There are at least six different things I like about Karen’s kitchen Retro Renovation. #1: …
Life is a big canvas — throw on a lot of paint! Karen had a big (kitchen) canvas to play with, so she very happily married four pastel colors — aquamarine, pistachio, pink and yellow.
The floors are more neutral — hardwood and black-and-white floor tile. The big mash up works beautifully — what a happy space! Karen explains:
This was our first house. We lived there 15 years. We have since moved from this house, although we still own it. It was a 1300 sq ft. ranch built in 1961. Small house, but fantastic open kitchen. Every other house we saw in that price range had galley kitchens.
#2 — FABULOUS idea: The craftsman who made Karen’s wood kitchen cabinets recommended removing the clock panel from a built-in oven that had been original to the kitchen — and making it a built-in work of art. Karen said they never got the clock to work. But I am sure that’s do-able and when complete, would make the piece functional as well. Obviously, if you can re-sell vintage ovens to another person who can use them, that’s a great thing to do for both the environment and for Retro Renovation colleagues in arms. But if you can’t save ’em, “this is a great way to preserve a part of them,” Karen points out.
#3 — The countertops are pink terrazzo. Wow! Karen lives in Florida — terrazzo-land, if there ever was one. The counters look to have aluminum edging like the kind available from RetroTrims.com. She says:
…Our guy had never worked with terrazzo before but they came out great. We picked the color and even the aggregate that was mixed in.
Here is a close-up. Tee hee, a photo that Karen kept of a cute note written by her daughter.
#4 — The fluted or reeded glass (I never know which is which, I think they are very similar) is great and serves the purpose to adds visual interest and light to a kitchen that has A LOT of cabinetry. (In fact, my kitchen could use some glass-front doors to break of the never-ending facade of aquamarine, scrumptious as it may be. Time to start looking methinks. Geneva did make glass front doors.)
Another design point about Karen’s long green wall of cabinets: It’s all long drawers on the bottom, which creates a long low horizonal buffet feel. And, the unit transitions from the cooking area of the kitchen into the eating area of the kitchen, with a sit-down desk at the end. This kitchen was designed very very well.
#5 – Karen had these cabinets custom-made. As a result, it was easy to add fabulous touches like modern metal legs or feet. The legs further “lighten up” the space — but mind you, the trade off is knowing there are, and always will be, dust bunnies lurking below. And #6, Karen points out that her backsplashes were made of marker board — endless fun for the kids. What a great idea!
In fact, it sounds like Karen is a creative dynamo. I asked her about her new house. She responded:
Thanks! We are now in a custom brick ranch that was built in the ’80s. It’s 3,000 sq. feet of “blank canvas”. It’s in great shape, and we got if for @ $67 a sq. ft. All the paint is fresh but completely “oatmeal”. I’m trying to figure our my color schemes now. I definitely want to stay in the mid mod way of living.
Also, we have a nice screened-in pool and lanai. My dream would be to find a way to make the pool area mid century roadside pool “MOTELesque” out there.
I plan on making one of our guest rooms look like a motel room complete with chenille bedspread and a magic fingers coinbox decorative piece.
I also love to make paintings of the old neon signs. I’ve attached a couple for you to see.
I will be visiting your site and blog a lot for inspiration for this new house!
Thanks again!
Karen
Thank you, Karen. You got it goin’ on, girl!
Christian says
I was wondering if you had the paint names for your cabinets? I would really love to get them and paint my kitchen!
Thanks,
C
spaceman1961 says
I think the idea of using the clock panel from the old wall oven is sheer genius. I have resisted the temptation to get a 1959-1960 GE wall oven like my family had when I was growing up because I had no practical use for it…now, if I find one I can just use the clock / control panel from the top and use it like this!
Now, I’m on the lookout for a wall oven of the correct model that looks good but is not working that I can cannibilize for the clock / control panel! Thanks for the idea!