After looking through all 234 vintage small appliances in our recent uploader — I noticed that the readers of this blog have some pretty awesome mixers. Hand mixers and stand mixers in every color, shape and size seemed to pop up time and time again. I was really amazed at the great condition of the mixers — like this impressive Westinghouse Food Mixer that appears to be “brand new in box” from reader Mid Century Living.

Hand Mixers

Mixers seem to be one of those small appliances that are very collectible — just check out Wendy’s collection of GE M-47s — looks like she has one in every color. I love that these old mixers have model names as if they are weapons in a James Bond movie. Like: “You can run but you cannot hide, Mamie Eisenhower’s Million Dollar Fudge, now that I’m packing a new GE M-47.”

Christa C.’s aqua GE hand mixer may be the same style as Wendy’s collection — what a good looking piece of machinery.

Above: Here’s another aqua beauty — a NOS GE hand mixer from readers Rob and Monica.

Above: Reader Elisabeth scored this avocado GE hand mixer at a thrift store for a mere $7 — she says it works like new. That said: Pam warns that she once got a nasty shock from a vintage pink mixer; you know our standard warning: Consult with a properly licensed professional when it comes to assessing old wiring so that you can make informed decisions.

Above: Here’s a fancy chrome-lined Sunbeam mixer from reader Mary.

Vintage Stand Mixers

Though hand mixers are more compact and easy to store — it appears to be just as tempting to collect full sized stand mixers. If you can’t decide which variety you like more — be like reader Laurie and collect them both. Laurie warns that once you start it is hard to stop collecting vintage mixers.

Above: Reader Claire must have the same addiction — she has so many stand mixers that she has had to start coming up with new uses for them. See that mixer under the window? It’s bowl is a home for a houseplant. Very clever, Claire.

Above: Reader Ima Pam must have a lot of holiday baking to do — look at all those ingredients. Was she unable to decide if she wanted a new mixer or an old mixer — or does she have two because that’s what it takes to get all the baking done?

I just love Wendy’s pink mixer above — along with the matching radio and retro kitties. Apparently the pink vintage Sunbeam mixer was a bridal shower gift from a family friend, who dug it out of her attic when she discovered Wendy was planning to have a pink kitchen. How thoughtful.

Here’s another lovely aqua Sunbeam mixer — relaxing on the baker’s shelf between jobs with its BFF, the beehive chrome Oster blender. Oh the life…

The mixer above is an amazing relic of early 20th century kitchens: Claire’s Fitzgerald Magic Maid — circa 1920-1930. This guy was definitely made to get the job done. Just look at those attachments — including the jadeite bowl and juicer. I know that jadeite fans will love this one.

Lastly, the mixer above is my favorite of the bunch. Why? Because this mixer has family history. Reader Saundra A.’s Mom is the baby on the counter in the prized family photo. See that white stand mixer behind her? That is the same mixer pictured sitting on Saundra A.’s stove. Not only did Saundra A. love and keep the 1952 mixer — but she says it also still works like a charm. Now that’s my kind of family heirloom.

A super huge thanks to all the readers who participated in our small appliance uploader.

Just when we thought we had seen every color of vintage St. Charles metal kitchen cabinets here on Retro Renovation, this set showed up. Purple — yes purple — and walnut 1970s St. Charles kitchen cabinets on the Detroit metro Craigslist. Special thanks to seller Ken for granting us permission us feature these photos on the blog and for our archivapalooza of vintage steel kitchen cabinets.

The Craigslist ad states:

I am selling a full 19 piece set of St. Charles Steel Cabinets with island. The cabinets were produced in 1970 and finished in purple paint and some cabinets have a walnut veneer, which is original, with a purple or white interior. The kitchen is arranged in a “L” shape and has an island. The lower cabinets that are 28.5″ high x 24″ deep. The sink wall has cabinets with the following widths, 28″, 24″ (with drawer), 15.5″(3 drawer base), 18″(3 pull outs) and two 34.5″ tall cabinets with width 18″(pull out trash, divided drawer, butcher block), and 44″(lower pull out). The range wall has cabinets with the following widths, 22″(2 lazy Susans), 21″(4 drawer), 28″(range cabinet). The island cabinets are all purple and 34.5″ high; they are 15″, 30″ and 15″ wide, respectively. The sink wall has 5 upper cabinets; all are 12″ deep, 4 are 36″ high with widths 42″, 42″, 42″, 21″. The over sink cabinet is 24″ high and 33″ wide. The range wall has two upper cabinets with widths 33″ and 21″. I also have a St. Charles bath vanity [Retro Renovation emphasis] with three cabinets and a bar with 2 cabinets.

I can include a matching double oven with the sale, it is dated but in working order. There is also a matching Sub Zero refrigerator for sale in the craigslist appliance section for $3250. The price will be discounted if you are interested in purchasing both items.

Pam says she has never seen purple metal kitchen cabinets in the flesh. The only mention of purple (spring violet to be exact) St. Charles kitchen cabinets she’s ever seen was an illustration in their 1957 brochure from the post St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets: A look at their line circa 1957. Pam does not have any later catalogs in her hoard collection, though…

There are so many built in organizers, lazy susans, pull out drawer inserts and even a pull out garbage bin in this set. Whoever ends up putting these cabinets into their kitchen will be very organized.

We have seen this style of wall cabinet a couple of times before — for example, a huge set here. We would guess these doors are very high quality… but then, St. Charles was the creme de la creme.

The original manufacturer’s care instructions are still attached to these cabinets — it looks like the owners have heeded this advice. This set looks to be in very good condition.

Here is a genius idea from reader Robin, which I spotted over on our Facebook page: She had a standing kitchen island with a tile top that she didn’t much care for. She spotted a vintage metal table with an appealing metal table top… disassembled it from the legs… and put it onto the kitchen island. How easy!  I see these vintage metal tables now and again — often very cheap — often very very charming — and they are a really nice, workable size — but I don’t have much use for another 29″ high table. But as a standing work space? Heck yeah. In fact, now I am going to keep an eye out for a metal table/tabletop that I can use as a counter top in my continuing-to-evolve office / crafting room. Very ingenius, Robin — thank you for sharing!

Robin said:

This small island came with the house and had small seashell designed tiles. (We are nowhere near the beach). So I found this table, with legs in sorry condition, on Craig’s List. Now I don’t mind putting food on it, as it is a snap to clean versus the grouted tile.

There’s a big payoff for blogging day in, day out, for more than five years: You see a lot of stuff. My archives are just brimming with all kinds of rare features found in midcentury American homes. I was thinking, “Golly, I’ve seen quite a few very interesting vintage kitchen sinks,” so I decided to go through my archives and see what I could find. And find, I did. Here are nine ten vintage kitchen sinks — some are super rare, as in one siting in five years… others are a bit more common (although still rare in the grand scheme of things)… all are delightful. Although: Beware, surely, of those sinks that put water and electricity seemingly way too close together. First up:

• Youngstown Servi-Center –  Very very rare, I think. We have only ever seen one.

• Elkay Stainless Steel Console — Also just one spotting in the wild.

• Tappan Ultraflo kitchen sink: Woot!!! zzzzzzzappppppp. NOT! I have never seen this sink still extant, in the wild.

• American Standard “Midway” sink – Porcelain drainboard sink — built like a kitchen island.  Circa 1954 image. We have never seen one of these in the wild — only in this advertisement.

• Added Dec. 3: I just spotted this in an old story — a vintage Elkay (I’m guessing) similar to the American Standard Midway — but in stainless steel. Originally spotted in the Corbett House.

• Kitchen drainboard sink with integrated top-loading dishwasher — These units from Youngstown (and maybe other makers) were not super-rare. But still coolio to the max.

 NO PHOTO AVAILABLE, DRATS!

• GE Wonder Kitchen — I don’t have a photo of one. I must go lookie. We also have seen “Hotpoint Wonderline” kitchens — same exact idea, and may be pretty much the same design — just rebranded — since at some point GE owned Hotpoint.

• American Brand drainboard sink — Not so easy to see in this particular photo, but the faucet is designed to fit into a specifically designed niche. You can still get the replacement faucet for this sink today. I get the original reader question on this… I point them to the resource… and they are amazed. I am amazed.

• American Standard Fiesta Sink — Came in a variety of colors and bowl configurations.

• Ebco kitchen sink with two bowl shapes — I have only ever seen one vintage kitchen sink like this, combining one square bowl and one round bowl. Sold for $150 at Historic House Parts.

Would you like to see a bunch more “typical” vintage kitchen sinks? How about these 15 vintage sinks from Kohler:

Do you know of more examples of rare kitchen sinks?
If ‘yes’, I would LOVE to see them and add them to our archive!

Look at this rare and lovely prettiness: A porcelain enamel table top — New Old Stock — manufactured in August 1947 — painted with lovely brown scallops and green tulips over a creamy faux bois background. I don’t have the back story, but I do have permission to publish the photos of this marvelous ebay listing currently under way.

You will recall, I just recently published reader Robin’s genius idea to repurpose table tops like these as kitchen islands or whatnot.

Don’t think I didn’t contemplate keeping this find all to my evil grabby self, to use somehow in my office, where I am still assembling counter top areas.

Lucky for somebody else maybe, I am not in the spendy mood right now.

Listing says:

…a Vintage New (NOS) NEVER USED Porcelain Enamel Table Top GREAT BROWN & GREEN WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE TULIPS.  It was found in the original shipping box from Sears and Roebuck THE BOX WAS ALL DRYED OUT SO IT WAS TOSSED.  This table top measures 42×32 LEAFS ARE 12X32. IT HAS NO DAMAGE NO DINGS BREAKS OR REPAIRS. There is a sticker on the white table part that says ” Stainless Porcelain Enamel Vitreo, Vitreous Steel Products Steel Co, Cleveland, Ohio.  There is another sticker that says Genuine Porcelain Enamel, The Lifetime Finish.

Note, the sticker on the front indicates the table top was made by Kuehne Khrome, which calls this a Kuehne Art Kraft Porcelain Top.

Who wants it?

One of our resolutions for 2013 here on Retro Renovation is to start featuring more fabulous vintage home improvement catalogs — featuring kitchens, bathrooms, decorating, light fixtures, house plans — the list goes on. What better place to start this new series than with a fantastic 1958 kitchen catalog from Sears — with 32 pages of great information and style — oh if only we could still order from this catalog. The optimistic color combinations and fun designs will have you wishing that one of these kitchens could magically appear in your own home.

So many of the kitchen plans featured in this catalog have such a cheery feeling to them. The cover image shown above illustrates how happy the inhabitants of the house are with their Sears kitchen — and why wouldn’t they be? A lovely yellow cast iron sink surrounded by a charming dotted laminate counter — greenery sprinkled around the kitchen — and of course that comfortable custom yellow booth seating that they are so enjoying.

Check out this lovely yellow and mint green duo. The before and after illustrations are fun to see. The storage space that was added alone — what a life saver. The counter top and flooring are a great pair — and I like how they matched the refrigerator to the cabinets and the stove and oven with the tile backsplash. My only question — what happened to the cat?

The natural birch kitchen above is warm and inviting. It even has a dish washer. My favorite part — that linoleum floor — I bet that wouldn’t show any fur balls and the inlaid border makes it feel special.

Here’s another vibrant kitchen — with a fun floor pattern that coordinates with the wallpapered soffits — yum. I’m not sure where they stashed the fridge in this kitchen, but the rounded knick knack shelving around the windows and at the end of the cabinets makes me cease to care. This would be such a great kitchen for entertaining — with the open plan and the cook top in the middle of the room, it would be so easy to simultaneously cook and socialize with party guests.

Another great layout for entertaining is this “attractive fir kitchen” with breakfast bar. Can you just imagine having your morning coffee and cereal at the breakfast bar, while gazing out the strategically placed window as the morning light filters in? Pure bliss.

Or how about this sunny space — with its warm wood and lemon yellow color scheme. The argyle-esque wallpaper on the soffit coordinates so well with the window treatments and the upholstery on the stool. The interior designers and graphic designers sure were able to have a lot of fun in 1950s kitchens — so many of the kitchens in this catalog give us a primer on how to combine real pattern and real color beautifully.

Here’s a classic white and red kitchen to consider — with the addition of several other colors — blue, green, and yellow. There is a lot of color in this space, but it all works together so well — which just goes to show you how versatile white kitchen cabinets can be. I for one, would have never thought to put a deep blue floor in my kitchen — but in this case it really does make the room.

Of course the colorful steel kitchen above is my favorite of the bunch — hey, it’s pink –what did you expect? But for those who prefer mint or yellow, Sears has you covered. What I wouldn’t give for pink cabinets with matching pink appliances. The dark, monochromatic patterned linoleum floor and the cracked ice laminate counter top edged with metal really set off the light rosy pink. Just heavenly.

Here’s a yummy kelley green booth with matching cracked ice, steel rimmed laminate table top — perfectly nestled under the windowsill full of lush, green plants. The fern printed curtains add to the greenery theme.

This Sears kitchen catalog even has illustrations to help you choose the perfect laminate counter top for you kitchen — if only we had these bright and colorful options today instead of the sea of greige “Graveyard of the Atlantic” colors that currently fill the market. One can dream, right?

Heck, you could even get a matching cast iron sink (I’ll take pink, please) complete with hudee ring.

If you’d like to ogle all 32 pages of this vintage Sears kitchen catalog, check out the gallery below — it contains a wealth of information on cabinet sizes and kitchen layouts and is chock-a-block with great vintage illustrations — which we’ve inserted at even larger sizes. Which kitchen would you choose?

Thanks to archive.org for featuring this catalog.

Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:

Stacia and her husband recently built the “retro modern farm house of their dreams.” We first met her when we featured her Easylux storage unit.  Now, she has sent us photos of her fabulous, custom made stainless steel counter top with integrated drainboard sink. The sink and counter top initially installed in the kitchen were problematic, Stacia explains. She wanted a counter top and sink that not only wouldn’t stain or leak, but also, one with appropriate vintage style.  Could this be the best of both worlds?

Stacia writes:

I thought you might be interested in our new stainless steel sink/counter combo we installed over the last couple of days. Even though our house is only a couple of years old, we had some issues with the sink and counter we originally installed, and they needed to be replaced. I originally bought a black “granite” composite sink, and we began getting hard water stains on it immediately. We have a water softener, but the kitchen sink is the one place it doesn’t run to. It was also easily stained by stuff like coffee and berry juice. I could keep up with rinsing and cleaning away foods that would stain, but the hard water was impossible. We also had other problems with alignment of the laminate backsplash and some faulty caulk that wasn’t watertight from the beginning, so mold was seeping in.

When we designed the kitchen, and the whole house really, we tried to keep our focus on what we wanted, not what various designers, retailers, etc. felt was trendy or necessary. I’ve always liked the utility and affordability of Formica so we went with that. Giant stainless steel range exhaust fans were pushed at us, but we found one that is restaurant-grade and flat-to-the-ceiling (far more affordable and doesn’t block the view of the rest of the room). Everyone had a tile backsplash, but we didn’t feel the need for that. I wanted and got the maple cabinetry, as well as a floor plan with lots of storage but a very tight work triangle.

What I also really wanted when we built the house was a big metal sink with a drain board. I started by looking at restaurant supply stores online, but that wouldn’t work with our cabinetry. No other place carried such sinks in our area, and going the special order route seemed overwhelming when we were already building a custom house with thousands of other decisions to make. So when I needed to replace the original sink, I had the time to go back to the stainless idea and look at everything I could find, from Ikea to Elkay to having one fabricated nearby. I had by then discovered your site, and read the articles about sinks there. For many reasons, the pre-made choices were not going to work right for us, and the metal fabricator I contacted could do counters but not the sink.

Then I found specialtystainless.com. They are located in Buffalo, New York, and completely custom make whatever you need. They have a calculator on their site that shows the costs right up front. I think they are very competitively priced too. I bugged them for months asking them to bid the project in many different ways, and they were always patient and helpful. We ended up replacing the entire 12-foot-long counter, complete with integrated backsplash and large drainboard sink, for right at $4,000 including shipping halfway across the country in a very impressive crate. And 16-gauge steel too!

My husband hired a local handyman to help him install it, which only cost another $85. I know $4,000 is a lot of money, but for what we got it is a great deal if you compare it to other stainless options especially. All our other counters are inexpensive Formica, so this is the only high-cost item in our kitchen (besides the cabinets themselves, I guess) and just adds a layer of luxury and utility and sparkle to our kitchen. We are super pleased with the result.

I probably would have ended up in a retro house since my husband and I have collected mid-century furniture and household stuff ever since we started dating nearly 25 years ago. But we wanted to live in the country and had some acreage we bought a few years ago and decided to build. The result is a farmhouse with mid-century sensibilities. I kept asking the carpenter who did the trim, “Can you make it more plain?” We wanted clean lines, lots of light, and quality over quantity. I’ve always felt like a bit of a lurker on Retro Renovation since I don’t have an old house, but so much of the site is valuable even if you are not renovating. It is a fantastic resource. Thanks for the inspiration!

Stacia — your counter/sink combo is fabulous. Pam says that she is sure that if she shows her husband your sink and counter top, he will want one, too — these are so darn utilitarian and will last forever.

Kudos to you and your husband for building your dream house — working to see beyond what is “trendy” today — and rather, to create a style that you will love an enjoy for many years to come. In my opinion — it is always worth splurging a little for high quality elements that will stand the test of time and also make you smile. This is especially true for high use areas like counter tops and sinks that take daily abuse — and which you use a lot, every day. Many thanks for giving us the details about your custom stainless steel counter top and drainboard sink — and for inviting us into your lovely home.

Our recent story on Stacia’s one-piece, custom kitchen stainless steel sink and counter top reminded us about just how many stories we’ve covered on stainless steel counter tops here on Retro Renovation. This topic was begging for a round up — so without further adieu — here are 5 ideas for how to incorporate a stainless steel counter top in your mid century kitchen.

Above: #1 — Completely custom, all one piece, including integral sink: That’s what Stacia ordered.

#2 — DIY stainless steel counter to with drop-in sink — Remember reader Linn’s fabulous DIY stainless steel counter top — that she installed herself saving thousands of dollars? She used a drop in stainless sink along with her custom counter instead of a custom one piece like Stacia. Linn even has very detailed instructions showing how to install a stainless steel counter top and save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars over on her blog The Home Project.

#3 — Elkay stainless steel drainboard sinks. Of course — being the researcher she is — Pam found that you can still buy 8 different kinds of new Elkay Lustertone drainboard sinks for your mid century kitchen remodel. These tend to be a bit on the pricey side so save your pennies — or you can always try to hunt down a vintage Elkay sink to save some big money.

We can even see one of these new Elkay sinks in action — thanks to reader Joe’s sink project. Joe replaced his badly worn porcelain drainboard sink — which had already had one failed resurfacing attempt — with a new Elkay stainless steel drainboard sink. The results are just stunning.

#4 — Ikea stainless steel drainboard. For those who are trying to replace their kitchen drainboard sinks on the cheap and cheerful, why not try Ikea’s line of BOHOLMEN stainless steel sinks. A cross between modern and retro — with an affordable price tag. But, you will need to mount the faucet in the counter top (not a good idea if you have laminate) or on the backsplash.

#5 — Edge flat stainless steel with stainless steel edging. And yes, even Pam has incorporated stainless steel counter top into her kitchen — as she shows us in her counter top video. The stainless steel segment starts at minute 5:00.

So there you have it — 5 great ideas to incorporate a little bit of retro appropriate bling (in the form of stainless steel) — into your kitchen countertop.

Of course, even if you don’t want a stainless steel counter top, you can consider a stainless steel sink. Yes, they did them in the way back time machine mid century days. One of our all-time favorite kitchen woddities: the fabulous Elkay stainless steel kitchen Console with built in florescent light. Water + electricity? A shocking combination for sure — watch out!

See all our stories about ideas for retro kitchen counter tops here.

When I wrote an ode to kitchen tables a while back, we had a dinette uploader — but that was three+ years ago — and the blog has a gazillion more readers now. So let’s see what ya got, folks! The first uploader of the year is ON — take some photos and upload them this weekend. We’ll follow up by spotlighting 10-12 of your dinette beauties next week. It’s super easy to contribute a photo — read on –>

Upload photos of your vintage dinette — below… Tips:

• Be a Michelangelo and show your dinette in the best light — have fun! — see Kate’s quick tutorial here “6 tips to take great photos of your room”
• (1) Uploader DOES work but message you get on screen *may be* funky and confusing. Upload ONCE and trust the image it there — I just need to “set new photos free” from my control panel and will be checking throughout the weekend to do so.
• (2) Terms of Use apply.
  

Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:

Remember Prince’s “Little Red Corvette”? Well, get that tune in your head and instead, let’s sing “Little Red Dinette”. Readers recently uploaded 217 vintage dinette sets  — and what become very clear, very fast, was the amazing diversity of kitchen dinette designs and colors there were back in the day. In this first followup story, we illustrate this idea with red, red and more red dinette sets — it’s kind of epic, actually — 23 red dinette, in all, and there were even more in the uploader. Continue on, and join us in taking a look at the diversity of these styles — inlaid laminate table tops, solids, and the earlier-model porcelainenamel metal tops…. dinette chairs… and cool upholstery, too. What inventiveness! What charm! What cheer!

Red dinette sets with inlaid laminate table tops

Could a vintage red dinette get any sweeter than this little package — all tied up with an inlaid bow. So sweet. This dinette set looks great in Lori’s pastel kitchen.

This curved inlay design on reader Dianna’s dinette top is more minimalistic (which may be why I adore this particular set). Another favorite part is how the backs of the chairs curve to match the table top inlay — and are also lined with red to mirror the table top. Now that’s good design.

Tables with one central leg like the one above are particularly desirable if you are trying to squeeze a lot of chairs around the table — perhaps for a game of cards? Not only does this table have a wonderful apple design inlaid on the top, but the thick red cracked ice sides have a fun diamond stud design — which really makes this table special.

Here’s another whimsical inlaid design — with tulips — paired with light grey cracked ice chairs and one wildcard yellow chair to complete the set. (Is the extension from a different table, we wonder?)

Hey, here’s the same table top design paired with red chairs and some plaid wild card chairs for a completely different overall look. It just goes to show you how versatile these colorful dinette sets can be. Nicely staged photo!

This bold, graphic table top design is well complemented by the red and white upholstered chairs trimmed with white piping. Nice!

Here’s another sweet inlay — which reminds me of a doily draped off the sides of the table. The design on this table goes very well with the curtains in the background, don’t you think?

This cracked ice leaf pattern within the grey stripe makes this tiny table feel longer than it actually is — a great visual trick for a cute little table set.

And hark — is that plaid — paired with some fancy two toned grey and red cracked ice chairs? When will they be serving the apple pie?

Solid color dinette sets

This cute little red dinette looks like it may be square — and that it just fits into this corner of reader Becky from Iowa’s kitchen, just a wee babe with two matching chairs.

Reader Uncle Atom has a dinette with some very unusual legs on both the table and the chairs. Don’t you also dig the chair backs and that extra wide chrome rim around the table edge?

Reader Jamie_abe confessed that their dinette is not vintage — but that doesn’t make it any less adorable. It must be the showpiece of their pale blue and white kitchen — sitting next to their polka dot curtains. Jamie, where did you find this? We need to identify resources for quality reproductions.

The compact dinette above is very pleasing to the eye — with rounded seat backs, curved chair and table legs and rounded corners. There is even an accompanying Cosco step stool parked over in the corner. Together with the wallpapered accent wall and the decor — this is a charming vintage country kitchen.

Another favorite of this round up — this dinette from Brian and Keri’s kitchen — love those atomic starburst vinyl chairs! The set really pops off the electric blue wall and you can see how much this table is loved by the mirror finish on the chrome.

The rounded table in this reader’s set coordinates well with the rounded end of the cabinet — and adds just enough red to liven up a fresh white kitchen. Pop! goes the color!

During the holidays, reader Venice010′s set fits right in with the aluminum tree. At first glance you barely notice that two of the chairs are two-tone in red and grey cracked ice vinyl and the other two are red fiberglass chairs — further evidence of the mix-and-match versatility of the dinette.

You’ve gotta love a wide band of chrome all the way around the table top — like the set above.

Might this set and the previous set be siblings?

The looped table legs on reader Kathy D’s dinette set are unique — as well as how the thick red edge, chrome banding and grey table top all come together as one.

Booth dinette sets

Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more variations of a red dinette — ta da — booths. I wonder how many milkshakes this booth has seen — it looks like it belongs in a 50s diner.

This charming red booth is the perfect place to cozy up for a cup of coffee — and a cuddle with this retro loving kitty.

Who wouldn’t want to sit at this built in booth — with its chicken upholstery — and surrounded by what looks like knotty pine for a family game night? Count me in.

Enameled dinettes

Last, it would have been unfair to exclude this cute little enameled table — complete with a storage drawer — from our list. It is more vintage than retro, but fits right in with the light up juke box in this readers retro rec room. Pam says that this is her Mom’s dream kitchen table.

When readers were uploading photos of all their dinette sets, gsciencechick commented,

I haven’t had so much fun since the lamp uploader!

Yup!

Want more info about dinette sets — where to buy them, how to clean or upholster them?
See our dinette sets page

“The patterns and colors… acknowledge the brand’s past – especially with designers such as Brooks Stevens
and Raymond Loewy – but without delving into nostalgia…
– Designer Abbott Miller

Yup, the day is finally here — Formica is announcing its much anticipated 100th Anniversary Collection. One minute after launch, we have all the new patterns ready to show to you. And, yes: Hurray! for color and pattern! — We have some great new Formica patterns for your kitchen counter tops and bathroom counter tops to add to our archive of retro-worthy laminate options. What do I like about these new designs:

• Homeowners wanting classic cherry red counter tops will most likely be happy to see Formica’s new Ellipse design in red. It’s nice to have a tone-on-tone red again that doesn’t cost a small fortune (our current “reds” of choice are Arborite Xania, which is not tone-on-tone… and crackle ice laminate, with is highly pixelated and expensive.)
• The patterns on the Halftone and Dotscreen designs are downright fun — and that orange in the Halftone is downright Brady Bunch. However, these are more so 1970s colors, rather than immediate postwar colors. Not that I mind, of course, but folks wanting aqua and coral and baby blue didn’ get ‘em’. Note — I’m declaring the orange is the same as my 2011 color of the year… the blue the same as my 2012 color of the year and the green, not too far off my 2013 color of the year. Let me say it again: Hurray for real color and pattern!
• Yes, Formica gave us some real colors… not just gray. Of course, there still are lots of grays. Grays are “in” today, and to be sure, offer a neutral alternative. (If you want retro grays, there are numerous additional alternatives from Formica, and other manufacturers.) Even so, it seems like Formica is banking on the appeal of its retro heritage with all these designs — these new designs offer edgy, FUN, graphic patterns, not stone or granite, like the mass of new laminate patterns today. Hurray!

Nicely done, Formica. Not to appear immediately ungrateful but now, can you give us some more!? xoxo

Details on how much, where to get, and when:

• Same pricing as standard laminate.
• Not promoted in the big box stores initially but if a consumer asked for it they would be able to order it from them.
• Available January 31st.

Read on for the complete news release from Formica, along with ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHY from the announcement AND a slide show with the images bigger, too:

Formica Group Celebrates 100 Years in 2013
with the Formica® Brand Laminate Anniversary Collection

Exclusively designed by world-renowned design firm Pentagram

Cincinnati (Jan. 22, 2013) — Formica Group, the original inventor of laminate, celebrates 100 years with a fresh take on its iconic Formica® brand laminate. The 2013 Anniversary Collection features 12 new patterns that reflect the Formica® brand and its history.

See the “natural” edge? I think this substrate is called “Appleply.” Or, that is one of the brands. Very cool – very “modern” in that it lets the “authenticity” of the material show. Must be very trendy now. I like.

“While Formica Group invented laminate, designers are credited with realizing its full potential as a stylish and desirable surfacing material,” said Renee Hytry Derrington, Group VP of Design for Fletcher Building’s Laminates & Panels Division, which includes Formica Group. “The Anniversary Collection is just one example of our commitment to continue the joint exploration with the design community to define the future of Formica Group in the next 100 years.”

Collaboration with World-Renowned Design Firm Pentagram

Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy, created the collection exclusively for Formica Group. Pentagram partner Abbott Miller designed the anniversary patterns, introducing characteristics and colors that are new to the range.

“Developing this iconic brand’s 100-year Anniversary Collection was inspiring,” Miller shared. “Formica laminate is extraordinary because of its Zelig-like nature, blurring the past, present and future while completely crossing all social and economic categories. It’s a material with distinctive tactility, a warmth and domesticity; it’s man-made, yet has attained a natural quality in our lives.”

Miller’s vision for the Formica® Laminate Anniversary Collection underscores the material’s limitless design potential. “The heart and soul of Formica laminate is a printed sheet. Pattern and color are intrinsic to the culture of the company, so exploring the translucency of ink and the interaction of pattern and color was a natural area for me.”

Twelve New Patterns in Four Collections:  Ellipse™ Collection, Endless™ Collection, Dotscreen™ Collection and Halftone™ Collection.

Ellipse™ and Endless™ play off the anniversary theme “Formica Forever” by utilizing innovative printing techniques that allow independent layers of pattern to randomly interact during the course of printing. The method creates seemingly infinite patterns that appear consistent due to the fluidity of the overlapping elements. Unlike most patterns that repeat every 50 inches, the pattern repeat of Ellipse™ and Endless™ only occur every 500 to 700 sheets, the equivalent to more than a mile in length.

Ellipse design

• Ellipse™ uses the “hidden oval” in the iconic Formica® brand logo to create a series of layered strands that ripple across the surface.
  • 6613 White Ellipse – a tonal non-color
  • 6614 Gray Ellipse – a classic gray
  • 1913 Red Ellipse – a strong red (The signature color of Formica Group features 1913, the year the company was founded, as its product code.)

Endless design

• Endless™ creates a digital grain from bars that alternately layer and punch through a colored base. The result is a continuous tone-on-tone, architectural pattern that provides visual interest at close range and, from a distance, provides a geometric texture.
  • 6610 Endless Graytone – a versatile gray-on-gray
  • 6611 Endless Smoke – an ebony that recalls carbon and mica
  • 6612 Endless Indigo – a deep inky blue

Dotscreen™and Halftone™celebrate Formica Group’s history of exuberant color and printing technology. Both Dotscreen™ and Halftone™ feature “solid patterns” of bright and saturated colors made more complex by undercurrents of detailed patterning. Fine dot motifs provide a second scale of interest within the optimistic hues.

Dotscreen

• Dotscreen™ features luminous colors with extremely fine micro-dots in continuous ribbons.
  • 6615 Aqua Dotscreen – a distinctive sky blue
  • 6616 Mint Dotscreen – a vegetal green
  • 6617 Tangelo Dotscreen – a soft orange

Halftone design

• Halftone™ features “near-bright” colors patterned with various sizes of toned dots, reminiscent of halftone printing screens.
  • 6618 Blueberry Halftone – a medium-toned blue
  • 6619 Citrus Halftone – a bright lemon yellow
  • 6620 Tangelo Halftone – a soft orange

Each Anniversary Collection pattern contains a subtle, tone-on-tone Formica® brand watermark embedded into the design on every sheet.

“The patterns and colors of the Anniversary Collection acknowledge the brand’s past – especially with designers such as Brooks Stevens and Raymond Loewy – but without delving into nostalgia,” Miller said. “While the collection aligns with the brand’s heritage, it offers surfacing design that is unique in the market. It also was satisfying to know that we were pushing the technical boundaries of print.”

In addition to the Anniversary Collection, Pentagram’s Miller and partners Michael Bierut and Daniel Weil collaborated on Formica Group’s anniversary brand elements, Formica Forever book and display concept.

About Pentagram & Abbott Miller

Pentagram is the world’s largest independent design consultancy with offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Berlin and Austin. A partner in Pentagram’s New York City office since 1999, Abbott Miller has designed award-winning identities, exhibitions, environmental graphics and multi-media projects. He has received numerous design honors and his work is included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, SFMoMA, and the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. He is the author of several books and numerous essays on design.

About Formica Group

Formica Group globally leads the industry in the design, manufacture and distribution of surfacing materials. Part of Fletcher Building’s Laminates & Panels Division, Formica Group is global group of companies consisting of Formica Canada, Inc., Formica Corporation, Formica de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Formica IKI Oy, Formica Limited, Formica S.A., Formica S.A.S., Formica Taiwan Corporation, Formica (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and Formica (Asia) Ltd., Homapal GmbH, among others.

 Please Note: Formica® and the Formica® Anvil Logo are registered trademarks and Formica Forever™, the Formica® Anvil Logo Forever, the Formica Forever™ ellipse logo, Ellipse™, Endless™, Dotscreen™ and Halftone™ are the trademarks of The Diller Corporation.  Ellipse and Endless designs are the protected designs of The Diller Corporation.  ©2013 The Diller Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.

A Fletcher Building Company

And: You can see all the images double size in this gallery:

In the wake of our big story on the new Formica 100th anniversary collections, I want to re-feature this archive story on where to find boomerang Formica — but even more so: Where to find 24 colors of boomerang laminate, in all, with the mass coming from two other companies. And — we remind you where best to go for samples.

Peeples, we cover laminate choices EXTENSIVELY on this blog — if you are looking for laminate see our Kitchens / Countertops category — we have many many stories on where to find the “best” retro options.  We try to stay on the topic of laminate selections like hawks. Go through our Kitchens / Countertops category if you want red laminate counter tops, carrara marble laminate, still-made 1960s laminate, linen-look, crackle ice, orange laminate, etc. etc. etc.

So, do you want boomerang laminate? See our story from over a year ago on where to find 14 different colors of boomerang laminate from three different companies.  But golly, how did we miss that there really are 24 colors! Formica ONLY has charcoal — NO MORE aqua, blue or coral; discontinued; kaput. But two other companies — Wilsonart and Vitro — make many more colors. They are more expensive than the Formica charcoal — which you can get at Home Depot, Lowes or from a big box store. The other 23 designs are all small runs, special order. But they are boomerangs. Do not try to find these laminates on the Wilsonart or Vitro websites — they are difficult to find.

Where to get samples and buy boomerang laminate

The best place to see all the designs and to get samples of all the boomerangs is from Heffrons.com. Heffrons (which is an advertiser here) tells me that they have researched all the pricing in the marketplace and are striving to me #1 in terms of the best pricing.

Readers who have been searching tirelessly for a vintage drainboard sink in good condition for their kitchen remodel may have cause to rejoice — there are two new options to consider. We are particularly intrigued by the sink re-creation above:  Until now, the only way to get this 1940s-1950s style of counter top farmhouse drainboard sink has been to find it vintage — there have been no reproductions as far as we know.

While this reproduction is manufactured using gelcoat and fiberglass reinforced polyester resins — not porcelain enamel on cast iron or steel like the originals — it is nonetheless a quite interesting alternative. Wethinks: Maybe the biggest new-product news of the year so far.

Read on for sink reproduction #2… and for background from the owner of the company now making these sinks. Oh and — colors? They are possible, he says!

Many thanks to reader Tamara, who tipped us off to these sinks now being manufactured by Nelson Bath Tub, Inc.  This Gainesville, Florida company’s longtime main business has been refinishing and repairing porcelain, acrylic and fiberglass bathtubs, as well as providing associated services. But now, they are expanding their work to include molding classic kitchen drainboard sinks from original cast iron sinks. The sinks are made in the USA and ship free to the lower 48 states.

We contacted Kent Nelson, who was kind enough to provide additional information about these sink reproductions:

Nelson’s Bathtub Inc. has been serving the bathtub refinishing and repair industry for over 25 years. Throughout these years, we have seen an ongoing demand for the restoration of vintage sinks and have provided this service to our customers only after expressing to them the following concerns: We do not recommend the refinishing of kitchen sinks because the process does not hold up well in the kitchen environment. When subject to pots, pans, sharp utensils etc., the refinished fixture may chip and as a result will begin to delaminate. We also could not provide a warranty as a result of this inevitable circumstance.

We found that about 75% of our customers were willing to take this risk even after we recommended otherwise. We would often suggest that they give consideration to the cast iron reproductions available, but many felt that the selection was small and freight was costly. This became the inspiration for our drainboard reproductions. We have been offering these drainboard sinks locally in Florida for some time now and decided to make them available nationally in 2012. We have been very pleased with the initial response and plan to expand our line to include more styles and color selections during 2013. [emphasis ours!]

As far as I know, we are the pioneer of this process of molding from the original drainboards. Our process extracts all the minute details that make these old sinks unique and this is reflected on each one of our finished products. Our reproduction drainboards offer beauty, durability, and a viable cost effective option to the vintage homeowner or renovator desiring one of these vintage style sinks. We use only the highest quality materials to manufacture our products right here in the USA.

Pam heard “fiberglass”… she has previously had lots of trouble keeping a fiberglass shower base clean… so we also asked Kent about the durability, ease of cleaning and overall feel of the fiberglass sinks that Nelson Bath Tubs, Inc. manufactures. We wanted to know (1) how easy would it be to keep the sinks clean, as fiberglass is notoriously difficult to keep clean and (2) do these “look” and “feel” like the original porcelain enamel on cast iron or steel? Kent responded:

Very good questions, and ones I certainly should have addressed in my initial response. Our reproductions offer excellent durability and ease of cleaning and the surface hardness, abrasion resistance would be comparable to that of acrylic which is commonly used for modern kitchen sinks. The sanitary grade gelcoat used to manufacture our sinks has been used in the bath ware industry for many years and provides a very reliable finish.

Initially, our reproductions were thermoformed from acrylic but we found that the acrylic lost the details of the originals and the finished sinks didn’t have a vintage look or feel. On the other hand, the gelcoat reproductions can be very difficult to decipher from the originals. The only real giveaway would be by looking at the backside (concealed side) of the sinks. Obviously, the weight difference between our reproductions and that of the cast iron sinks are substantial, but once installed you would have a difficult time telling the two apart. The reproduction sinks are reinforced well and definitely don’t have a plastic feel. I actually had a client bring an original fixture to me for refinishing and wanted a reproduction of it as well (they needed two sinks) and when they came to pick them up asked, “Which one is the reproduction?” I feel very confident that consumers of our products will feel the same and we offer a money back guarantee for their peace of mind.

Sink from Pam’s mom’s bathroom

Pam interjecting for Kate here:

I was still kind of *skeptical* about a fiberglass sink reproduction. So, I called Kent Nelson in Florida, and we had a great talk. After some discussion, I kind of came to understand that a way to *compare* how his sinks would look would be to compare them to the  sink top on the vanity in my mom’s bathroom — from Lowe’s — shown above.  EXCEPT, Kent says that his sinks are fabricated on to a much heftier substrate… and that the gel coat (shiny glossy) finish on top is several times thicker. I was actually visiting my mo’s the day that Kent and I had this conversation… I went into look at her sink… and you know, I would be quite *okay*, I think, with a kitchen sink that looked like the bathroom sink, only constructed to be more hefty. Kent says his hefty reproductions are hard to distinguish — visually — from the originals, and looking at my mom’s Lowe’s sinktop, I can definitely see how this is possible.

Kent does warn that you should not use abrasives on his sinks. They should not soak up stains. The gel coating may get dulled after eight or ten years — a kitchen sink is such heavy use. I’d say “baby it” — but it is a kitchen sink, after all, and a kitchen sink should be a… a work horse.

In this regard, Kent agrees — there is nothing to compare with the longterm durability and work horse quality of porcelain enamel on cast iron production. Even so, if I could not find an authentic vintage  porcelain cast iron kitchen drainboard sink at in the time frame that I wanted or needed — note, I would want a vintage sink in awesome quality — and note, see my links below, pointing to where you can still get vintage sinks re-porcelained — and if I had my kitchen to do over again, YES, I might consider the “modern” 66″ double drainboard, double sink drainboard sink from Nelson Tub and Bath:

Love this sink!

–>> Read all our complete page about Farmhouse Drainboard Sinks here.

With the discovery of a reproduction 1950s style drainboard sink now on the market, I decided it was time to put Everything You Want to Know about Farmhouse Drainboard Sinks But Were Afraid to Ask all onto one page. Well, it’s everything *we* kinda think we know, here at Retro Renovation. Check out our new Farmhouse Drainboard Sinks page here.

Since we’ve focused our spotlight on Formica lately — with our stories of Formica’s 100th Anniversary collection — and revisiting the 24 styles of boomerang laminates that are available today — we thought this would be a good time to immerse ourselves in this vintage Formica catalog from 1938. Its 12 pages are packed with historic information –  capture 50 historic Formica colors — and showcase possible uses, construction diagrams, available colors and forms, and even technical illustrations for both home and commercial uses.

In 1938 — when this catalog was published — Formica certainly seems to have been promoting itself a a Thoroughly Modern Material. The catalog celebrates the range of color and design that could be fabricated, the ease of cleaning and durability. The company wanted builders and designers to know: You could put Formica on just about any surface. Take a look at the photo of the deco-style Toronto bank, above — Formica all over the place.

The catalog promotes Formica’s use on:

• Table and counter tops — including a special sheet designed to be cigarette-proof to guarantee against burning.
• Counter panels — which can be fashioned to include elaborate decorative inlays using color or metals
• Wainscot — installed with bright metal cover strips or flush joints
• Basing and mop boards — listed as able to provide long service due to high resistance to alkalies in washing solutions
• Doors — for adding a decorative touch to entry doors, revolving doors, elevator doors or use in restrooms as toilet partitions
• Kick plates and push plates — take much abuse, easy to keep clean and polish free
• Window stools — made with molded Formica that is fabricated in the factory
• Kitchen counter tops and wall coverings
  
• Bedroom furniture — for hotels, steamships and clubs they suggest using the cigarette-proof Formica
• Ornamental signs — made by inlaying contrasting color and metal — or by using special translucent Formica which can be illuminated from behind

Here, Formica shows their product being used on the Queen Mary. We have had readers ask if Formica can be used on shower walls. We don’t know — please ask the companies. Meanwhile, we’ll add this question to our list of topics to research.

According to this catalog, there were more than 70 colors available. 50 swatches are shown in the catalog. It seems though the possibilities were endless — any colors could be combined through inlays (we LOVE vintage dinettes with inlay designs!) or with metal — to create an infinite variety of looks. 

The catalog tells us that Formica was also available in Realwood — a sheet in which wood veneer (rather than the more commonly used decorative later of “kraft paper”) was laminated — combiningthe beauty of a real wood finish with the durability of Formica. Perhaps when we see vintage furniture with laminate that “looks like wood” — it really IS wood in that laminate sheet???

The catalog also mentions a translucent Formica — available in several colors — that can be made with an opaque face. It could only be fabricated in flat sheets, but could be coaxed to bend by heating in warm water.

Today, we are so … bláse … about plastic. It kinda has a bad name in the mainstream home design world… we take it for granted. But when it was first introduced — it was transformational. It solved so many “problems”, and it was affordable to the masses. So cool to get a glimpse of the early days of laminate and the seeming excitement about its transformational design opportunities.

Special thanks to The Canadian Centre for Architecture via archive.org for making this catalog available; it is featured here via Creative Commons license: Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0.

Would you like to view these images larger? Use this gallery:

Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:

Jubilee kitchen wax — is back. I received the news this morning. (Doesn’t this bottle look so pretty at the top of our homepage?) Here’s the scoop, so far:

The consumer sales representative for Malco, Products, Inc. wrote me:

We just licensed Jubilee® Kitchen Wax from SC Johnson and have it available on our website. I was hoping that you might be able to write about the product relaunch so consumers know they can find it now. As of know, it is only available on our website but we plan to have larger distribution soon.

I know that this was a very popular wax back in the day. I think that readers have brought it up before as a product they’d like to see back on the market. Here’s what Malco’s website say Jubilee can be used for:

Jubilee is an easy-to-use liquid furniture wax made especially for protecting while cleaning appliances, Formica laminated plastic, ceramic tile, enamel and wood.

Jubilee cannot scratch, never dulls, is stain resistant and puts down a tough, hard shine that protects surfaces while making spills easier to wipe clean. Jubilee removes: grease spots, soot, lipstick, food stains, crayon, fingerprints and yellow cooking films.

I asked the Malco rep right away, “Is it the same formulation as in the way-back-time-machine days?” and, when it might be available as single bottles — right now the only way you can buy it is by the case on the Malco website. She quickly replied:

As of now it is only available in a case of 12.  We just had our first run last Thursday and have not gotten samples out to reps yet for distribution.  I am guessing it will be available at Hardware stores and online specialty stores but cannot say who will pick up this re launch.

As far as the formula goes, it is the original formula but we did have to change one raw material that was no longer available and made the product VOC complaint. We also re launched the product Grease Relief last year just FYI!  It is available on our website, Amazon and other online stores.

If you send me your address I am happy to send you a sample of Jubilee® to try for yourself!

Heck to the yeah, I said! Send me a sample.

Can Jubilee really be used to brighten up laminate counter tops?

Grace Jeffers has told me “no” – that plastic doesn’t like wax, it likes polymers, because it’s a polymer. On the other hand, didn’t our moms and grannies etc. use Jubilee a lot a lot?

.

Jubilee kitchen wax video from back the 1960s (?)

Thanks reader Chad for spotting this!

Readers, do you have memories of using Jubilee? What do you think of this announcement?

I scored these awesome vintage cabinet pulls on ebay — but the chrome finish was oxidized and icky. How to go about cleaning up the chrome finish on these lovely bathroom fixtures? I think I found a product that works for me — available online or in a Big Box store:  The Kitchen and Bath Stain Eraser from Cramer North America.

.
It all started a few weeks ago when I was in my favorite big box home improvement store — Menards. I was looking through the plumbing section and noticed a display of these Kitchen and Bath Stain Eraser sticks on an end cap. Intrigued by the product’s claim to clean without scratching — especially chrome — I bought one to test. Filled with excitement for this new cleaning discovery I rushed around the house like a mad woman — testing the cleaning power on nearly every piece of chrome I could find. For me, the results were fantastic — as you can see by the numerous before-and-after shots in this post. Especially exciting was the stain eraser’s ability to remove the oxidation and restore the finish my vintage chrome Amerock cabinet knobs and backplates. They had been salvaged from a gut remodel job, the ebay seller said.

I found that using the Kitchen and Bath Stain Eraser was an experience similar to cleaning with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, although the Cramer Stain Eraser also can be used with water. The Stain Eraser looks like it would be rough, but it was surprisingly light weight. As I rubbed the Stain Eraser over the chrome, the Eraser itself began discolor from picking up the oxidation. Further rubbing began to produce small bit of debris and wore down the eraser gradually.

According to Cramer North America’s website:

The Kitchen & Bath Stain Eraser can be found in the toolbox of almost all German plumbers.

Efficient removal of:

• lime deposits in enamel bathtubs
• rust and metal marks in enamel bathtubs
• unsightly grout stains between tiles
• unsightly stains on tiles

The cleaning compounds in the stain eraser are hard enough to remove stains but soft enough so the surface of an enameled bathtub does not get scratched up. Regular household cleaners often have harsh acidic chemicals that eat away at the gloss of the bathtub tub or sink. Other cleaners contain  abrasive sand particles that dull the surface of the bathtub over time.

The back of the stain eraser packaging on the unit I purchased at Menards (January 2013) read:

You know the problem:

paint marks, adhesive residue, metal abrasions and tough stains on bath and shower basins, ceramic sanitary fixtures, sinks, tiles and floors. Often, normal cleaning products fail to remove these residues or cause damage and discoloration to the material. Stain Eraser helps you to eliminate these problems. Stain Eraser’s composition enables you to thoroughly remove deposits without scratching. Usable on enamel, ceramic and chrome surfaces. Not usable on acrylic or fiberglass surfaces! The Kitchen & Bath Stain Eraser can be used with water for improved effect.

The Kitchen & Bath Eraser is

• acid free
• solvent free
• environmentally safe

Additional technical info on their European website:

I was also able to find this technical information on the Bath Rubber (product name in European markets) on Cramer’s european website address diybathrepair.com. The document mentions:

The strong polishing particles in the Cramer Bathtub Stain Eraser have been specially formulated/developed for use with sanitary products. Carefully formulated below the hardness of ceramic and enamel surfaces, this product easily removes paint drips, residual glue and metal marks without scratching these surfaces.

The document also makes the important reminder: TEST FIRST!

After seeing such great results on my chrome cabinet knob and back plates — I tested the Kitchen and Bath Stain Eraser on the following chrome objects — and again, all with very good results:

• Vintage cabinet knobs
• Vintage doorknobs
• Light switch plate cover
• Vintage bar stools
• Vintage Cosco step stool
• Vintage arch lamp
• Bath faucet

Other objects that I tried to clean with the Stain Eraser:

• Soot covered brass fireplace doors — with a little elbow grease, I tried a small spot on the edge of my vintage brass (I think) fireplace doors and the soot came right off and shined up like new. To clean the whole door set would take a very long time using this method, but if all else has failed, this is something I might try.
• Brass magazine rack — again this worked to an extent, but it would take forever to try and clean the entire thing.
• Tile grout — worked as well as Mr. Clean Magic eraser on dirty grout.
• Stains on bathroom fixtures — worked well on the white toilet I tried it on — best when used wet on bathroom fixtures.

If your vintage chrome is heavily pitted or beginning to rust, I do not think that this stick will work miracles — however – this little stain eraser was a wonder on my vintage chrome with oxidation issues. For me, it required some elbow grease and patience, but the results were very rewarding. According to the Cramer website, these stain erasers are available through their website, CramerNorthAmerica.com or at Menards stores.

Want to check out more reader comments about cleaning and polishing chrome?

• Check out this story we wrote in 2009 about Noxon — lots of readers piped in to share their chrome-cleaning experiences.

Pam also asks the question:

• Okay, now that Kate’s chrome is cleaned up — is there something she can put on top of it to keep the finish bright and shiny and to prevent re-oxidization. What about some Jubilee — the way back time machine TV commercial shows the Mrs. using it a toaster. Readers, any tips?

Here’s an update to my continuing saga about searching for a cleaner that will clean cast iron bath tubs and sinks without potentially damaging the porcelain surface. Today, I follow up with a report on how I discovered a discrepancy on the ROG1 label. In a nutshell:  In contrast to what’s on their website, print on the ROG1 bottle says it contains “sulfonic acid”…. So I reached out to the company — and they said this labeling information was an error, that “The ROG 1 cream contains no acids”. Read on for their complete response, which includes saying they will correct the info on the bottle.

You will recall — in this story — I reported that I had discovered what seems to be a terrific product, ROG1, that is doing a good job of cleaning my circa 1963 vintage Kohler cast iron sink and the bottom of my newer Kohler cast iron tub. In a subsequent story here — I went back and forth with Kohler to verify their list of recommended cleaners — and also to understand better what makes for an acceptable cleaner — one key seems to be no acid, minimal abrasives.

I was using ROG1 again — actually testing it against Kohler’s Cast Iron Cleaner (full story to come) when I saw that the label on said it contained “Sulfonic Acid”. This, even though the owner of ROG products says on the company’s website, and has said on this blog in comments, that there is no acid in their products. Previously, I had been looking at this product’s ingredients directly on the website — the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) there.  So, I sent an email to ask about this discrepancy. Here is the exchange, and the company’s response:

I wrote to Vince Vallone, owner of the company:

This is Pam from Retro Renovation.

I was just using ROG1 and noticed that an ingredient listed on the label is “Sulfonic Acid”. However, I don’t see this listed on the MSDS <– linked here. And you said this as a comment, “Yes Gina the ROG products are not caustic, no acids, many folks don’t realize the the grocery store and walmart caries many acid contained cleaners and will dull the bathtub over years, magic eraser has acid, 409 scrubbing bubbles and many more.”

Can you clarify?
Thank you, Pam

To cut to the chase, owner Vince Vallone said the label on ROG1 is wrong — and that they will correct the label. Here is is complete response (edited slightly because I had one quick followup question and incorporated the answer):

Hello Pam

Hope all is well and we appreciate your follow up.

 The ROG 1 cream contains no acids.

After your e-mail….

Well we researched this and found the mistake and figured out what went wrong with the labeling.

We many years ago manufactured a deck and hull cleaner similar to the ROG 1 but it was called BCD’s deck and hull cleaner product named ROG 9

The ROG 9 Deck and Hull cleaner for the yachting, and boating industry this product had the sulfonic acid in the proprietary mixture and our bottle printer who prints the data on the bottle left this acid statement on the ROG 1 label, by mistake we never caught it till you mentioned it. Thank you, your new name should be retro-thour-ough-. LOL.

The ROG 9 was an experimental cleaner we tried years ago the formulas was to clean exhaust fumes on the aft side of the boat from inboard engines exhaust marks from the diesel engines and worked great but it never took off as expected so we stopped production on this product. Both were created around the same time, as we also had Glass cleaner and deodorizers, we no longer make.

But leave it up to you with your great journalism to find this mistake. Again thank you, we have now taken steps to remove that error from all future ROG1 bottles.

Thank you for looking at our mistake and we have now taken steps to remove this on all the ROG 1 bottles.

So there’s the update. I have updated the other stories to share this clarification, as well. Readers: Here on the blog, as homeowners ourselves, we may try new cleaning products aimed at solving our own cleaning problems; if we think we’ve found something promising to consider, we may write about it. But, we are not professional chemists or engineers or home economists. So, please: Do your own research into these products and their suitability for your projects!

Hold on to your horses Retro Renovation readers — thanks to a tip from reader Hannah, who is constantly alerting Pam to fabulous vintage items listed on Etsy (xoxox we love you Hannah — will you be our Valentine?) — we were able to get permission from Etsy seller MichelleAndHerDog to bring you 70 pictures of vintage Wilsonart laminate samples — now being offered as key rings. There are several gorgeous patterns — including 17 sparkle and satellite colors. Oh what I would give to be able to order that aqua glitter laminate today. So c’mon folks, the gallery is loaded up with 70 samples to see — let’s take a cheery walk down retro laminate sample lane, shall we?

From what I can gather, the difference between glitter and satellite seems to be that satellite has some “veins” of glitter intermixed through the sparkles.

Below is a listing of the names from the swatches featured in our slide show, sorted by category:

Glitter

• Aqua glitter laminate
• Beige glitter laminate
• Charcoal glitter laminate
• Cocoa glitter laminate
• Coppertone glitter laminate
• Flame glitter laminate
• Frosty pink glitter laminate
• Powder blue glitter laminate
• Pumpkin glitter laminate
• Red glitter laminate
• Wintergreen glitter laminate

Satellite

• Beige gold satellite laminate
• Aqua gold satellite laminate
• Frosty pink gold satellite laminate
• Powder blue satellite laminate
• Primrose gold satellite laminate
• White gold satellite laminate

Spinet

• Blue spinet laminate
• Charcoal spinet laminate
• Coral spinet laminate
• Grey spinet laminate
• Light yellow spinet laminate
• Pink spinet laminate
• Light green spinet laminate

Wood

• American walnut laminate
• Black walnut laminate
• Bleached mahogany laminate
• Blonde Ash laminate
• Blonde Maple laminate
• Brown pickled birch laminate
• Flaked limed oak laminate
• Light grey ash laminate
• Maple laminate
• Oriental walnut laminate
• Light American walnut laminate
• Platinum walnut laminate
• Rattan laminate
• Red striped mahogany laminate
• White birch laminate
• Tan limed oak laminate
• Spice brown walnut laminate

Pearl

• Dark grey pearl laminate
• Green pearl laminate
• Light grey pearl laminate
• Red pearl laminate
• Yellow peal laminate

Linen

• Green Irish linen laminate
• Grey fine linen laminate
• Grey Irish linen laminate
• Red Irish linen laminate
• Yellow Irish linen laminate
• Tan fine linen laminate
• Tan Irish linen laminate

Marble

• Grey and coral marble laminate
• Light pink marble laminate
• Light tan marble laminate
• White marble laminate

Solid

• Solid beige laminate
• Solid black laminate
• Solid charcoal laminate
• Solid cocoa laminate
• Solid flame laminate
• Solid powder blue laminate
• Solid pumpkin laminate
• Solid red laminate
• Solid white laminate
• Solid wintergreen laminate

Other patterns

• White batik laminate
• White festival laminate

Any way I could get some of this frosty pink sparkle laminate for my bathroom remodel? Pretty please?

The gallery below is all loaded up with these sparkle and satellite patterns as well as the popular Irish linen, a cool spinet pattern, pearl, marble, wood and solids. Let the fun begin.

A huge thanks goes out to Etsy seller MichelleAndHerDog for letting us feature the photos of her fabulous laminate samples.

Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:?

front of lusterock postcard for sale on ebay here

One of the coolest aspects of this blog is that one reader will send us photos of something unusual that they own or have encountered — perhaps an original feature of their home, a specimen of steel kitchen cabinet or an interesting light. We may not know about the object — and all internet searches will be for naught — but then we post the question and BLAMMO — our knowledgeable readers will leave comments filled with valuable tidbits of information, personal stories involving the item in question and even identify the woddity — solving the mystery. This is exactly what happened with our post about about a vintage kitchen counter top embedded with quartz chips — which is still getting clicks after over two years. What was it made of?  You vigorously responded: Lusterock. Yes — thanks to our readers — who have help to solve yet another mystery about the vintage treasures in our jewel box mid century houses. Read on to learn more about this interesting material –>

After Pam posted the photos above of reader Becky’s unusual counter tops, the comments started to pour in. Several readers had personal encounters with this inventive material.

Spoon rest for sale on etsy.com here

Stephanie was the first to pipe up with a name:

My parents have these counter tops in their kitchen….they remodeled the kitchen in the 1970s…I believe it’s called Luster Rock…they get lots of comments on it…some good some bad…..I didn’t like it!! Ha Ha

Spoon rest for sale on etsy.com shows the Lusterock label

Chris came along next (albeit both he and Stephanie provided incorrect spellings; we’re not being critical, we just want everyone to notice and use the correct spelling from here on, same as it’s “hudee rings“, not huddee rings.) :

It’s definitely Luster Rock, we had it in our house, (just finished remodeling and replaced it with boomerang counter top!). My friends dad was an installer in the 60s and said the stuff was indestructible, which I can attest to. I did everything to it and it always looked the same. I saved some of it to try to make a bar top for summer entertaining. Mine had more brown chips to it, and my problem was finding wall colors to work with it.

Still other readers knew people who had worked to fabricate, sell or install Lusterock, such as reader Delores who said:

Yes, it is called luster rock. My mom’s neighbors in Los Angeles ran a small business out of an El Sereno warehouse where they made these counter tops. They also subcontracted through Sears until I believe it became against the law to obtain shell in these quantities for these purposes. My mom sold her 1924 home in 2005, and the kitchen was done in the yellowish white lusterock. Two houses to the right is where the luster rock couple still live and their 2 story home including, kitchen and bathrooms were beautiful in the best of their work and luster rock. The house in between belonged to the wife’s brother (was a wrought iron artist) and that house was also complete with luster rock counter tops. We are selling some unique pieces (stereo unit and curio iron stands) that were made by brother and the tops are luster rock – white yellow and a long piece made with a bluish lavender shell that looks like carnival glass. Wonder what they are really worth…. they have kept their luster and beauty.

Lusterock paperweight currently for sale on ebay here

Linda reports that her stepfather worked with Lusterock:

My stepfather made and sold that in Arlington VA back in the 60s and 70s. I remember that he had to go away someplace to learn how to do it and buy the rights (I guess it was a franchise type of thing.) They used real rocks and shells, even fossil shark’s teeth and coins. Their house was full of it – they made shower stalls, sinks, counter tops, floors, paper weights – you name it they made it. I do not know why they stopped making it. It was beautiful then and it still is beautiful now. Probably found out it was really toxic or something – or like someone above said maybe it was illegal to get the shells in such quantity. But they used a lot of rocks, and it doesn’t make sense that it would be illegal to get rocks!

Label from paperweight that is for sale on ebay

Then there were the readers who have fallen in love with this unique material — having fond memories of their past experiences with Lusterock or living in homes with Lusterock to this day.  Jackie has lived with her Lusterock counter tops since 1968 and reports:

We built our house in 1968 and put it Luster Rock counters. The have bits of shells and mother of pearl in an almond-colored acrylic. They have very few scratches and have kept their beauty for 42 years. I wouldn’t think of putting in new ones. It’s too bad they are no longer available.

Gayle added:

My friend’s parents’ house had the same counters. Her dad was a pharmacist and the counters in the back of his drugstore where he worked were made of the same resin but instead of rocks and pebble-like things, it was filled with all kinds of different pills. I was always fascinated with their counters at home and the store. Her parents had them both specially made.

Oooooh, a Lusterock counter top of pharmacist’s pills! We’d love to get hold of a photo of that curiousity!

And finally reader Ro added his happy memories — of his grandparents’ toilet seat! It happens! :

My grandparents’ house in Orange County, CA was built in the ’60s and one of the bathrooms had a counter top and matching toilet seat that were made of clear resin with embedded abalone shell. It was absolutely stunning. The embedded pieces of shell were numerous and had the full range of rainbow colored shine that abalone shell is known for. There were also little flecks of gold “sand” inside the resin. It was gorgeous, the whole thing was so captivating. You felt like you were swimming in the sea when you were in that bathroom. I have such fond memories of that counter top & toilet seat, as silly as it sounds, because they were just so unique and beautiful, despite having a somewhat dated feel when I would visit them in the 80s. I was just googling to find an abalone shell counter top or toilet seat like the one they had, but I haven’t found an exact match. None of them ones I’m seeing online measure up to how beautiful theirs was.

Who’da thunk it: All the (mostly) happy memories of Lusterock. Moreover, it’s so great to post these curiosities — and have so many readers pipe up to identify them, and tell their stories.

Special thanks goes out to Ebay seller mikeingreensboro for granting us permission to feature the photos of his vintage Lusterock informational post card… to ebay seller Dr. Von for allowing us to use his vintage Lusterock butterfly paperweight photos… and to Etsy seller Treasures2Share for allowing us to use photos of their vintage Lusterock spoon rest.