A VINTAGE-LOVER has spent $50,000 transforming her 'fixer-upper' home into a 1950s timewarp. From an early age, Rochelle, 26, from Phoenix, Arizona, has been interested in all things retro. Some of her happiest childhood memories are of trawling the aisles of antique stores with her mother. And as an adult, her love of the past continued to grow. In 2018, she and her husband Matt bought their first home together. The property had been built in 1957, but remodelled in the 1970s. Rochelle then spent the next 18 months - and $50,000 - restoring it to its original glory. Now, every appliance and piece of furniture in her home is vintage - as is her entire wardrobe. She concluded: "I would say I'm obsessed with vintage. It might be a little crazy, but it's fun."
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00:00 I'm a vintage girl wearing vintage clothes
00:02 at an antique mall, driving a vintage car.
00:04 I would say I'm pretty obsessed with vintage.
00:06 One of my most favorite items that I own
00:10 is probably the vintage sauna.
00:12 Elvis Presley actually had the exact same one.
00:15 I have a 1955 Dodge Royal Lancer
00:19 in a beautiful mint green color,
00:20 and she's my pride and joy. (laughs)
00:23 I definitely get a lot of conversations going
00:27 when I'm out in public.
00:28 The biggest controversial thing is that
00:31 because I live in a 50s home,
00:32 people automatically say I'm racist.
00:35 My grandfather was a news journalist in Detroit, Michigan.
00:43 He was able to interview all of old Hollywood stars,
00:48 Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, all of those,
00:51 and so my mother would always go along with him,
00:55 and actually the entryway wall to my home
00:58 is all of the original autographs
01:00 that my mother was able to get from that.
01:02 So I grew up with my mom always telling me stories
01:05 of meeting these old Hollywood stars,
01:08 and so that's really what started my love for vintage.
01:11 I'm specifically drawn to the 1950s era.
01:17 There's just something about the furniture,
01:20 the shapes of them, the colors that they used.
01:23 It was a very colorful era.
01:25 I'm just so drawn to all that.
01:26 When we were shopping for a house,
01:30 I knew I wanted a house that was built in the 50s,
01:34 so it had that history and charm.
01:37 So it took us a year and a half to do the entire house,
01:41 and that cost about $50,000. (laughs)
01:44 Everything in the house is 100% vintage.
01:48 So when we first moved into this home,
01:54 there was this little nook right off of the living room,
01:57 and it's kind of a unique setting,
02:00 but when I saw it, I immediately knew
02:03 I was gonna turn it into a tiki room.
02:06 I absolutely love Disneyland.
02:08 Disneyland has really influenced
02:11 my entire design for the house.
02:13 I would say one of my most favorite items that I own
02:18 is probably the vintage sauna that is behind me
02:21 because it's a really rare item to have,
02:24 and Elvis Presley actually had the exact same one.
02:28 I would say the sauna was the most expensive.
02:31 That was around $1,200,
02:33 but if we wanna talk most expensive, probably the car.
02:36 (laughs)
02:37 I have a 1955 Dodge Royal Lancer
02:41 in a beautiful mint green color,
02:42 and she's my pride and joy. (laughs)
02:45 I got that one for about 9,000.
02:47 My wardrobe is entirely vintage.
02:51 If you're gonna have a vintage house,
02:52 you have to dress accordingly.
02:54 (upbeat music)
02:57 There is this one dress that I found at an antique store
03:01 that I absolutely fell in love with.
03:03 It's a beautiful long blue gown.
03:05 So I love when I wear that dress.
03:08 It's a very special, rare item.
03:10 When my husband and I first got together,
03:14 he was more on the love for the vintage music and movies,
03:20 so when we merged together,
03:23 it was my love of the style and the decor,
03:26 and his was the music, the film, and the dancing.
03:30 All right, what am I doing?
03:31 - So you're gonna take this,
03:33 and pull it, and have it bend.
03:36 Just let it snap up.
03:38 - Wow, look at me.
03:38 Everyone thinks I love the housewife lifestyle,
03:42 and he's actually the one that does all the cooking.
03:46 I just think I have enough confidence in myself
03:49 with what I'm doing that no one can really tear me down.
03:53 Everyone's entitled to their own opinion,
03:54 and I'm entitled to my own opinion.
03:56 The biggest controversial thing is that
04:04 the '50s was not the greatest time politically,
04:07 and I realize that, and so the biggest thing is
04:10 because I live in a '50s home
04:12 that people automatically say I'm racist,
04:15 and I always say vintage style, not vintage values.
04:19 I just like the decor and the style,
04:21 but I do not agree with any of the
04:23 political values of the '50s.
04:25 So now we're going to my favorite antique store
04:33 called the Brass Armadillo,
04:34 which is really where my obsession
04:36 for vintage first started.
04:38 Let's go.
04:39 So my mom has been taking me to this antique mall
04:45 since I was a little girl,
04:47 and this is really what started
04:48 my love of vintage because she would take me
04:51 around this store and tell me all the history
04:53 of all the antique items I was looking at.
04:55 So let's go.
04:56 Now this is a really fun find.
05:09 It is a 1960s Cinderella cookie jar.
05:13 This would probably retail for about $100,
05:16 and it's only $25 here, so I say score.
05:19 All right, let's keep looking.
05:21 When I'm going shopping and I know that
05:33 there's a rack of clothes with vintage and modern,
05:35 I like to close my eyes and feel around,
05:37 and I can always pick out what is vintage
05:40 and what is modern clothing just by the feel of the fabric.
05:44 (upbeat music)
05:47 I'm very happy with what I got today.
05:50 I found something that's vintage Disney from the '60s.
05:54 It was only $25.
05:56 It's valued at $100, so I'd say that's a pretty good score.
05:59 I would say I'm obsessed with vintage.
06:02 I might be a little crazy. (laughs)
06:05 I absolutely believe I'll be living
06:07 the 1950s lifestyle forever.
06:09 (upbeat music)
06:11 (lion growling)