It’s Formica’s 100th anniversary this year. In January, we saw the anniversary design collection. Now, the purty looking book is out. It promises “more than 400 images — including advertisements, logos and product swatches organized by color. It’s modeled after a Formica® laminate swatch book from the 1960s, features three historical essays, and comes in an easy-to-read size. It looks like the book can be pre-ordered on Amazon for delivery Sept. 30:

Following is Formica’s news release about the book:

Formica Group, the inventor of laminate, celebrates 100 years of global design with Formica Forever, a commemorative book that captures the company’s 100-year evolution through cultural shifts, economic uncertainties, trend exploration and global growth.

“The Formica® brand has touched every aspect of our lives each and every day, surfacing millions of spaces in which we gather, work, learn, heal, shop, eat and play,” noted Mark Adamson, former CEO of Formica Group and current CEO of Fletcher Building, parent company to Formica Group. “Many people have grown up with the Formica® brand, and this book encapsulates the company’s influence in interior design as well as its struggles and perseverance to remain a viable business through changing ownership, global expansion and the changing landscape of the surfacing market.”

Designed by Abbott Miller, a partner in the renowned international design consultancy Pentagram, the 408-page, 6.5″ x 9.5″ book contains more than 400 images and is modeled after a Formica® brand laminate swatch book from the 1960s. ”We didn’t want a cumbersome coffee-table book; we wanted to create something celebratory rather than grandiose, authoritative but also lively,” Miller said. The book is published in collaboration with Metropolis Books and will be available in early August at bookstores worldwide as well as online.

Formica Forever features:

• 100 years of worldwide visual assets, including advertisements, logos and product swatches organized by color
• Three essays in which notable authors lend perspective to the various Formica Group storylines that have unfolded over the course of the last century, including:
  • Global Business Expansion (authored by Phil Patton)
  • Modernist Design Legacy (authored by Alexandra Lange)
  • Cultural Impact (authored by Peter York)
• Literary excerpts referencing the Formica® brand, which demonstrate both its importance in pop culture as well as the challenges faced by Formica Group to diligently protect the brand
• An appendix featuring six color-coded translations:  French, Spanish, Finnish, Thai and Simplified and Traditional Mandarin

Formica Forever authors:

• Phil Patton (Growing Global: A Century of the Formica® Brand and Business) is a design journalist, curator and author. His books include Open Road:  A Celebration of The American Highway; Made in USA: The Secret Histories of the Things that Made America; Bug, a cultural history of the Volkswagen Beetle; and Dreamland, the culture of experimental aircraft. Patton writes regularly about automobile design for The New York Times and has served as a curator for museum exhibitions focusing on automobiles.
• Alexandra Lange (The Glamour of Utility: Formica® Laminate, Design and Luxury) is an architecture and design critic and author of Writing about Architecture: Mastering the Language of Buildings and Cities. Her work has appeared in The Architect’s Newspaper, Architectural Record, Dwell, Metropolis, Print, New York Magazine and The New York Times. She teaches architecture criticism at New York University and the School of Visual Arts.
• Peter York (Toward a Wipe-Clean World: Formica® Brand in Context) is a British management consultant, author and broadcaster most famous for co-authoring Harpers & Queen’s The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook with Ann Barr. He also is a columnist for The Independent on Sunday, GQ and Management Today, and associate of Editorial Intelligence.

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

Note: All the links to Amazon are affiliate links. Hey, a girl’s gotta make a living. However, if there were no such thing as the Amazon affiliate program, we’d still feature this book, cuz mid century kitchen counter tops are all about the laminate, baby.

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When we looked recently at a 1940 catalog of Whitehead steel kitchen cabinets, we also got a look at Whitehead Monel counter tops and sinks. Whitehead: A very upscale, early steel kitchen — and Monel: A very upscale, metal counter top. And what is this Monel that they speak of? According to the catalog:

• Monel is an alloy of two-thirds nickel and one third copper with the durability and strength of steel
• Is rust proof and resistant to all food acids and alkalis using found in a home
• Is not a coating but a solid metal with nothing to chip, crack or wear off (like the cast iron, porcelain coated sinks that were usually found in kitchens during this era)
• Can be kept clean with minimal effort
• Is resilient enough to soften impacts of dishes and reduce breakage
• Hot pans can be placed on the surface without fear of ruining the counter top

Here is what the text says about Whitehead Monel:

At first glance, it might not seem important to you that Monel is an alloy of two-thirds Nickel and one-third Copper. The fact that this metal has extreme durability with the strength and toughness of steel, may have little significance.

But . . . when you realize that Monel is also rust-proof and resistant to all food acids and alkalis usually found in a home, it begins to have interesting possibilities.

And when you also find that Monel is not a coating but a solid metal all the way through — with nothing to chip, crack or wear off, then its advantages in your home become obvious.

All Whitehead Sinks are made of Monel. And when you realize that your sink performs the hardest job in all your kitchen — then it becomes clear why the Whitehead Sink is exactly suited to the modern work-saving kitchen.

Monel is practically immune to wear and tear. That’s why it is widely used in railroad dining car kitchens.

Second, Monel can be kept clean with minimum effort. That’s why such eminent hotels as the Waldorf-Astoria in New York have found it satisfactory for the kitchen.

Third, the lustre of Monel is as beautiful as old silver — a beauty that never departs because Monel is a solid metal all the way through. Watchcases are now being made of Monel, because of its beauty.

These are some of the basic reasons why Whitehead selected Monel for sinks and kitchen working surfaces.

In addition, for your kitchen the Whitehead Monel Sink has further advantages that you’ll find desirable. It is resilient enough to soften the impacts of dishes and to reduce breakage. You can set hot pans on it without fear. And it blend beautifully with any color scheme you may have now — or decide on later.

For the sink and other working surfaces in your work-saving kitchen, can you imagine a more capable substance, a more work-saving material, than Monel?

As a tank liner, too.

I found this Wikipedia entry. It says that Monel was trademarked in 1906, and it sounds like the company with the trademark is still in business today. The wiki says that Monel is more difficult to machine than steel… and it much more expensive.

We must keep our eyes peeled to find — and archive photos of — vintage Monel sinks and counter tops in the wild!  I think: Craigslist around New York City might turn some up, if we are eagle-eyed.

Thanks to archive.org and the MBJ Collection for making this vintage catalog available.

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:?

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Oh my goodness: The four kitchens among the five little cottages that comprise the delightful Carmel Cottage Inn are not only charming — but they are chock full of timeless kitchen design ideas — several of them quite affordable. Yes, I would call these interiors “cottage style” — a style that is hugely popular in the U.S. and has been for decades. So cheery and comfortable! But, these houses also have many classic elements of simple ranch style that carried over to mid-century houses. When Cheryl, the owner of the Carmel Cottage Inn, remodeled and redecorated, she kept the look pretty simple… pretty “humble”… but with carefully selected, high-impact $plurges… all in line with the vintage style of the original architecture.  Let’s see some more terrific design ideas from the five renovated cottages at the Carmel Cottage Inn:

When I first wrote to Cheryl, I was admiring this first kitchen, shown above — with its classic Early American style black wrought iron strap hardware. I also asked her for a few sentences on the designs.

Cheryl told me:

We purchased the five vintage cottages (ca. 1910-1941) and restored them as full time vacation rentals with the emphasis on comfort and cottage experience. We wanted them to feel like they should have always looked this way, so we took out the 1989 kitchens in the two largest houses and copied the original cabinetry from the smaller cottages. We love our retro appliances, so do our guests. We have actually heard people squealing with delight when they find them in the kitchen.

Four colors of checkerboard floors:

In one story, we get four varieties of checkerboard floors! These floors work really really well as part of Cheryl’s harmonious, graphical design. We get a lot of folks here on the blog interested in doing checkerboard floos. Here’s my design-analysis breakdown of why Cheryl’s design turned out so great:

• She has kept her palette simple — checkerboard-color+white floor, white cabinetry and one other punch of color. In this case, the pastel punch comes from the Big Chill appliances, which because of Cheryl’s design restraint, stand out like works of art… almost like color blocking. And hey, if you’re gonna buy Big Chill appliances — which are expensive — you’re going to want to make sure they shine!
• (2) The dashes of black — in wrought iron hardware, the appliances and liner tile — complement the strong graphical nature of the checkerboard… and keep your eye moving around the room.
• (3) The small checkerboard pattern curtains repeat the check motif, but smaller.
• (4) Take 1-2-3 together, and this is very “graphical” kitchen — carefully edited to work with the dominant graphic element, the checkerboard floors. Warning: Put too many colors, too many “busy” “competing” design features in a kitchen with a checkerboard floor, and you risk design chaos.
• Dashes of creamy beige (the counter tops are Corian) and the wood tones warm the space up.
• Cheryl repeats this formula kitchen to kitchen — which provides harmony within her inn and her brand:

Notice how the backsplash is one with very inexpensive white  4″x4″, 6″x6″ and black liner tiles:

This backsplash done all with inexpensive stock tiles: Brilliant design idea for humble retro kitchens!

Resource list for the Carmel Cottage Inn kitchens:

• Appliances: Big Chill, Sears
• Checkboard floor tiles: Congoleum VCT
• Backsplash tile: Daltile off the shelf at Home Depot
• Cabinet hardware: Cheryl says, “We sandblasted and powder coated all of the original hardware we could throughout the houses and purchased Acorn products for the replacements and new cabinetry.”
• curtains from Country Curtains, Anna’s Linens and Sears.
• Cabinets: Kizanis Cabinets.
• Bell McBride Builders was the general contractor.

Other beautiful design details from the Carmel Cottage Inn:

Wagon wheel chandelier — hurray! And, it looks like a super nice one. Cheryl told me, “I had been looking for a wagon wheel light. This was a gift from our electrician, Scott Eagle.”

And notice the Dutch door on the far right.
To coordinate with the wagon wheel chandelier, a pendant. Beautifully done! People, you can get these things CHEAP on ebay!

The fireplaces are spectacular and, again, the decorating is restrained to spotlight them as if they were works of art. Which they are!

The attic renovation is lovely.

Simple tile used on this bathroom vanity.

Lovely hardscaping and gardens for this little storybook ranch house.

Notice the shakes on the cottage — both siding and roof. But, the house also has wide clapboards. This mixing of siding materials was common on small ranch and cape cod houses in midcentury America to add visual detail. Vertical batten boards also were used in the mix. BUT no narrow clapboards, please! Use the fat ones. 8″? I’m not sure. Can someone measure? (I have brick.)

At first I thought this roofing was real cedar shake. But, no. Cheryl told me it was composite, Landmark by CertainTeed.

If I hit the lottery, I am going to get a cedar shake roof. Still, hers looks pretty darn nice!

And, when we hit the jackpot, we will expand into the attic — and carve out a bit for a balcony, where we will also put our telescope. Thank you, Cheryl, for permission to show all these wonderful photos of your place — gorgeous, and so many great design tips here! Next time I’m out thatta way, I’m coming to stay for sure! xoxo

Link love:

• The Carmel Cottage Inn — lots more fantastic photos on their site!

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Back in mid century America, kitchen ranges were commonly 40″ wide. I have long bemoaned the fact that it is very difficult to find this size range — still made new — in the U.S. today.  Up until now, the few options I knew of were the 40″ Kenmore and its copycat Frigidaire available in dual-fuel in stainless steel. And, there are similar Frigidaire 40″ wide electric designs — the black Frigidaire 40″ electric range is kinda neat retro looking.  Other than these choices, it was: Shop for vintage. But buying vintage can be an *epic* journey, and I recognize that, sometimes, you just don’t feel up for an epic journey. So now, I somehow discovered that there is a nice kind of retro looking 40″ range now available in the U.S.: The Ilve Majestic 40″ dual-fuel, double oven kitchen range.

That’s I-L-V-E.  An Italian company. Which is not surprising, since Europe seems to be awash in 40″ wide “cookers.”  The company says:

ILVE continues a 50 year heritage of elegant design and powerful engineering, as the finest manufacturer of cooking products in Europe today. Located near magnificent Venice, ILVE artisans hand-assemble the Majestic and Professional Series of ranges and hoods using premium materials for each custom designed piece.

Ilve ranges are not cheap: Online, I spotted prices starting at $6,500 and quickly up.

But these ranges come in the “right” width (although maybe a bit too deep? 27-9/16″, although maybe this includes the handles? They need a better diagram wrt this detail) … they have lots of terrific sounding features… lots of blingy chrome, and come in three real colors — burgundy, emerald green, and midnight blue — in addition to the more normal shades of appliance white, antique white, stainless steel and matte black.

I also like the fact that the range can be ordered dual-fuel. While I prefer to cook with gas on the stove top, I *think* I once learned that an electric-powered oven keeps baking temperatures more constant. Although, the description says the ovens are “convection.” I don’t understand convection. But that’s good, isn’t it?

There are a variety of cook top options — including one with a griddle. And I also kinda like the one with a combo gas- and electric burners, since I *think* that electric heats water up faster.

And, there are numerous other snazzy features — like a rotisserie! And, I think the specs say this is not an option — it’s standard.

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It isn’t every day that you find a set of raspberry pink St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets like this set for sale in Washington, D.C.. The color of this cabinetry — found printed right on the back of one of the cabinets: Raspberry. We love it — AND, we have an historical reference to demonstrate this is likely from around 1956 — not the flower power 1960s. Thanks to reader Debbie, who alerted us to this fantastic find, and to craigslist seller Kathe for allowing us to feature her photos.

Early in the blog’s life, Pam wrote about this color, which she identified as “rose red”. The color also seems to be a ringer for Sherwin-Williams’ Flamingo Pink, part of their Suburban Modern collection.

See this story about what looks to be this very St. Charles kitchen color on an actual — in 1956. Yes, a raspberry kitchen, all decorated out. And… here’s a a sofa and wallpaper showing this color – just to illustrate that the color was promoted for use in other spaces as well.

From the Craigslist post:

$100 per cabinet EACH (CL doesn’t let me post EACH in price field). Both upper and lower metal St. Charles cabinets with stainless steel handles from an upper crust DC home in the 60s. Very mid century modern. In good condition, just need cleaning and installing in your place. Original Raspberry Pink paint has some slight nicks and scratches consistent with 50+ years of use, but still quite a lot of character and usuable as is for an authentic look, or you could paint. You move from my split level basement, half flight of stairs. I was going to use them in a kitchen remodel but ended up using something else and need to find these a new home because we are moving. Email for pics and measurements.

Also have some white metal cabinets, Geneva brand. $50 EACH, chrome handles. These have been painted once.

These are great for retro, vintage kitchen remodel or even a dry garage.

I don’t have the countertop or sink for either set. The pink St Charles ones were in an L shaped kitchen before. Here are measurements:

Pink Base cabinets: 30.5″ high, no footing
33wide x 26 deep (2 doors, 1 drawer)
9w x 26 deep
15w x 26d
Sink facing for

single stainless sink (do not have sink)

Pink Upper cabinets: 13″ deep
45w x 3 high (3 doors)
21w x 36 high
30w x 24.5 high (2 doors over stove)
21w x 36 high
21w x 36 high
15w x 36 high
33.5w x 18 high (2 doors over fridge)

White Base cabinets (from a different kitchen): 35″ high with footing
48 w x 25 deep (4 drawers)
18 w x 25 deep (3 drawers)
24 wide x 25 deep x 7″ high (over stove cabinet?)
Sink facing for single stainless sink (do not have sink)

White Upper cabinets: 13″ deep
30w x 18 high (2 doors)
two corner cabinets: 24 wide x 30 high

Mega thanks to Craigslist seller Kathe for allowing us to feature her photos of these fabulous vintage steel cabinets.

See all our stories about steel kitchen cabinets here.
We are the industry leaders on this subject, far as we know!

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We’re on a bit of binge, taking a look at vintage kitchen cabinets spotted in all different colors. Yes: We love these harvest gold St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets for sale on Southeast Missouri craigslist. These are the famous St. Charles two-tone style: All single color metal on the base cabinets, with the wall cabinets featuring doors with applied molding in the color of the base cabinets. (See them here in mod green and another variation, steel trim on wood doors here.)

These 1970′s beauties — spotted by Facebook follower Helen — thank you, Helen! — are in excellent condition. The large set includes 20 cabinets and comes complete with a matching double wall oven, range hood and cooktop — no need to hunt down extra vintage appliances separately folks — this is a package deal.

From the Craigslist post:

20) VINTAGE ST. CHARLES METAL KITCHEN CABINETS, OVEN, AND STOVE 1970′s

All are in EXCELLENT CONDITION. Very little rust except for a small amount on the sink cabinet. Sink door hinges need to be repaired. Stove burners need to be replaced.

We are remodeling our house and love these cabinets but unfortunately, the don’t fit in our new kitchen. $3500 OBO CASH ONLY

WIDTH HEIGHT DEPTH
18 34.5 25 DRAWER, LEFT HAND DOOR
15 34.5 25 DRAWER, RIGHT HAND DOOR
241 34.5 25 DRAWER, 2 DOORS
27 34.5 25 2 BOTTOM DRAWERS, OVEN, 2 TOP DOORS
15 34.5 25 DRAWER, RIGHT HAND DOOR
16 34.5 25 DRAWER, LEFT HAND DOOR
24 34.5 25 3 DRAWERS
18 34.5 25 DRAWER, RIGHT HAND DOOR
33 34.5 25 SINK BASE, 2 DOORS, HINGES NEED TO BE FIXED
15 34.5 13 SINGLE DOOR
15 34.5 13 SINGLE DOOR
15 34.5 13 SINGLE DOOR

30 36 13 2 DOORS
36 24 13 RANGE HOOD
18 24 13 LEFT DOOR
18 24 13 RIGHT DOOR
18 24 13 LEFT DOOR
24 24 13 RIGHT DOOR
18 24 13 LEFT DOOR
21 30 13 RIGHT DOOR

What a gorgeous set — and a great find for some lucky retro renovator. Mega thanks to Craigslist seller Ron for allowing us to feature the fabulous photos of his vintage golden St. Charles kitchen cabinets.

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Six+ years of blogging the retro, and this is the first time we’ve ever seen one of these: A Youngstown Kitchens hutch. Spotted for sale on our Forum. Yes, apparently this was a purpose-built design — not something cobbled together. Reason we think so: The decorative back splash of the hutch is steel — yes, the part that is painted out to look like tile and which sports the Youngstown label. This is a great little piece of steel kitchen cabinet history.

Like I said, this piece was posted for sale on our Forum. The main ad is on craiglist. Who’s going to buy it!!!???

The piece is in Nashville. The ad says:

I have an original 1950s Youngstown Kitchen hutch red and white.

The front left door needs a new screw to hold door on, and the red top has blemishes from normal wear and tear. The top and bottom separate.

It’s in fantastic shape for its age. I have yet to find anything like this, make me an offer. Email if interested.

In my followup email to get better photos, and permission to use them, the owner told me:

Hiya! Yes, the “tile” is metal. I’ll get more photos just as soon as I can. I actually found this at a yard sale in Delaware.

I LOVE this era, and I can’t find anything about Youngstown hutch’s on the web. Nothing! So I thought I might have a rare piece on my hands…

Note: The chrome pulls on this vintage hutch are an earlier style of Youngstown. I’d need to go find my catalogs and work to identify the date when the switch was made to the chevrons (see below).

The hutch — in wood — or as a Hoosier cabinet — was such a longtime kitchen staple that trying it out in steel makes perfect sense. I am mostly surprised we haven’t seen more of them.

Rare Youngstown sink

Remember this other Youngstown woddity (wonderful-oddity) discovered a ways back? The Youngstown Servi-Center:

I can only surmise that: Youngstown Kitchens was such a big company (the biggest them all), that they experimented with items such as this.

Cool.

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Thanks to reader Maire on Save The Pink Bathrooms, who alerted us to this site — Faucets & Fixtures Overstock — as a good potential place to vintage vintage Kohler kitchen and bathroom sinks, faucets, color toilet seats, and more.   While many of these pieces may not be old enough to be called “vintage” yet, there are many interesting designs and colors. Lots of porcelain on cast iron, my favorite. The prices look pretty good. And, well, anything rejected by the mass market… interests me!  Some of my favorites: The “Julienne” kitchen sink above is very tantalizing, given its mini drainboards…

Above: You can still get the famed Lady Vanity bathroom sink in lots of colors — although not in white. This sink, recently discontinued by Kohler, is one of my all-time favorites.

Above: The famed Man Lav bathroom sink, too. Again, not white — but you can get Heron Blue and many other colors and off-whites.

Lots more on Faucets & Fixtures Overstock, check it out.

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A common question among owners of vintage kitchen cabinets: Where to find replacement parts to fix drawer roller guides and the like?  I didn’t know, but now, reader Suz over on our steel kitchen cabinet buy/sell Forum has suggested a place for these parts: Swisco. I jumped over the site and the its and bits of plastic are confusing to me (the drawers on my vintage kitchen cabinets work fine. Jinx). But I will take Suz’s word. She has vintage St. Charles kitchen cabinets — and Swisco had the parts she needed: “I solved the replacement drawer roller problem- call Swisco,” she said. Thanks, Suz!

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A short pause today, to reflect upon and ogle the linoleum pattern that we believe was The Single Most Popular resilient floor pattern in midcentury American houses: Armstrong No. 5352. So far in my research, I have found No. 5352 in Armstrong catalogs as early as 1935 and reader Scott says that it was still being sold at Sears in the mid-1990s! That is quite a run!

Originally, Armstrong No. 5352 was available as real-deal “Embossed Inlaid Linoleum”. I am pretty sure that later in its life, it was available made from other materials such as vinyl/vinyl composites. I have been reading Jane Powell’s excellent book, Linoleum (affiliate link) and now am beginning to understand and study vintage linoleum more extensively. “Inlaid” means that workers actually sifted different color mixtures — up to 38 different colors per design! — onto the linoleum-sheet-in-progress. “Embossed” means that the entire piece was then pressed to create texture — in thes case of No. 5352, the divits suggesting grout. Incredible workmanship required for such a “humble” material. Let’s take a look at the complete process of making Embossed Inlaid linoleum and at additional historic images of Armstrong No. 5352–>

Here’s more detail on how embossed inlaid linoleum was manufactured, as described by Armstrong in 1949 (above):

1. WIDE COLOR RANGE: As many as 38 colors may be used in a single design of Embossed Inlaid. The use of mottled colors creates unusually rich effects. Armstrong’s Embossed Inlaid Linoleum patterns have long been famous for their wide color range and their subtle shading.
2. DISTINCTIVE DESIGN: A finely granulated mix is sifted through stencils onto the backing material. The intricate stencil shapes reproduce every line of the artist’s design and make possible the beautiful patterns available…
3. KEYED TO BACKING: An adhesive coat on the burlap or felt backing helps to bond the mix and backing securely together under the pressure and heat of the giant presses.
4. DURABILITY: Under the repeated pressings, the granulated linoleum mix is formed into a dense, unified sheet. After the final pressing and long baking in the maturing stoves, Embossed Inlaid has the long-wearing quality for which Armstrong’s Linoleum is known.
5. STREAMLINE EMBOSSING: The top face of this press has an embossing plate which depresses parts of the design, creating a textured effect…. The unique streamlining of Armstrong’s embossing assures ease of cleaning.

Precautionary Pam notes: I also want to relate that in her book, Powell says that while linoleum is known today for its use of renewable resources (cork, linseed oil, namely), heavy metals such as lead may have been used in the manufacturer of old linoleum. In particular, she points out that lead and other heavy metals such as cadmium and chromium may have been used in the pigments used for coloration. So — Precautionary Pam repeats: Be sure to test the materials in your old houses for vintage nastiness like lead, asbestos and more — get with your own properly licensed professional to determine what’s in your house and its layers, so that you can make informed decisions about how to handle.

Armstrong linoleum available in 1935

Armstrong 5352 — why was it so popular?

Back to Armstrong 5352: Why was it so popular? I will theorize that 5352 resonated for decades because so many American kitchens were “traditional” in overall character, year in and year out. This floor design — with its warm, essentially neutral colors — and with its evocation of timeless brick flooring — would have fit into many a kitchen.

Armstrong pointed to its versatility, describing it as a “Tile effect with a warm informal look. Good choice for a small room, hall, den, kitchen, living room, or dining room.”

In 1955, another colorway

And we see variations, such as this Dutch Colonial delight.

I am pretty sure that 5352 lasted well into the 1970s, at a minimum. By then, the material likely changed to vinyl or some sort of vinyl composite; test this old stuff and adhesives underneath for vintage nastiness such as lead and asbestos, too, please. To be sure, I can envision it successfully complementing dark wood cabinets and avocado and harvest gold appliances, too. Armstrong No. 5352 had legs. Oh, how it wish it were still available today!

In a bathroom, circa 1956

These old linoleum floors — amazingly amazing.

Thanks to archive.org and the MBJ collection for making these images available via creative commons license.

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Jonathan and Catherine

Reader Catherine and her husband Jonathan loved the original steel kitchen cabinets and tiled walls in their 1950 Cape Cod kitchen, but the room was feeling tired and needed some freshening up. After seeing Pam’s story recommending Azrock flooring as an authentic 1950s style floor choice, Catherine knew it was the right fit for her kitchen. After installing the new floor, painting their original Geneva cabinets, and adding new butcher block counter tops and a stainless steel sink — Catherine and Jonathan’s kitchen is ready for its close up.

Catherine writes:

Hi! A while back I saw a recommendation on your website for Azrock flooring for authentic 50s kitchen rehabs. You also stated that you’d like photos of completed renovations using this kind of flooring.

Our kitchen renovation, using Azrock Raw Silk, is complete– and it looks great! We also spray painted our original Geneva cabinets in the kitchen to coordinate, and added a butcher block counter top plus drainboard sink (both from IKEA), to complete that 50s feel.

The house was built in 1950 (a Cape Cod, probably what you might call “colonial-revival”), and I believe all the tile in the kitchen and the bathroom is original to the house.  The walls are all plaster, so it would be an incredible feat to even try and rip the tile out to recreate it.

The tile in the kitchen is pure white, and the 4×4 backsplash extends throughout the room.  The man we hired to spray paint the cabinets said that the cabinets were originally white in color.

There were one or two broken tiles in the kitchen when we moved in. We weren’t able to find a 4×4 tile the exact same shade of white in the store, but when we moved the cabinets out to paint them, we just carefully removed one of the intact tiles behind the where the cabinetry had been and used that as our replacement.

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions on rehabbing we’ve received from your site.  It’s been an incredible resource of ideas for us!

(Also, we live in a St. Louis suburb, so finding missing hardware for our Geneva cabinets online locally here hasn’t been a problem either…)

Thanks,
Catherine

Catherine and Jonathan — you did a great job breathing new life into your kitchen. Everything looks terrific — including vintage Geneva kitchen cabinets, the counter tops, the floors…. and it is very cool to see those original, ceramic tiled walls — we don’t showcase those often enough. Kudos to you for a Retro Renovation well done — and thanks for sharing  your results with all of us.

The post Catherine & Jonathan revive their vintage Geneva cabinets in this retro fresh remodel appeared first on Retro Renovation.

If you’re on the lookout for a drop-in drainboard sink for your vintage kitchen remodel, we’ve just spotted five new options for you to consider. The sinks come in a variety of configurations, materials and colors.One particular sink model comes in 36 different colors — ranging from neutrals, bold brights and pastel pinks, greens and yellows. Heck, we even found a drop-in drainboard laundry sink available in 36 colors to match. With more and more options on the market today, there hasn’t been this kind of selection for decades.

Up until recently, Nelson’s has offered two models of drainboard, farmhouse style sinks, authentic reproductions of vintage originals now available in acrylic. We’ve just learned that they’ve since added two more models — both variations on their original offerings — bringing their total styles of reproduction drainboard sinks available up to four. The first new model — a variation on their 1940s drainboard sink — has double drainboards and a central sink and sells for $790 with free shipping.

Nelson’s second new sink model is a midcentury style single bowl drainboard sink with integral backsplash — modeled from an original back in the day design. It sells for $695 with free shipping. Lovely!

The Karran drop-in double bowl drainboard sink is made of acrylic and retails for $366 on Amazon (*affiliate link), free shipping.  Available in white or bisque, this is an affordable drainboard sink option. However, it looks like this sink doesn’t have holes for the faucet, which means you will have to have a solid surface or tile countertop or install a wall-mounted faucet. (We don’t think that installing deck-mounted faucets into laminate is a a great idea, due to all the water that typically accumulates around the base of a faucet.)

Another new option is this Blanco sink (*affiliate link) lists for $933 plus shipping. While this model has the lovely drainboard — and appears to be made of a composite including hard rock granite — it is not what we’d describe as “retro” in style. Still, we’ll put it out there for you. This model is available in eight neutral colors — but also has the drawback of no faucet holes — limiting counter top options.

Another new option — this CorStone Wakefield Double Bowl Drainboard sink  *affiliate link) comes in a 36 colors — including pale yellow, greens, pinks and even a bluish lavendar. This sink is made of acrylic and sells for  $468.75 (*affiliate link) with free shipping (some colors may be an extra charge).  One note — a review on Wayfair.com gave this sink low marks for difficult installation.

Also of note — the CorStone Hamilton Laundry Sink (*affiliate link), prices starting at $258 — with three holes for a deck mounted faucet — appears to come in all of the same colors as the kitchen sink. So if your laundry room is right off the kitchen, and you like colorful matching sinks, this might be just what you’ve been looking for.

To see all our information about both new and vintage drainboard sinks — visit our Farmhouse drainboard sink page, which spotlights all the following sinks — and more!:

The post Five new options for farmhouse kitchen drainboard sinks — including a design with 36 colors! appeared first on Retro Renovation.

Retro-sleuth Wendy reminded me this week that, howdy do heck yeah: All The Best Stuff’s In St. Louis. Wendy’s clever reminder: She avidly scopes vintage steel kitchen cabinets for sale in St. Louis, and over the course of 22 days, she spotted 22 kitchens. It’s a veritable Show-Me state smorgasbord of 1950s steel cabinet manufacturers, including: Geneva, Kelvinator, Beauty Queen, Crane, GE (Republic?), Elgin, St. Charles, Youngstown, Sears Harmony House, and a mystery brand that may date to 1921. 

Okay, we take literary license for effect. Wendy acknowledges that it was 22 kitchens over the course of 30 days, and I played right along. But “22 in 22″ is just too fun to write.

Here is her list, originally posted on our Forum, where readers and sellers track the vintage steel kitchen cabinets that can be bought and sold across America.

Wendy wrote:

St. Louis: 22 days, 22 kitchens:

Well, more like 30 days, but the title sounded better w/22

1. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/for/4044255775.html
2. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/4009449728.html
3. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/for/4044181393.html [looks like they sold]
4. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/clt/4025733807.html
5. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/3984048760.html
6. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/for/4004257315.html
7. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/3987577985.html
8. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/for/4013010382.html
9. http://columbiamo.craigslist.org/hsh/4043268757.html
10. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/atq/4018705731.html
11. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/4034532241.html [looks like they sold]
12. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/fuo/4013596186.html
13. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/mat/3978897793.html
14. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/mat/4021722244.html
15. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/mat/4002668465.html
16. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/atq/4001456287.html
17. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/atq/3959515068.html
18. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/3978199692.html
19. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/app/3999539525.html
20. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/atq/3970612759.html
21. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/for/3970644324.html
22. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/4029285968.html

THANK YOU, Wendy, you ROCK!

Where I ogle more St. Louis vintage treasures

To get an inside view of the vintage treasures uncovered daily in St. Louis, I read Mr. Modtomic.  I do not think he sleeps. I am quite impressed.

I may need to move to St. Louis yet.

The post 22 kitchens in 22 days: All the best stuff’s in St. Louis appeared first on Retro Renovation.

Do you want or need new kitchen cabinets? I share my opinions on sourcing the best quality kitchen cabinets for the money. 

How would I approach getting new kitchen cabinets, in what order? If you are a longtime reader of this blog, you will probably not be surprised by my #1 recommendation.  Here goes:

1. Reconsider the need for new kitchen cabinets at all.

   If you have an older house with its original kitchen cabinets, those old cabinets may be of better quality than any “affordable” new cabinets available today.  If your existing kitchen cabinets are sturdy and still serviceable, there are numerous ways to give them new life. This would help you avoid significant, unnecessary spending, not to mention the stress of a major renovation. Can you work with your cabinets? Refinish them if the wood is nice… Or repaint them… If  the doors and drawers have decorative moldings and you want to go for a glazed look, try a solution like Rust-oleum Cabinet Transformations… Then, swap out the cabinet hardware for a fresh new/old look. Other ideas: Add glass-front doors to some of the wall cabinets, or take some doors off some of the wall cabinets for an open look.

   Remember, Reality Check:  You typically do not make your money back on remodeling projects — plan your spending with care.
   

2. Shop for vintage steel kitchen cabinets.

   This is the route I took. The 1975 melamine cabinets in my 1951 kitchen were literally falling apart. I learned about vintage steel kitchen cabinets and went on a five-year hunt. I finally found my 1963 aquamarine Genevas, original finish, in great shape in a cooking school formerly run by nuns. I bought 67 cabinets for $3,000. I installed a bunch of them and then sold the leftovers on ebay for $2,500. And did you catch that: My cabinets are STEEL. Like Superman. With steel roll-out shelves. These cabinets will outlive me. Heck, barring a flood, they will live FOREVER.

   Want to learn more about vintage steel kitchen cabinets? I have dozens of stories about vintage steel kitchen cabinets here on the blog. We also have a Forum focused on buying/selling steel cabinets – we’ve identified more than 75 vintage brands. Youngstown steel cabinets were the biggest-selling brand, so will be the most plentiful today. But St. Charles steel cabinets (shown in the photo above, 1941) are the best-of-the-best. The St. Charles’ were made of even heavier steel than my Genevas. They are something. Still, many of the other brands are wonderful — and will do the trick just fine. Searching out steel kitchen cabinets can be a chore. And then, you may need to have them repainted at additional expense. But dollar-for-dollar, I can’t imagine finding any better quality kitchen cabinets for your money, especially for a mid century house or any house with a kitchen being done with vintage flair.

3. For new wood cabinets, read the research on Consumer Reports.

   I am a ginormous fan of Consumer Reports. All of their testing is independent. They are not beholden to advertisers. They exist to serve their subscribers. Whenever I am in the buying mode for big stuff, I buy an online subscription, so I can research like a maniac. It makes my decision-making process so much easier. Right now, they do not show any brand-by-brand tests of kitchen cabinets. But they do have an article about what kind of construction to look for if you are looking for new wood kitchen cabinets. So read up. Note, though, that their #1 recommendation is same as mine: Can you work with the cabinets you have?

Readers, what is the situation with your kitchen cabinets?
Do you have experience to share with others?

The post The best quality kitchen cabinets for your money appeared first on Retro Renovation.

Thanks to readers Nanette and Jim — who after finishing their blue tiled bathroom and adjoining laundry room remodel — let us know about the availability of Thermocast acrylic sinks. Thermocast makes 29 different colors of acrylic sinks in a large number of sizes and styles for your bathroom, kitchen and utility room.

(Note, the website shows 32 colors, but my contact at Thermocast tells me that they have discontinued three of the colors shown on their site.) Nanette and Jim used the Thermocast Kensington acrylic drop-in sink in their laundry room area. The found the sink online at Home Depot, where it cost just $107. This discovery gives those of us who dream of colorful sinks for our retro home one more option to consider.

Not only are there 29 colors to choose from, but Thermocast’s sinks come in 18 designs for the kitchen, 17 styles for the bathroom, and 5 styles of utility sinks. That’s a whole lotta sink options.

From the Thermocast website:

Headquartered in Woodstock, Georgia, just north of Atlanta… The Thermocast cast acrylic division manufactures sinks for kitchen, entertainment, activity and laundry areas, as well as bath lavatories. Combining form, function, beauty and utility — Thermocast products are of the highest style and quality.

Cast acrylic home products are unique and highly decorative in a stunning range of decorator colors, and ultimately practical with stain free, easy to clean and carefree acrylic surfaces. For these “high traffic” areas of the kitchen, utility room and bath — cast acrylic is the most practical solution.

Since our corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility is in metro Atlanta, we ship to any part of the world easily. Our lead time is five working days for standard orders and five working days for special color orders, giving the customer access to stock in a timely manner.

Thermocast also lists the features and benefits of their cast acrylic sinks on their website:

• Lightweight — The whole sink is lightweight compared to many other sinks. That doesn’t mean it won’t last just as long. In fact, the acrylic surface is just as durable and the construction just as long lasting.
• Easy to install — We ship our sinks pre-cut and pre-drilled to fit in place. You choose the installation process and your contractor will recommend self-rimming, undercounter or tile-edge options for the final look.
• Colors, colors, colors — We offer a color palette of over 30 colors (now 29) from white white to black and a huge selection in between. You can be as traditional or as fashionably stylish as you wish.
• Colorfast & stain resistant — Our sinks will not fade or dull in sunlight, and will keep their brilliant shine for the life of your kitchen.
• Durability — The surface is solid. Acrylic’s hard non-porus finish is ideal for clean up areas.
• Easy to clean — Our solid surfaces are highly resistant to mildew or algae, they are easy to clean without any extra scrubbing and you can use any non-abrasive kitchen cleaning product.

See all 29 colors for Thermocast acrylic sinks via our slide show:

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:

The post See all 29 colors for Thermocast acrylic kitchen, bathroom and utility sinks appeared first on Retro Renovation.

Fellow retro geeks, here’s look at a brand of steel kitchen cabinets that we don’t see too often in the wild: Beautycraft kitchen cabinets made by Miller Metal Products. Thanks to reader Janet for spotting this set of cheery yellow vintage steel kitchen cabinets, currently for sale on craigslist in Charleston, West Virginia. The set comes with equally fabulous vintage GE appliances, in that same sunny shade.

We’ve seen this brand just once before, in green, in Dallas. The sink cabinets, brand-to-brand, almost always an important key to identification.

From the Craigslist listing:

MINT condition, vintage yellow metal cabinets made by Miller Metal Products in the 1960′s. Matching Mint condition General Electric appliances. Double oven, electric range with controls in the hood, refrigator with bottom freezer and swing out drawers. Fully operational

Since there weren’t any visible markings on the cabinets, Pam asked me to ask the seller if there were any emblems or tags identifying the cabinets. The seller emailed me back quickly, writing:

Hello Kate,

Great to hear from you! The cabinets are in great shape and I believe they would be a great find for someone looking for that style-any exposure would be greatly appreciated as being in WV makes it tough to get the word out sometimes!

I have attached the logo from the inside of the cabinet. I did some research on Miller Metal Products, Inc. (now out of business, not sure when) out of Baltimore, MD, and what I found was somewhat interesting. I found the info in a volume of Industrial Research from 1960 in google books. It seems these cabinets were made in the late 50s to early 60s. Originally, Miller Metal Products, Inc. primary business was the manufacturing of missile components, weapons and other related military equipment. My only guess is that they shifted their focus to manufacturing cabinets and other metal products as well as or in place of military weaponry.

Check out the range hood — it has a “tiled” effect to match the backsplash. Neat. And: Grab The Counter Tops, Too!!!!

The seller also sent me a close up of those cabinet handles — with a basket-weave texture. We do not believe these are original.

Currently, we have identified more than 70 brands of steel kitchen cabinets over on our Forum to buy and sell metal kitchen cabinets. Right now, Miller Metal cabinets and Beautycraft cabinets are identified as separate brands. We now tend to believe they are one in the same, although the Beautycraft brand label was perhaps used only at certain times??? This is our educated guess.

The post Beautycraft kitchen cabinets made by Miller Metal Products appeared first on Retro Renovation.

Since my first story, I also did more research on the stove. It is not a 1958 model. It is a 1962 (at earliest) Caloric Heritage range, part of the Ultramatic family, I guess.

The speed bumps along my road to acquire Mildred, my 1962 Caloric Heritage vintage stove dream, led me straight into a concrete wall — so much so that I have completely given up the idea of putting a vintage gas range into my kitchen. Blame it on tenacious research… my desire to do things all legal-beagle…  and rules and regulations promulgated by the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Oh. And introducing: The BS-o-Meter. Please pardon my language, it is not typical of my overall approach to this blog, but some days you just gotta let one fly (double entendre intended):

I am not one to linger over losses, so let me summarize my quest-for-the-Caloric and how it came to a definitive dud of an end:

• In my first story, I explained how after many years of living with an electric stove, I finally decided to appease DH and find a gas range instead. Of course, for me, only a vintage wonder would do.
• Within a few weeks of serious searching, I found the exceptionally wonderful vintage 1962 Caloric Heritage 40″ range, shown above, about an hour away. I went to see her. I loved her. I named her Mildred. I gave the seller a check for $100 to hold her for me while I did some more checking to ensure she was street-legal and while I looked for someone to help me get her home. Said seller was a super person. I know he went out of his way to accommodate me after I explained I was a retro blogger so excited about this potential addition to my kitchen. He held off on returning other phone calls expressing interest. ACK! I should have told him, do what you gotta do to sell this beauty, I might run into a brick wall. Which I did.
• At one point, I had it all arranged that my friend Ron was going to get the stove for me. I was gonna have him drop it in my garage, and then I would figure out whatever I needed to do to ensure it was okay to install. I thought I knew the key issue: Automatic Safety Pilot. I thought I knew this because I had encountered this issue / done this research before, before we renovated the kitchen even. (Alas, that was another long story involving lost money, lost hours, no stove in the end.)  Back to this  story, at the last minute Ron had a big conflict and could not get the stove.

  Look at the attention to detail on this stove: I am holding a little “Gold Star Award” outlet cover that fits right over that outlet on the instrument panel. Amazing.

• So then I found an appliance repair professional whose business was near the location of the stove. He was game to help me. I made another appointment to see the stove, with him along. He was going to hook up the gas and with me, we’d check the stove out including ensuring the automatic safety pilot was AOK. Once that was confirmed, and assuming the stove worked in general, he’d haul it to my house and hook it up here, too. Alas. Our 10 a.m. meeting was delayed more than an hour while he finished up another job. I had to go kill time by eating breakfast. And then, when he arrived, he could not get the gas connected. The trip was a bust. I paid him anyway, bye bye $125. I was away from home for six hours.
• Meanwhile, two days before, I had been on the phone trying to figure out the automatic safety pilot issue. I found some helpful experts to talk to. They told me what to look for on the stove to ascertain whether it had an automatic safety pilot. But they also mentioned that in Massachusetts, regulations were stricter and that electronic ignition may be required. What?
• You know how sometimes when you are rushing rushing rushing, you don’t pay attention to important details and then finally, when you are able to slow down, they pop into your head and scream, “Pay attention to me, you doofus!” Well, I had been working flat out, tending to various other urgencies, for six entire days prior to that second trip to see the stove. On my drive home from that trip — when the crush of my “to do” list was finally lifting — and deflated by the thought of having to return a third time after my new repairman got a plumbing friend to help get the gas on — I started mulling that electronic ignition issue. Thinking: Okay, so maybe I’d better figure that out.
• So when I got home, I called my local plumbing inspector. Who I know quite well, he has done work at my house. He called back and initially said the key need was that “oven can’t be match lit.” That’s the automatic safety pilot issue. But then I asked him about Massachusetts and electronic ignition. He checked with the state and sure enough, they will not let any gas appliance be hooked up unless it has a state authorization number or some such. Which I am pretty darn sure a 1962 Caloric Heritage stove does not have.
• I am done. I will not install a gas appliance in my house that is not properly and legally installed. In particular, because my house is worth a lot of dough re mi. If something ever blows up, I don’t want to be on the wrong side of an insurance claim.
• The seller was waaaaay nicer than he had to be. Even though I told him I’d give him his money — I dragged this out so long — he gave me back my deposit. He has some good karma built up, that’s for sure. Namaste, Ted, namaste.

What will I do now? I guess I could still buy Mildred, find someone to retrofit her with an electronic ignition system or whatever Massachusetts tells me I need to do. But, golly, no, my head has already exploded. The bullshit-o-meter is topped out, and it will take some time for me to get back to Lysol Fresh territory before I pursue any new epic. I will Love The Stove I Have.

Yes, Mildred, I will see you in the next life. We will griddle and rotisserie and meat thermometer and otherwise have way more fun cooking together than cooking was ever meant to be.

*hissy fit*

The post I will meet you again in another lifetime, Mildred, my 1962 Caloric Heritage dream appeared first on Retro Renovation.

Poking around my vintage marketing materials last week, I bumped into yet another counter top material used in post-World-War II kitchens. I have a complete Youngstown Kitchen salesman set, and in the presentation binder, Mrs. America got a look at “Cusheen” vinyl counter tops, available in 10 colors. 

There are no dates on my sample set or the presentation flip board that goes with it, but I will estimate this material is circa-1950. When I research vintage counter tops from the 1940s and 1950s, I mostly see reference to linoleum (used in the 1940s and earlier) and then, laminates, which began to grow in popularity after World War II. But vinyl? That’s pretty rare, I believe.

In a different 1952 catalog from archive.org, shown above, ”Cusheen” is presented as an alternative linoleum. The text says that Cusheen is a “vinyl cabinet-top material, six laminated layers, bonded to sturdy steel subtops. Available in sizes for all Youngstown Kitchens units.” Warning, dear readers: Who knows what was baked into this stuff? Vintage nastiness such as lead and asbestos can be in the layers of our vintage houses — so be sure to engage with your own properly licensed professional(s) to assess what you have so that you can make informed decisions.

Interestingly, there is no mention of laminate in these Youngstown materials. By ’52, laminate would have been coming on strong. I surmise: Youngstown wanted to maximize their profits. They could make money on the counter top only when a homeowner bought their factory-produced counter top — which appears to have been designed specifically to hold the thickness of linoleum or Cusheen. Indeed, Youngstown’s counter tops were beautiful creations — note how the shiny front edge flows right into the counter top and then into the shiny metal backsplash; it appears to me that the counter top steel base could be all one piece?

These Youngstown Kitchens counter tops also were designed to be modular. You could add to your kitchen piece-by-piece, base cabinet and matching counter top included. Click on the photo above — it will enlarge — and you can better see the metal connector strips joining the different pieces of counter top. This connectibility concept enabled Youngstown to sell cabinets one at a time to thrifty homeowners wary of taking on credit.

Above: Readers Brian and Keri restored their vintage Youngstown Kitchen cabinets — they had these old-style counter tops. I wonder if the original material was Cusheen?

Brian replaced the old counter top material with Formica boomerang laminate in aquamarine (before it was discontinued).

Now that I know about Cusheen, I think I have it — or something like it — on a vintage dinette I recently bought at the Re-Store. The top of the dinette has a softer, somewhat cushier feel than laminate… it is not as “tappy”, either. I always wondered about the surface of the dinette. I like it. It is… buttery.

I wonder why Cusheen — and other vinyl counter tops — never made it in the market place.

The post “Cusheen” vinyl counter tops — a 1950s option for Youngstown Kitchens appeared first on Retro Renovation.

I love vintage and retro-style exhaust fans — the round kind that you install into the ceiling or on a wall. You can still get these fans from Nutone and Broan. But, today’s models come with white plastic grille covers. Getting a chrome cover is not impossible, though — and we now have two source. A few years ago, I found a satin chrome style cover, available from Nutone as a replacement part. And now, industrious reader Scott has found a bona-fide NEW OLD STOCK! chrome cover that he says will also fit the new Nutone/Broan fans still on the market. Even better! Continue for the secret sauce source and all the links to these fans and their retro grille covers –> 

The exhaust fan in my kitchen is still made today by Nutone/Broan. But until now, I only knew of where to get a satin-chrome-look grille cover as a replacement part. Now, Scott has discovered where you can get a New Old Stock Emerson Pryne chrome grille cover — even better!

The authentic, New Old Stock chrome cover is available from House of Fans. It was made by Emerson/Pryne (navigate to that page on the House of Fans website) – a famous maker back in the day. It is 12″ wide, costs $35, you need your own knob, and House of Fans told me last week they had lots of stock. Reader Scott says the cover will fit Broan/Nutone fan 504. And he gets major snaps for this hot tip — thanks, Scott!

Scott wrote:

This article was a lifesaver. Now I can have a fan with all the crazy air moving capacity of the newer models that will still look authentically mid-century.

So many great tips here, first that the Nutone 17707018 cover mates up with the Broan/Nutone 504 which is still available. Also priceless was the help I got from House of Fans which hooked me up with the aluminum filters as well as (options!) they have a chrome Emerson cover that also mates up with the 504.

Color me crazy but I have both on the way since I need kitchen and bathroom fans. I’d have never figured any of this out on my own. Thank you!

Note, Scott refers to model 504 — that is Broan’s fan. Nutone and Broan are now owned by the same company. Nutone also makes similar fans. The key: Check grille cover size and design to ensure the House of Fans NOS Emerson Pryne will fit…

Buying a retro exhaust fan and grille cover

For clarity, here are key links, reiterated:

• Buy a Nutone exhaust fan
• Buy a Broan exhaust fan
• Satin chrome replacement grille cover
• Vintage New Old Stock Emerson/Pryne chrome grille cover from House of Fans – once on their page, look for the Emerson/Pryne link
• All of our stories about exhaust fans, here on Retro Renovation

Check sizes first! Looks like Nutone and Broan have a number of models to choose from — you will want to ensure either of the two replacement grille covers fits.

The post Big find: NOS chrome Emerson Pryne exhaust fan grille covers available from House of Fans appeared first on Retro Renovation.

To date we have identified more than 75 different brands of vintage steel kitchen cabinets manufactured and sold back in the day. Today, a look at some photos of a brand we rarely see, these 1952 Palley cabinets were found on the Pittsburgh Craigslist. 

From the Craigslist post:

Just removed original 1952 steel kitchen cabinets. One coat of paint (visible surfaces) since original paint. Virtually no dents in visible areas. You haul away…best offer.

Mega thanks to Craigslist seller Eric for letting us feature his photos on our archive — we hope this rare set finds a new loving home.

The post Another rare steel kitchen cabinet sighting — Palley appeared first on Retro Renovation.