has a brown stain near the top.
• Page edges are toned with age.

Find more like this in our Vintage How To Books collection.

This 1961 Kirsch guide is a window into mid-century style, and it belongs with anyone giving a home that retro look. If it's the right copy for you, it's ready to come home.