Retro Accents
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Become a fanKitchens – Countertops
When folks move into new/old 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s or 1970s homes, it seems like one of the biggest and most common needs is to update materials in the kitchen that are on their last legs. In general, if you have a laminate countertop that is in good shape, I’d say: Keep it. Or [...]
I’ve written before about the Ralph Sr. and Sunny Wilson House in Temple, Texas – an amazing showcase of the innovative use of laminate that was built by the head of Wilsonart in the 1950s. The Wilson House is the the first and only home that has ever been named to the National Register of [...]
ALAS: DISCONTINUED! The website says that these are for “contract” jobs — that is, interior designers working on commercial projects. But hey, if you really like these retro laminate choices, go after Nevamar and get them! Remember: The only way to do these…is to pair them with authentic steel countertop and backsplash edging available from [...]
As follow up to my post yesterday – with a round up of all the laminates for bathroom counters that are on my radar today – I also recently found this great little history of laminate in the 1950s, from Wilsonart. 2011 update, Wilsonart has taken story down, but here are a few highlights: Laminate [...]
The most popular laminate design in mid century America? Boomerang Formica? Nope, guess again. According to materials expert Grace Jeffers, the most popular design was actually linen. You know what I’m talking about — that kind of tight-to-medium-weave with nubblies stuff. I had it both my bathrooms with vanities. In pistachio green = absolutely iconic. [...]
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Hi. What a great place. I have a different view on the kitchen — I’m inclined to think that the wainscotting is from the 60s/70s, and was added at the same time as the floor and the stove. I don’t really know about the age of the cabinets, but I do really like them a lot, particularly the scalloped decoration and the shelves around the sink.
I am all for keeping material that is in good shape, but, as Trish points out, the floor is pretty dark. It’s a good thing the cabinets are white, or that would be a really dark kitchen. I think I would replace the ceiling fan with something not so “Victorian.” (I hate ceiling fans, but my husband loves them and we put plain white ones in our kitchen/dining room. Ugh. Oh well, you gotta compromise sometimes!)
The porcelain sink sitting on the counter — I don’t know what to guess about it, other than, I am really glad that I have seen it. We considered doing something like this in our kitchen, and I am really glad we didn’t! (No offense, Trish.) We found a sink just like that at a yard sale and we love it, but, we just could not get it to fit right in the cabinets we found. The only way we could have used them together would be to do something like what is pictured, putting the sink on top of a counter. Instead, we stuck the porcelain sink in the garage, and found a stainless steel sink that sits down in the counter, and that looks better with our cabinets. Who knows, maybe a previous owner had a similar situation in this kitchen — they found a sink and cabinets and were just trying to get them to work together. I think I would keep it as is, as a wonderful retro example of “making do.”
SS – I agree with you, that the paneling came later, too. And I agree with Stephan that the cabinets could well be original. Your thesis, that the homeowners popped the porcelain sink top on later is also quite plausible. And I love your idea of keeping the whole thing as is – in memory of the whole process. “Apocryphal” is the word that comes to mind…not sure I’m using (or spelling!) it correctly but a interesting word to throw around every once in a while.