For anyone with a large single window in their 50s kitchen — and a pink, yellow or blue-green color scheme — this 72″ pinch pleat valance would be PERFECT.
- Put it on a rod that wraps around your horizontal 2″ blinds, or stretches in front of them from cabinet-to-cabinet or cubby-to-cubby.
Lori’s pink, blue and yellow retro kitchen: A whole lot of lovin’ fun! 
Embrace your Inner Traverse Rod — pinch pleat draperies are #1 for mid century homes 
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trying to get ideas to decorate my kitchen in retro. Love the melmac dinnerware. funky colors are awesome
Welcome, Karen. I hope that you find lots of ideas on the blog to help you – You can start with these page to start making your way though it. Good luck! See: http://retrorenovation.com/new-start-here/
I have a 1950 kitchen: Shirley cabinets, sink, counters, shelves, etc. I absolutely love it and we want to restore it; there is some rust along the cabinetry and so on. Any tips on how to proceed with this process? Sandblasting and powder coating perhaps? I know the sink will need to be reglazed. Any idea on how much this type of restoration costs?
Thanks,
Marcy Fleischman
Everett, Washington
Marcy, it’s advisable to consult with professionals on both these issues. For cabinets: check with powder-coaters and/or auto body shops – readers have reported luck there. I think that prices can vary widely… Good luck.
We just moved into a house that has not been updated since around the 40′s or 50′s. The kitchen has a lovely Tracy stainless steel sink with double drainboards. Cabinets are not that great, but the sink top is in excellent condition. It must be indestructable! Manufactured in Pittsburgh’s Northside by Tracy. Were these common at that time? Do you have any further info on the Tracy Company?
We’re in the neverending process of retro-renovating our kitchen to its 1940s hayday. Just for fun, I thought I’d make up some vintage aprons to hand on my jadite-knob apron pegs. Effie’s Quilt Shop, in Lindsborg, Kansas, offers genuine vintage patterns for aprons from the 1920s through the 1950s. She also offers vintage calicos and fabrics. I just finished making one, and while the assembly technique is authentically old school, the end result is delightful. All the instruction you need is included with the pattern. She also has many vintage tea towels and other kitchen linens which might be perfect for your older kitchen.
Check her out: just go to ebay.com and search for Effie’s Quilt Shop.
We just bought a home built in 1953. The kitchen has a turquoise double wall oven and sink, original maple cabinets with copper hardware, original copper oven hood etc. I don’t think the floor is original, some yucky vinyl. Any suggestions for what kind of floor to put in?
Gretchen, we have all the flooring recommendations on the Fast & Easy Flooring page – center column.
Hi,
We have a Shirley cabinet kitchen and are just looking at soda blasting the cabinets. We also are hoping to put in a dishwasher and realize that the kitchen sink cabinet is of a whole–hopefully we can move it 8-10 inches, remove the drawer cabinet to the left of it, and the D/W will go there. We will use the drawer cabinet elsewhere. Has anyone moved around your metal cabinets like we hope to do? We have removed some upper cabinets and those cabinets that were installed singly, but moving the kitchen under cabinet may or may not work. Any info is greatly appreciated.
Kateri
Nashua, NH
Hi,
I would like to purchase the valance that is being featured on the website but cannot seem to get into the link. Please send info on how to get the hydrangea pleated valance (72″).
Thanks,
Kateri
Kateri – that was a long time ago ebay listing…
My husband and I just bought a ranch (?) built circa 1954. Only one previous owner so everything is original, aqua and yellow main bathroom, dusty rose master bath, original kitchen cabinets and even the flooring is original, I think. When we bought it, everything was painted white, but I’ve seen bits of color popping out here and there. The thing is, we just sold our 1951 cape and that kitchen was screaming for red, now we move into this house and the kitchen is screaming “yellow!” As funny and weird as it may seem, listen to the house and figure out what it wants. My new kitchen is getting painted yellow, blue boomerang counters, light gray flooring and my red accessories from the old kitchen. I’m hoping it turns out as well as I think it will.
yes, Mrs. Pitcher, the thing is to listen to your house to hear what it wants! be sure to send me pics to feature when your update is ready for prime time! congrats!
Pam-
First of all I just wanna say that I am a huuuuge fan of this site! This is my first time posting, but I’ve been a frequent reader for the past couple years.
Anyway, I know that valance was posted a long time ago, but do you happen to know what the length of it is? The reason I ask is because my boyfriend and I have some barkcloth that we just HAVE to have in our kitchen, so I plan to make a pinch pleat valance and use 2″ aluminum blinds. The only problem is, with the amount of fabric we have, we can only have a length of about 8 inches, is that long enough or will it look funny being that short?I’m not sure if there is a standard length or what. Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!!!! And I should note that our windows are 34.5 inches tall with a 2 inch moulding around it. Thanks!