Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style
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postwar homes – “modern” and “modest” alike.
I'm Pam Kueber, your mid mod mad guide. Read more
Spotted these pink St. Charles’ on craigslist, and have invited the seller to post to the Postwar Steel cabinet Forum. These photos are pretty bad, but I wanted to show them in particular to spotlight the use of glass block as backsplash. If your architecture is amenable, how terrific! I like the look of that stove, too. In Kansas City.
For either kitchen or, especially, bathroom countertops, I believe that Carrara marble laminates are an authentic vintage choice. I blinded myself searching for them among the 8 retailers of laminate in the U.S. today. The number-one choice, I think, is going to be from Wilsonart — their White Carrara, shown above. Read on for some [...]
Many thanks to Whitney, who just tipped me that Wilsonart has introduced 11 new colors of boomerang laminate. There now are a total of 14 colorways — the most of any manufacturer. I am quite liking the “butterscotch” above — looks like you could use this in a kitchen with yellow kitchen cabinets. There is [...]
I just got off the phone with George from New York Metals – purveyors of the stainless steel edging to true to 40s 50s and 60s kitchen countertops. The recent question on the table has been: How to bend my preferred “Snap-On Molding” (in photo above) for rounded edges – be they quarter-round cubbies or [...]
In my recent story about authentic 1950s 1960s and 1970s kitchen remodeling products still made today, I spotlighted Elkay Lustertone stainless steel drainboard sinks — made back in the day and still available today. Over the past year, I’ve been in touch with a reader who was preparing to install a new Elkay sink top [...]
I spotted this vintage salesman’s sample showing different styles of metal edging for a kitchen countertop, and it reminded me that I wanted to do a story showcasing some other varieties beyond the stainless steel edging that I used for my kitchen. First off, thanks to Hard to Find House Parts for letting me share [...]
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Concrete block – a favorite retro material, of course 
Butcher block laminate — a ’72 classic 
Time capsule St. Charles wood kitchen for sale in metro Chicago – great appliances, Railite cool countertop 
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It’s fun to see great kitchens like this. But sad to know the owners are going to rip it out in favor of some bland particle board cabinets and granite counter tops.
I would love to have this kitchen.
Hello,
I am custom cabinet maker in Old Town Virginia, and I have client who will be selling a full kitchen load of St Charles cabinets. They are a mint green..
if anyone is interested…contact me . as of now I do not have photos but can get VERY quickly. The cabs as, I remember are in very good condition.
BTW..they will NOT be replaced with BLAND particle board anything…
ask me for pix of MY kitchens…!!!
Hi iain, we have an entire Forum dedicated to buying/selling vintage steel kitchen cabinets – you can list the St. Charles’ for sale there — http://retrorenovation.com/forum/