New Mid-Century Style Appliances Create Authenticity

I’ve been working on some renovations of our little lake house in Hartwell, Georgia for several years.  It’s been a labor of love, and I drag my feet finishing the work because so much of the fun is in the process.  The house we bought was a flat-roofed shack on a spectacular lot that faces the big waters of Lake Hartwell and though initially an ugly duckling, she had a huge stone fireplace made from stones pulled from along the lakeshore, wood ceilings, original cabinets, and an old white enamel cast iron sink with integrated drainboard.   She was mine as soon as I pulled into the driveway.  I could see the swan.

As we waited for our closing date, we talked a lot about how we wanted to feel when we were in the house and what we wanted our guests to experience.  We discovered that our fondest memories were of being kids growing up in the 1960’s when a kid could sleep in the back of the station wagon all the way to Myrtle Beach, when your grandmother made sure to have homemade Jam, fried apples and bologna on the stove when you arrived,  when we looked forward to the annual school carnival with almost as much anticipation as Christmas, when we rolled on shady grass to cool off on a hot summer day, and when eating a piece of salted watermelon with your Dad was a little slice of heaven that could change the course of your day.

So we decided to create a space reflective of those days complete with old pennants found in a trunk my mom kept of my childhood memorabilia, a pair of old gas tank covers we found in a barn facing demolition, a pastel of my mom’s childhood playhouse and even a souvenir plate from King’s Island. With each step it became more clear that our appliances were fighting against our end vision.   There was no black plastic-front refrigerator or stainless steel dishwasher in Granny’s home place.  In fact there was no dishwasher but I wasn’t ready to give up that little luxury.  I just had to figure out how to camouflage it.

And now I finally get around to Elmira Stove Works.   Elmira is a Canadian company that manufactures reproduction antique and 1950’s-style appliances.   Northstar is the 1950’s line of refrigerators, ranges, range hoods and dishwasher covers.  They even offer a keg refrigerator and their own interpretation of a retro microwave.  The appliances are offered in the best of the 1950’s colors:  Buttercup Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Robin’s Egg Blue, Mint Green, Candy Red, Black, Bisque and Quicksilver.

 

                             

 

 

So Granny would still be shocked by my microwave, even if it is a cheery Buttercup Yellow, and probably confused by my Mint Green dishwasher cover, since rubber gloves were the only dishwasher covers she ever needed.  She might even raise an eyebrow if she knew I had to bypass the gas range for it’s electric equal.   But when she opened that big Mint Green refrigerator and discovered an automatic ice maker…….I daresay I’d hear an “atta girl”!

         

 

 

 

 

Modern Green & Neutral with a splash of Bue

Green has to be the most versatile of all colors.   It goes traditional, modern, retro, rustic.  It looks good with browns, oranges, neutrals, blues, reds, pinks, purples…….The combinations are endless!

New Retro and Vintage Kitchens: The Oxymoron Edition

If we could really calculate how much of our time at home is spent in the kitchen I think we’d all be surprised.   Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks.  And that’s the bare minimum.   Have you ever hosted a party when people didn’t crowd into the kitchen?  They can’t be coaxed out of there with any form of snack tray!    And if your home is like mine, you may have a keeping room within the kitchen area.  We find ourselves relaxing in the kitchen keeping room far more than we would in the family room or living room.   And then there’s the open plan whereby the kitchen and family room are, in effect, one large room.  

My point is this:  If we’re spending most of our at-home time in the kitchen area, then that space needs to be representative of who we are, how we live and what we expect it to accomplish for us.   There are innumerable kitchen options in finishes, colors, countertops, cabinet styles, appliances and on and on, so there’s no reason your kitchen can’t be functional while still reflecting personality and attitude.

This week I want to focus on some great ideas for a Retro or Vintage style kitchen.   This style is not a rigid traditional style and leaves room for greater artistic license so open your hearts to the unexpected.

Source: designtheoryinteriors.com via Jamie on Pinterest

This is the dine-in area and keeping room of my own kitchen.   We love interesting finishes and mid-century elements and fell in love with this old laminate table and chairs in pale aqua.  We added small 1950’s accents with aqua lamps and an old clock and then contrasted with more contemporary leather chairs and barstools in dark brown finish.  The bar-height counter is concrete with flecks of glass in the same aqua color.    Cabinets were hand painted in a Japanese lacquer technique with a very high gloss finish in a subtle Taupe with off-white rubb-off

Source: kitchenisms.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I love what this homeowner accomplished in a very small apartment-size kitchen.    If the old metal cabinets are in decent shape, I would opt to keep them!  And a butcher block countertop is always in fashion!    The 1950’s style refrigerators can be purchased new these days.   Check out www.elmirastoveworks.com  or www.bigchillfridge.com.  If you’re a fan of Rachel Ray you’ll see Big Chill Fridge used in her studio kitchen.

Open shelving is a very strong vintage component and often the only way to create storage in small spaces.  Don’t forget to consider faucetry that follows the theme like this farmhouse faucet with porcelain accents.

Source: douglasfriedman.net via Jamie on Pinterest

How much fun is this?!?!  Check out that giant farmhouse sink!  And who doesn’t wish they had the nerve to do red painted cabinetry?  Glass cabine doors are a nice touch and with a vintage kitchen, you have permission to keep the shelves a little messy.   Black and white checked floors  highlight the cabinetry.  Introducing the rustic farm table and rush-seated spool chairs is a nice touch and shows that someone put some time and thought into selecting each piece.

Source: countryliving.com via Jamie on Pinterest

Pink!!!!!   Ok, that stove may or may not be operational, but even if it doesn’t cook,  it is comfortably at home in this kitchen.  It sets the tone of the space and can be used for storage.   Notice the use of the butcher block countertop again.  And how about those wonderful horizontal wide plank walls?!?

Source: kitchenisms.com via Jamie on Pinterest

OK, we don’t all have the bones of an old farmhouse to work with;  wide plank painted floors, exposed floor joists in the ceiling above, but we can still create the look.     First notice the cabinet finish:  white washed with rub-off areas give an immediate sense of age.  The central island is an old work table with what appears to be the original rustic wood top.  Very creative way to opt out of a traditional fabricated island.  Again with the butcher block countertops, farmhouse sink and farm faucets.   White gloss subway tiles for the backsplash are a throwback to the 1950’s.  And notice the mix of open shelving above and even below countertops.   The look of that old stove is not out of the question either;  take a look at www.aga-ranges.com  for cast iron cooking in brightly colored enamel cookers and ranges.

Source: None via Jamie on Pinterest

This kitchen has the feel of vintage with a sprinkling of modern.   LOVE the black and white parquetry floors and the black subway tile – WITH WHITE CAULK!!  The white cabinets are very simple in the vintage-style with open shelving and create a nice visual contrast.  But then take a look at that fabulous hood and the almost industrial-style light fixtures.   I love contrast whether in color or style and this really works!   Another thing to mention is the rustic wood bench.  It’s always nice to add some warm rustic wood tones in a retro/vintage style space.

Source: kitchen-design-ideas.org via Jamie on Pinterest

I had to show this space because it really captures the essence of the old general store.  Copper ceilings, zinc countertops, cup-style cabinet hardware and a vintage stove.    It’s very important to consider simplicity in cabinet style and design when working with a retro/vintage kitchen.  You won’t find the elaborate trims and moldings because this style is based on a much simpler lifestyle and time.

Source: kitchenisms.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I like this kitchen because it successfully combines some fairly traditional elements with bold colors, mismatched cabinetry, 1950’s components, and farmhouse details.   See?  Artistic license applied!

Source: kitchenisms.com via Jamie on Pinterest

This is someone with a great sense of creativity and an appreciation for the unconventional.   And it just feels good!    The countertop appears to be a big slab of stone!   The plate storage looks like  a pallet of some sort adapted for wall display.    The under counter doors are obviously mismatched pieces of old rustic wood.   But get a load of the contemporary molded plastic chairs.   Again . . . .I love the contrast.  It just works!