Jacquie wrote me, all excited after the retro decorating gods delivered this lovely vintage brown GE stove unto her. Its color is exactly the same as the cooktop and oven original to her house, so she is thrilled to have the matchy matchy magic goin’ on in her kitchen. Oops: Well, she still needs the fridge…. Meanwhile, she wants to know: What is the name of this color? Yo no lo se, but I do know that we have some GE-expert readers… Patrick? … so perhaps you can help Jacquie out with this question, and any other tidbits?
Oh, and meanwhile, I spot the cabinets (above) – same color! – in a time capsule house. Working on permission to feature more photos from that…
Click on first thumbnail to start slide show:
Here’s Jacquie’s story…. She writes:
I am baffled trying to find a vintage GE range color name and it is driving me crazy…maybe you can help.
We live in a late ’59, early 60’s built home,…plaster walls, block, and I do have a lot of little gems to share with you….like a radiant heater in the ceiling that we used this winter for the first time. (We bought the house in April 2009), so I have only been here for a year, but we have done quite a bit, and there is more to do all the time, I am sure you know that!!
I have the full size range now, the counter cooktop, and the eye-level oven all the same brown color, and it is not coppertone. It is more like a chocolate cocoa color???
I am very fortunate…the cooktop with the pushbuttons and the eye-level oven were in the house when we bought it…Real Estate agents kept apologizing for the “old kitchen” and no updates…( Like we cared…Ha!)
The bigger free-standing stove came just last week after I saw an ad on CL here in Mesa AZ from a man who had taken it out of a woman’s house in the downtown area …she had changed from electric to gas. (He told me these things when I called him!) She even cooked breakfast on the stove for them before they renovated her kitchen. She just wanted it out, so he took it home and garaged it, then posted the ad.
I’ve searched daily for a vintage free-standing stove,…just wanted one to ad to the kitchen….but I can’t even tell you how I about jumped out of my skin when I saw this old girl, and it matched my others. It was $150 delivered!! My husband, Glen, said “Get it Honey, before someone else does!!” We spent the entire evening removing things and rearranging the kitchen to accommodate, but once it is ready to use and the power is on, I am going to have soooo much more storage…I can’t wait to be able to use the drawers, and free up my cabinets. For now we have had to move the refrigerator into our dining area, so it made things look a little out of sync, but we can deal!! I cleaned mostly dust off her and a little grease, but nothing major, and the oven door feels like it has never been opened…the spring is very tight. It is in beautiful shape. “Babe” is being powered up on Friday this week, I have to run another 220, and a 35 amp breaker…. older home bugaboos that we take in stride!! Here is her portrait, and thanks for the help! (and her other 2 relatives, all at home in my kitchen!)
The man who sold it to me also threw in a hood, it is a “Ranger” needs lots of cleaning, haven’t started that yet, but I would like to put it over the stove if possible. Not so sure of the year of the stove, but with the color the same as is in my house, there can’t be much of a difference ..possibly 1959-1960? I would LOVE to find a matching FRIDGE!!! Maybe I will be blessed and find one someday.
That color…it is different, don’t you think?
You will be happy to know that my husband and I have gotten mostly everything from auctions, ads on Craigslist, and Re-store or Stardust Building Supply here in the valley of the sun.
Thank you for being attentive and helping all who will listen to have the foresight to “recycle” the right way…this history is to be cherished and protected.
Your Vintage lovin’ friend,
Jacquie
I love the color, Jacquie, and it is so cool that you have the growing and near-complete set. GE Friends, what do you think? What’s the name of this classic appliance color?
TappanTrailerTami says
Jacquie, what an AWESOME find! I don’t know what the color is, but I do know GE used the pushbutton burner controls at least through 1963 as I had a white double oven GE with those controls. I think yours is earlier than that because of it’s styling compared to the one I had.
So, in my search for “GE history stove colors” – I came across this Westinghouse promotional ad on YouTube, what a hoot!!!!
Have a peak (it’s a tad more than 6 minutes long, worth watching the whole thing) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJS0HdBh0RE
Patrick Coffey says
GE used Pushbutton burner controls until the early 1970’s on their ranges and cooktops…the range in question datres from circa 1958. GE introduced their straight lined kitchen appliances in 1957 as did Frigidaire. As a matter of fact, even though the control panel designs changed over the years this stoves basic cabinet design lasted in to the 1980’s in both the 30 inch and 40 inch range styles.
Susan Klinedinst says
This is a longshot. My mom has a 1959 g-e range. the kind with push buttons on the top. The bottom heating element in the oven will not heat. I am looking to buy a relpacement, but the model number on the metal plate attached to the stove does not match up with anything. The person at ge said it had to start with letters, but it does not.
Do you happen to know what heating element to buy for it? Or where to find out?
pam kueber says
See my category Kitchens/Appliances – there are several stories there with resources to try. Good luck.
microsonic says
I believe it’s referred to as “Woodtone Brown”. If I don’t find built ins, I want that range.
Janet Gore says
Oops … now I remember it was “harvest gold”!
Janet Gore says
As a young married woman in 1972, I had a stove that was this color … came with the house which was built in the early 60’s. People did, in fact, refer to it as “copper”, but it certainly was more of a milk chocolate color to me.
When it failed in around 1978, I was excited to replace it with what I think was referred to as ‘antique gold’.
Gavin Hastings says
“Harvest Gold” was the appliance color..
Debra West says
When I was six, we moved into our new house (1961), but it was built in 59 or 60-Our kitchen was coppertone! That’s what the built in range and oven’s colors were called. We had brownish tile also-Zootsuitmama, aka Deb West
error 404 says
I thought it was called “nutmeg”
error 404 says
this might help
http://www.antiquestoves.com/toac/theoldroadhome10thyear.htm
tailfin says
And to add, I have the same metal GE lower cabinets in that brown. The upper cabinets (and cooktop, wall oven & wall fridge unit) are pink & that combo looks great together (and the GE aqua color would blend well with it too). Too bad all of my cabinets and appliances are sitting in my garage because I don’t have the right kitchen for them . . . yet!
tailfin says
Jacquie, I don’t know the true name of the color, but I’ve always referred to it as “Nestle’s Quik Brown” when describing it to people. It’s truly a soothing shade and actually very neutral. It would blend in well with pink cabinets, small appliances or accents. I like this shade better than the Coppertone.
Your appliances are beautiful! I especially love the dashboard of your new stove. Congratulations on a great find.
A friend of mine removed a cooktop & wall oven in your shade a couple of years ago when he remodeled his kitchen, but he sold them on CL instead of sending them to the scrap heap.
egallis says
Ok now I don’t see where the second link had said “copper”, but I swear I saw it before! lol. Maybe I need more coffee…
egallis says
This thread has pictures of what looks to me to be the same color appliances, and the OP calls them “copper”.
http://www.worldsfaircommunity.org/index.php?showtopic=9915
There is a fridge in this one that also appears the same, also called copper:
http://readingeagle.com/articlephotos.aspx?id=197739
Frank says
The remodel (after picture) in the reading eagle link breaks my heart.
egallis says
I know! I almost didn’t post the link because of it. 🙁 Very sad.
Sara in WA says
I got all excited about the before picture and then the “showroom” appeared. Big bummer.
Gavin Hastings says
It looks like a lounge at some Ramada waaay off the highway….all the counter is missing is a few brandy snifters filled with matchbooks…