I love this photo posted on our vintage steel kitchen cabinet Forum…and I fussed with it to make it look like an old polaroid. These are 1957 yellow GE cabinets, for sale in St. Louis. How many readers have steel kitchen cabinets — are installing them — or on the hunt?
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Are you looking for vintage metal kitchen cabinets?
Posted by: pam kueber • September 15, 2009
Yellow Geneva metal kitchen cabinets 
How and where to sell your vintage metal kitchen cabinets 
Vintage St. Charles kitchen cabinets – in terra cotta – for sale on the Forum 
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There is also a large set of yellow GEs on the St. Louis C-List for $450.00 that would go a long way toward completing a kitchen for whoever buys these gems. I kicked around the idea of buying them myself and doing a multi color set but decided against that.
Search for: 1950s General electric Kitchen cabinets
And another set with a price of make offer: Kitchen Cabinets – Painted metal
All on St. Louis Craigslist.
Thanks, St. Christopher, I think that St. Louis is shaping up to be a mid century mecca.
My husband and I have been on the hunt for inexpensive metal cabinets for a while now, but the prices just never seem to be right in Atlanta. Luckily, we were already planning a trip out to Missouri to visit my in-laws, so we’re hoping to find an awesome set when we head out there this winter! I check the St. Louis CL fairly often and there are always at least 2-3 great sets for sale whenever I look.
Me! I am but I’m so poor I can’t even pat attention! Its all just a pipe dream for me.
I mean pay attention. What search strings do you guys use for these cabinets on CL? There are several things I try but never come up with anything.
Oh My Gosh!!! Those are our cabinets and oven!!! We have the oven with more gadgets and a window. I love these cabinets!
Sixoh, I search for “kitchen cabinets” and sift through the results. It’s time consuming, but I’ve found some amazing sets. If I wasn’t broke, I’d have my dream kitchen by now. Check out this set in Memphis I’ve been drooling over:
http://memphis.craigslist.org/mat/1370307217.html
Sixoh and Caff. Katie, I use the search: steel cabinets or metal cabinets. There always seems to be at least four sets on St. Louis C-List at various prices.
Try using one of the Craigslist search engines. My current favorite is http://searchtempest.com It lets you search multiple Craigslists based on mileage from a Zipcode starting point, and puts all the results in one page with multiple windows. I use the search terms ‘metal cabinet*’ and ‘steel cabinet*’. I am still looking for a few more GE cabinets in in the MD/DC/PA/VA area. I’ve had good luck so far but I don’t have quite enough yet.
Thanks, JSP! I think you may have commented before with this info – and I was just thinking, “Where did I see that?” Great suggestion.
I have been reading over the posts of people looking for Metal Kitchen Cabinets. In 1992 , I removed an entire Kitchen from my house that had GE metal Cabinets from @ 1956 . The best thing is I NEVER THREW OUT ONE CABINET BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL IN GREAT SHAPE. I JUST DID NOT LIKE THE COLOR WHICH WAS AQUA , I CANNOT BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF POSTS ON THIS SITE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THE CABINETS I HAVE HAD STORED NOW IN A DRY, OUT BUILDING. So they are in great shape. I have been thinking of having them repainted and re-installing them in our soon to be remodeled kitchen. Is it worth it doing this or should I just sell the whole entire kitchen set I have ? Anyone have any experience with this dilemma ? Thanks. I have the top and bottom cabinets along with the lazy susans .The original kitchens area is 25′ X 13 feet. so that is a lot of cabinets to have repainted, powder coated , or just stripped down to the stainless steel finish. Any suggestions ?
Michael, many readers — including me — have made beautiful kitchens with vintage steel cabinets. See all my stories here: http://retrorenovation.com/category/kitchen/steel-kitchen-cabinets/
Hi PAm,
Thanks for the response. I have always loved the retro meta from the 50′s. I even have two 50′s retro tables and stainless steel chairs along with the vynel seat covers. I was wondering if you knew the cost to sandblast/strip the units and powder coat or paint them .I am wondering if you have heard of the cost to do this especially since I have 20 cabinets both base and wall. I know the cost of new wood cabinets as I did have a design drawn up for going that way, but if I can do the original metal then I am ahead if the cost is not prohibitive.
I even have 50′s style tiles that I plan to use. They were in the house when I bought it and unused.
Even my one bathroom was kept in the 50′s style with both black and pink tiles and ceramic floor tiles that are black and white octagon ,it looks so great.
Thanks
Mike
Michael, I think the cost can vary widely location to location depending on who you find locally to do this. Please know, there may be lead paint on these cabinets — consult with a licensed professional on how to handle. Also know, we have had some reports of doors warping when they are exposed to high heat / baking process… If you go through the Kitchen / Steel Cabinets posts, you should be able to find some reader experiences; I have not personally tested any of the methods so cannot weigh in. My cabinets came original finish. Your bathroom sounds grat — good luck!
My husband and I are currently buying our first home – a 1955 bungalow owned by the original owners and YES they have steel kitchen cupboards. I’m really hoping to keep the cupboards even though the kitchen is small and needs more cupboards. I just wanted to say that I am finding your site very inspirational these days as we think of how to restore our new home (the last time the owners even painted was the 1970s). And yes, I think yellow is a fantastic colour for a kitchen.
Hi Melanie, welcome and thanks for the nice note! Good luck, it sounds like you are in the right spirit to have some fun with your new/old house.
Searching for appliances compatitle with early Geneva kitchen. When we bought our 1923 colonial revival house in 1985, it came with a white Geneva kitchen. The cabinets have the recessed plastic plates behind the handles; I think it’s an early post-war kitchen. The kitchen has an amazing stainless steel countertop that runs the length of the room and an immense, undivided stainless steel sink. There were only cabinets and the countertop and sink — no appliances from that era. The kitchen also has some “tile” as a backsplash behind the countertop — during restoration, we discovered that it was actually metal “tile” that had been painted white (we’re not sure if it was originally white or left with the stainless steel finish). We restored the cabinets, countertop, “tile,” and sink. We also restored the original round, wall-mounted “Blo-Fan” stove vent, which still works. Our 1985 stove has now given up the ghost and we would like to get a new but retro-styled stove. Does anyone know of a brand of (new) range that is electric and has burner coils (not a cooktop surface, but actual raised burner coils) and that has retro styling that would go with the Geneva cabinets? Also, any brand of new refrigerator/freezer that would be compatible?
Hi J and welcome. Go up to my blue navigation bar and go through the stories: Kitchens / Appliances. All my finds for retro style appliances are catalogued there. Send me some pics when you’re ready for prime time!
My husband and I have two pieces of white metal furniture that we wondered about. They belonged to his grandparents. One is a free standing base cabinet with a drawer and two cabinet doors. The other is more like a desk/table with one center drawer.
I can post a photo or two, but just don’t know where to post or email them.
We wondered if there was a market for them or if we should just keep them. My son is using the desk for a couple of months while he stays with us. The base cabinet is in the garage. They are both in excellent condition.
Joan, see all my steel kitchen cabinet stories (use navigation at the top), plus see our Forum for lots and lots of info: http://retrorenovation.com/forum/ Good luck.
Does anyone know what the cost basis is for stripping down GE metal Cabinets from 1956 . Is it better to powder coat, or spray paint ? I am on the fence on what I want to do because I do not know the costs for refinishing metal cabinets.
Thanks
Michael, I think the cost can vary widely location to location depending on who you find locally to do this. Please know, there may be lead paint on these cabinets — consult with a licensed professional on how to handle. Also know, we have had some reports of doors warping when they are exposed to high heat / baking process… If you go through the Kitchen / Steel Cabinets posts, you should be able to find some reader experiences; I have not personally tested any of the methods so cannot weigh in. My cabinets came original finish.