Retro Renovation

Larry in Vermont writes:

My wife and I bought this house last year and it has a really old kitchen in it. It has a sink that says Electric sink in chrome letters. The material on the wall looks like metal but it is not metal. It is like particle board underneath with a very stain and scratch resistant coating over the top. We have some cool recessed lights in the ceiling. The Stove, refrigerator and dishwasher have been updated but everything else is original. I don’t know much about this stuff and I am trying to get some info. The house was built in 1860 and has a ton of old stuff in it. We have original stain glass windows from 1860, cool lights from the early 1900’s and a really old cast iron sink but the kitchen is what really blows people away when they come into our house. I am looking into buying and old refrigerator and stove to match the rest of the kitchen. - Larry

Thanks for writing, Larry. Your cabinets look like Youngstown’s and the wall panels are Marlite or a similar brand.

These wall panels were quite a rage, it seems, in the 40s and into the 50s. I surmise that they were especially popular in older farmhouses where the walls were ‘imperfect’ but folks wanted to fix them in tandem with installing an all-new, modern kitchen.

Also, these panels may have evolved from high-end Carrera glass panels that were used in bathroom and kitchen walls in the deco period. Your wall panels are certainly a very interesting remant of the period - and long-lasting, to be sure. I hope you keep them!

It’s great that you are looking for a vintage stove and fridge. There are several modern-day fridges you might consider - a big topic on this blog, just search “Refrigerators” for the history. One more thought (though you didn’t ask!) - I think that linoleum floors from either Marmoleum or Armstrong would be perfect in your kitchen. And can we convince you re new/old laminate counters with stainless steel edging?

Tags: marlite 40s 50s wall panels

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