Let’s hear it for well-made, wood kitchens in mid-century homes. There’s virtually no name bigger in wood cabinetry than Wood-Mode. Their website says they have been in business about 60 years — that puts their start right in the heart of the postwar boom. This catalog from 1961 shows cabinetry made in three woods — oak, maple, and knotty pine. There were four door styles — Colonial, Contemporary, Provincial, and Classic. (Compare that to the dozens of door styles available today. Another example of how, “Life was simpler back in the day.” And, there were 22 natural finishes and 12 enamel finishes. (Okay: Complexity here.)
If you have original wood kitchen cabinets… and they are in good shape… please think twice about repainting them. Over time, and as we continue to get our heads around this mid-century look, I predict that “original patina” cabinetry like this will become even more desirable.
Enjoy the slide show — these are also great fun to scrutinize for design ideas and accessories.
Kirsten says
Oh, and is that a combination washer and dryer in image 9?
Kirsten says
In image 5, what are those drawers with the round bits in front?
pam kueber says
Warming drawers, Kirsten.
David says
Toastmaster warming drawers are a common piece of equipment in many full and quick casual restaurants for decades. This 2 drawer commercial version retails for about $1500+ today.
http://toastmastercorp.com/sidenavpages/hotfoodrawer.html
David says
My parents take great pride in a built-in library/entertainment console custom built in 1984. With drawers and cabinets designed to hold VHS tapes, LP records, cassette tapes and the ‘new format’ Compact Disc, the cabinetry is very well built and looks fresh as the day it was installed.
Bravo Wood-Mode.
Kara says
Love good quality wood cabinets. I stripped, sanded and varnished ours and also cleaned and polished the original 1959 hardware and they are as good as new.
Jeanne says
My kitchen cabinets are soooooo #13! I have a similar counter top, too (the white with gold spec). The only signature marking I can find on them is “IXL” and “Goshen Indiana.” The kitchen in my 1952 house was custom remodeled in 1960. The sons who grew up in the house, and who sold it to us, told us how they were the envy of the neighbors when people would come inside and see the kitchen and it’s layout. They tore down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and created a pass-thru.
I have no idea what type of wood they are, but they are in dire need of cleaning and refreshening. I do not want to paint them. I would love to know how to clean them properly. I noticed a couple spots around the handles of the “most used” cabinets have been touched up with stain that does not exactly match but was attempted to match.
BlueJay says
Jeanne,
Try a diluted mixture of Murphy’s oil soap (They make a concentrated variety that is the consistency of syrup) and water. This works pretty well; I do this on our cabinets every few months to keep them looking nice.
Jeanne says
Thank you BlueJay. I will try that.
Sandra says
Mine are pretty close to that as well!
The knobs on ours are located smack in the center of the doors, I believe the previous homeowner had them stripped and stained as they now have a matte finish.
The wood is really pretty but we may get new doors cut (don’t love the detail) and have them stained yet a shade darker.
pam kueber says
Jeanne, here is Doris Day in her 1966 IXL kitchen: https://retrorenovation.com/2008/06/12/doris-day-in-her-1966-malibu-kitchen/ … I think that IXL was a relatively popular, upscale brand…
Michael Bauser says
So which style is which? (The pictures are too small on my laptop to read much of the text.) Image2’s cabinets are almost exactly what’s in the apartment I just moved into.
pam kueber says
I’ll go through the catalog and add info on which is which. Might take me a bit, I’m cooking right now. Photos are able to render up to 680 pixels wide…
mary says
Where can you buy birch cabinets or how can you refinish wood cabinets to look like the birch cabinets from the mid-50’s?
pam kueber says
Mary, here are all my stories about cabinets available today: https://retrorenovation.com/category/kitchen/cabinet-recommendations/
Jon says
Can you send this post back in time to the 1970s so the people who owned our house don’t laminate over them?
Eartha Kitsch says
This makes me sooooo happy! I love #8 so much!
Patrick Coffey says
Woodmode made/makes a good cabinet I know a couple of people whose kitchens had Woodmode cabinets installed in the late 1970’s and they are still in really good shape and with some new drawer and cabinet pulls they could be made to look fairly up to date.