‘Betty Crafter’ wrote me a happy email and sent me these happy photos, which reminded me that I need to start another microsite in the same vein as Save The Pink Bathrooms. Only the new blog will be called: Say Yes to the Knotty Pine. Don’t try to buy the url away from me. It’s mine all mine buwahahaha. Meanwhile, here is Betty’s “miracle” story and more photos of her gorgeous time capsule knotty pine kitchen…She writes:
We just bought the house less than a month ago so we have a long way to go, but here’s our short story so far!
My husband and I decided to move because although we lived in a pretty fab 50′s house in a great location, it didn’t have the original kitchen and bathrooms I’d always wanted. Just before our house hit the market, I saw this one online. I almost stopped breathing. I really didn’t think a house like this existed! Turquoise counters? Knotty pine paneling in half the house? A pink AND a green bathroom? Fireplace? Creek? Barn?
Crikey!
“It looks like the inside of a Spartan trailer!” I squealed.
I immediately called our realtor who refused to show it to me because: “I’m already showing that house to two clients who DON’T have homes to sell first.”
Well I was so insane for this house that the hubs and I drove there and convinced the seller to show it to us herself! Upon seeing it in person I was even more sure this was home. It’s a miracle we ended up here because we weren’t the only ones who loved this house. But luckily for us the other offers fell through just about the time we got offers on our home, and here we are!
We don’t want to change much because the house is pretty much perfect. We tore up the carpet to install green apple VCT in all the areas with the knotty pine paneling and hardwoods in the rest of the house. The turquoise stove and bar chairs came with the house – lucky us! Otherwise it’s all original.
Is it possible to be in love with a physical object? I could not love my new house any more. Also, I’ve started a blog — Betty Crafter – to chronicle our caretaker and preservation efforts if anyone’s interested… The pink bathroom has an unfortunate 80′s vanity, but I found a pink wall hung sink for $5 on the forums here that will be going in soon. Then some fresh paint inside and out and a Crestview Door and we’re done! My main concern is preserving what’s here. There are a few stains on the counters, and I’d like to find the best way to clean them and protect them from future stains. I also need to give my paneling the “Eartha Kitsch treatment” but they are in pretty decent condition as is.
Also, in one of the first shots I sent, that is a NuTone Intercom/Radio that even goes out to the barn! We even have the owner’s manual – when we moved in there was a file folder on the counter with every receipt for service and owner’s manual to everything in the house since the 70′s.
Thanks for thinking my dream kitchen is as awesome as I do!
Crikey! BC, you have some mighty fine happy going on there in your little piece of time capsule paradise. I love the way you used the fabric on the kitchen chair to choose your floor color and tie in with the skylark blue Formica countertops. I also LOVE the way the peninsula eating area curves out, from the bottom (eating counter) to top (prep counter) – what a great idea from the past. Send me pics of your other projects when they are ready for prime time. And: A barn and a creek? Those, too! Tip: for cleaning countertops, our reco is Countertop Magic…
Well my, isn’t that sweet? Where is this paradise? love it.
My poor neighbor’s house has been sitting on the market for over a year and I’m afraid he’s about to give the order to paint his knotty pine kitchen. I keep telling him that the right people will see it and love it. Anyone looking for a 1950s cape in Durham, NC? Hoping someone like Betty Crafter will move in next door!
I wish! That area is beautiful, but I’m a New England girl at heart! <3
Oh, oh, oh… It was meant to be! Thanks for sharing your wonderful story and your even more wonderful kitchen. I can’t wait to see pics of the pink bathroom! I really like the choice of the green apple VCT for the floor– its perfect. Another great detail – I like the way the cabinet handles are angled– really adds visual interest. Your pictures say it all — you love the house that you are in!
Love that kitchen! And, I love knotty pine. My house has one wall of it in the living room. So help me, some day I will have a peninsula with a low bar for seating just like that. I much prefer sitting in a normal chair height rather than on a high stool.
I love, love, love knotty pine! We have a whole room of it in our basement “rumpus room”. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Congratulations on your new home!!!
How cute is she and her new kitchen?! I agree with the previous comments and would like to add that I love the way she accessorized her kitchen (e.g., great refrigerator ware, wonderful counter top appliances, etc). Great choices with the VCT and looking forward to seeing the change to a time-period appropriate bathroom sink, etc.
I am so, so jealous! I want to see a hundred and twenty more pictures. Throw up some pics of the bathrooms and the other rooms. Your collection of knick-knacks and whatsits is amazing, too.
Oh, all that knotty pine brings back such good childhood memories. Love it! And that green VCT just makes the room. You are luckky to have found such a beautiful home that was so obviously loved and cared for by the original owners. Enjoy it! Can’t wait to see more pics.
Beautiful fun happy kitchen! Somebody did everything right years ago and then kept it nice! Can’t wait to hear more about your home and looking forward to following your journey.
Also, would love a section, thread, blog thingy about knotty pine. I don’t have knotty pine, but I have beautiful real wood paneling that does present some challenges to decorate around. Would love to know what others do with this.
Robyn, we have cherry paneling in the basement family room — I kept the decor very warm — antique red and gold and black and green — http://retrorenovation.com/2011/02/26/our-1951mid-century-modern-basement-man-cave/
Here’s a more modern, 70s idea: http://retrorenovation.com/2011/03/21/design-a-1970s-family-room-using-vintage-new-and-reproduction-items/
I think the key is picking up the warm red in the paneling.
I love watching Mad Men because Betty and Don’s (old/former?) kitchen is completely done in knotty pine. Check it out, it’s super cool, just like BC’s!!
Yes, Megan, one of the earliest stories I did on the blog was how to recreate Betty Draper’s kitchen: http://retrorenovation.com/2008/08/18/recreate-don-betty-drapers-50s-mad-men-kitchen/
It’s Betty day!
Ah yes….this is the post that led me to find (google) Retro Renovation on one fateful day.
As long as it doesn’t include recreating her bad attitude…sheesh!
Man that’s kool, I love knotty pine. Alot of people hate it and think it’s the first thing to go. I feel it’s bc they are brainwashed to think it’s ugly. This isn’t “panelling” that you get at Lowes, this is finish work, if you ask me.
I’ve got my own knotty pine from a house that was getting rid of it. Just gotta install it somewhere…
Anybody know how to finish pine panelling in the knotty pine color?
Most of the vintage knotty pine I’ve run across was finished with orange shellac. However, a more durable finish would probably be needed in a kitchen where moisture is present.
I have three recipes that I’ve been using on fir plywood (which is quite pale).
(1) 1/2 quart Epifanes Woodfinish Varnish from Jamestown Distributors (online) plus TransTint wood dye from Woodcraft (also online): 30 drops Amber, 30 drops Red Mahogany
(2) Same as above but change TransTint to 3/8 teaspoon Amber, 3/8 teaspoon Reddish Brown, 8 drops Bright Red. Gives about the same color as #1 but these are the dyes I had on hand at the time
(3) 1 gallon Minwax Polycrylic water-based wood finish plus 1-1/4 teaspoons TransTint Golden Brown wood dye
It will take several coats to build up the color. If you try to add too much color some of the excess may not be absorbed and will be pasted. Also, a deeper-colored mixture will show brush marks and drips easier, making more work to brush it out.
I have used orange shellac and garnet shellac but I find that the color is too golden for my needs. You can coat over shellac with polyurethan; I’ve done this on a bookcase. How well it would wear in a kitchen I don’t know – no experience with that.
Janet, Do you think your recipes would work to match new pine or unfinished knotty pine to original knotty pine? The reason I ask, we have knotty pine cabinets in our ’54 kitchen but previous owners painted it over in the laundry room. We want to strip the paint off but we’re not sure how to go about getting the cabinets to match the originals once we strip the paint. It doesn’t have to be totally perfect as the cabinets aren’t right next to each other but we need to get close. Gabby mentioned on this thread that amber shellac works too, I’m so exited to see your post!
I love Betty’s kitchen, we need to see more knotty pine kitchens!!
Nelia
Yes, I think you can come very close, enough to be believable. I came up with my recipes to get the pale plywood to be similar in color to our log walls, which are naturally sun-darkened.
Scale the recipes down to small batches and try them on scrap pieces of wood that are similar in color to the stripped cabinet wood. This may take a while, especially if you use real varnish instead of water-based because it takes a couple of days for a coat to dry.
If you think the finish color is veering off in a direction that you don’t want, add whatever TransTint color you think will alter it. Or start over with another mixture. You may have to invest in several bottles of dye, and they aren’t cheap. I wish I could tell you exactly what to mix up but I can’t. Still, maybe this is better than starting from scratch as I did.
I gave up on using regular stain on the plywood because I never could find a color that worked, and it always looked like “stain” instead of “sun-darkening”. However, if you run into a situation that requires stain because nothing else will solve the problem, go to permachink.com, a log home supplies place, and order sample bottles of their Lifeline Ultra-2 colors. Using various colors applied with paper towels, I was able to disguise some places on the logs where the sun-darkening got sanded off, leaving whitish blotches.
What else can I help you with?
PS: you can use TransTint dyes in shellac, too. Your local big-box store will probably just have the pre-mixed orange shellac. Woodcraft carries dried shellac flakes in additional colors. You dissolve the flakes in denatured alcohol. I liked the effect I got from garnet shellac better than orange shellac, but it’s personal preference of course.
I very nearly did the plywood with shellac but eventually decided to use real varnish for water-resistant reasons. Even the backsplash is going to be plywood. If it’s good enough for yachts, it ought to be good enough for a kitchen.
This is a HUGE help! Thank you Janet. We thought it would be possible to somehow get close to the original cabinets we have but we had no idea how to get there. This will give us a place to start. Thanks so much!!
I confess- I love the knotty pine. I know there are few of us but here, we have solidarity. Long live the knotty pine kitchen!
I love your style – especially your dress! I swear my mom made me one almost identical to it when I was a kid. Is it vintage or new? I want!
this is the most Awesomely preserved/cared for knotty pine kitchen I have ever seen ! What a find and thanks to *dog* that the right owner wouldn’t take NO for an answer ! Enjoy
So many things to love about this post, but what I love the most is how much Betty loves her new house … truly it was meant to be! That all said, I just adore the stove, the chairs, and that fabulous intercom/radio! And all of that knotty pine is just so warm and nostalgic. Well done sticking to your guns, Betty, no matter what your realtor told you!
Oh, and when can we see more photos … of the bathrooms, the barn, the creek???
Gorgeous! I love the turquoise and just LOVE your selection of apple green for the floor. Congrats on getting the house of your dreams!
My entire basement is knotty pine and also my upstairs bedroom in my story-and-a-half is knotty pine. It really has grown on me. Hopefully my fall project is doing a little painting in my bedroom. I hope to have some decent photos after that.
I agree – knotty pine needs a “pink bathroom” campaign just as much. I was flipping channels and came across another of those “home improvement” programs where they were hating on the knotty pine (and at the same time talking about “keeping the mid century look” which made no sense at all). It makes me so sad when people destroy things because they can’t appreciate them.
They just don’t “know.” They have not been exposed to them!
I know it would be a very difficult undertaking to fire up another “Save The…” site. We sure could use one. Knotty pine is extremely warm and cozy. Instant ambience.
When I stayed in the Rockies in a cabin built in ’35, it was all knotty pine with nothing newer than the 1964 green, coated fabric vibrating recliner! LOL Had it been done in drywall….the experience wouldn’t be the same.
Knotty pine gives you a sense of relaxation, almost as if you’re on vacation when you walk into the room.
It’s not that hard to do… I’ll put it on the list.
Beautiful! …and what I like best is that it is not overwhelmed by stuff!
The blue and green work so well together wth the pine- a combo I would have never attempted. Great job.
Fabulous! I’m so glad that kitchen went to people who will care for it and love it for years to come! I have to ask…what sort of lighting fixtures do you have? I only saw one over the sink. I assume you have a mighty cool original ceiling fixture too?
What a wonderful kitchen! I love the aqua/pine combo. ( I also love the pair of owls…my grandma collected owls, so I have an incredible soft spot for them.)
Congrats on making the sale/purchase work…we just went through that and it was just about the most stressful thing I’ve ever done! When you are meant to have a certain house, though, it eventually works out. Enjoy your beautiful home!
Hats off to you!!!!! Your kitchen is absolutely wonderful, I’m so happy it’s going to someone who will be a good steward and who appreciates it.
Hats off also for using the soon-to-become famous phrase “the Eartha Kitsch Treatment”!!!!!!!! As one who has been fortunate to have been the recipient of the “Eartha Kitsch treatment” for years and years, I know you’ll have as terrific a time as I have had.
This kitchen is seriously rocking my world!!! I LOVE the blue with the knotty pine. Everything is set up so cute, especially for only being there a month! My husband & I are in the process of buying our first home (a 1960 ranch) that is coming with an original kitchen (including a Flair stove!! Eeeeee!!!!) and I was really hoping that underneath the painted cabinets I would find knotty pine. Not the case, but thats OK! I am definitely living vicariously through Betty Crafters!
Looking forward to the progress of her blog.
The place is just fabulous! But the cutest thing in the kitchen is the little girl in her mom’s arms. Precious.
This is a great example of a style that for some reason I love, although I wouldn’t want to live with it in my own home. Still, I’d love to visit and hang out in a kitchen like this!
PS: Did they make rangehoods in turquoise? That seems to be the only ‘off’ note in the room.
It can easily become turquoise!
Yes, I believe they made color-coordinated range hoods. I bet the original owners were trying to “match” the hood to the cabinets.
I never thought of that!
This is easily the most beautiful kitchen I have ever seen. Would it be weird for me to set the second picture as my computer desktop background? I don’t even know you, and I’m so very happy for you, Betty Crafter! You’re living the dream.
ummm, i set it as my computer background as soon as i got it!
Beautiful. Your kitchen makes me want to hunker down with a cup of coffee and a thick Sunday newspaper. I’ve been inspired to “Say Yes to Knotty Pine” too:
http://drowningthefield.blogspot.com/2011/06/im-saying-yes-to-knotty-pine.html
You did! That pine looks great in your house, I would DEFINITELY take care of it!
Love it-but clearly not as much as you do! That’s to say-you look really happy in your dream kitchen, Betty-which is very dreamy.
I too am a long term lover of the knotty pine. We just moved into our 1920′s bungalow, which is the first time in 12 yrs I’ve been without my knotty pine kitchen.
I had one in my little 1959 cabin on the river in the redwoods, and another in our 1960 MCM mini ranch in the oaks. I confess, I had a bit too much pine in my life living directly under the trees (walls, ceiling, cabinets ALL KP) , so I white-stained the bedroom knotty pine….still saw the pine, just lighter. It just felt like a thousand eyes were watching me as I slept. It did lighten it up a bit, but I regretted doing it later. Mea culpa.
KP is so durable, accessible and forgiving. I had some kid accidents in that first kitchen, and a quick sanding and re-coat with amber shellac, and it was like nothing had ever happened. I learned that a refresh of a lite coat of amber shellac about every 5 yrs kept everything spotless and sweet. It’s so thin, it doesn’t gunk up doors like paint would. It dries in a couple hours, and since it’s a natural product ( made of ground up beetles, you know) it takes on a vintage patina in just weeks….seamless.
My sister came up with a term for the hammered handles and decorative diagonal supports on doors. “Mr. Ed” indicates that rustic farm style Knotty Pine kitchen better than anything.
My new/old kitchen is devoid of knotty pine, but that was one of my key details I had mentioned to a realtor. I fell hard for the house below based on the kitchen, but the rest was devoid of charm, and waaaaay overpriced. That was a dreamy kitchen, though: http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Leandro/2166-Bradhoff-Ave-94577/home/1994666
I’m leaning towards a white and spiffy “we’re hygienic and we love to cook with butter!” vibe in my 1920′s kitchen. I want it to feel like a See’s Candy store, but more colorful. But I can share the knotty pine love, for sure.
Where do I sign the knotty pine love pledge? Oooh, is there a product tie in there?
Gotta be a way to save em all and share the love.
I want to join the chorus of “I LOVE the turquoise with the apple green floors!” What a fabulous choice. I also love the glass cabinets with all your lovely Pyrex and glassware! The glass really “lightens” the heaviness of the knotty pine, I think. All around, one of the best kitchens I’ve seen on this site. I, too, can’t wait to see the rest of the house!!
You beat me to it, the glass cabinet with the pyrex caught my eye. Whenever I look at these pictures I’m always looking at the acessories that are on display. The stove is fantastic – looks to be in great shape.
KP was the style back in the 40′s & 50′s, everyone used knotty pine in their basements, no matter how old the house was. My father panelled the basement with it. My current basement was finished off in the 70′s with sheet panelling which I wished was knotty pine – real wood!
dig it.
maybe the new campaign can make a connection between “knotty” pine and “naughty” pine. “knotty is nice?”
Love it!
i like that one a lot. i might have to go buy it as well!
I third the Knotty is Nice idea!
I like that one!!
I think I gasped when I see your kitchen, and to think you did not have to hardly do anything to it. What can I say besides I am sooooooooo jealous.
Eartha Kitsch…my favorite person in the world gets a shout-out over her knotty pine. FABULOUS!
Love her house – love the turquoise. Can’t wait to see the bathrooms. What lucky people you all are to find these houses. I live in California where it seems a homes interior is remodeled at least every five years. Very few original work still standing!
All I can say is… WOWZER.
Eeeeep! More major kitchen envy here. What a glorious combination–I never would have thought to do the green floors, but it works so well with the blue and pine.
My favorite detail has to be the angled sides where the counter meets the breakfast bar. Amazing.
You’ve only lived there a month, AND you have young kids in the house, and you have already decorated and accessorized that much? Supermom! We’ve lived here almost seven years and our place isn’t that done yet!
I love the knotty pine! We were ” ” this close to getting a house with a knotty pine kitchen very similar. It had PINK counters and sink. I loved it! Alas, it was not to be. Oh well, I can live vicariously through this blog and yours too Betty. Hey did anyone notice that the ceiling is also turquoise? Great kitchen! Thanks Pam for posting this.
Umm, I just have to pipe in: Notice what the background of my blog is?
Thank you SO much for all the love everyone! Part of the reason this is my “dream kitchen” is that my kitchen decor colors have always been turquoise and avocado, so the green floors were a no-brainer! They look great in the attached living/dining too though.
I’ll definitely keep you guys posted on the rest of the house, especially the pink bathroom restoration! Just wait til you see the green bathroom though – it’s the real star!
Lynne, the only cool ceiling fixture in the house is the one you can see there over the sink, unfortunately. Everything else is ceiling fans. But never fear, we have a few danish modern ones we brought with us that we’ll be installing shortly!
And Tami, the dress is a $5 estate sale find.
Thanks again for digging the kitchen!
Oh, WOW! I love it! I’ve always loved knotty pine as it is what my childhood home’s kitchen and an aunt’s was…it’s a warm, glowing cocoon kinda feeling. I always hit the pause button on “Mad Men” for their same kitchen.
Happy for Betty to find her dream home and it being just so perfectly preserved.
BTW, I recently went to a backyard gathering at an older house that had a wonderful PINK vintage bathroom…the pink tile practically covering the entire room.
The happiness on your face says it all, Betty! Your kitchen is like a dream…and like the one of my childhood beach rental…one of the houses that, come to find out, has influenced me more than any other…and I was only ever in it six or eight times! I am thankful the real estate gods shined upon you and yours!!
What is really great about Betty Crafter’s kitchen is that she seems to have fantastic storage for a home of that vintage. Love that hutch/shelving area with the glass! I also like the counter area, too.
I would love to hear more about the stove.
Our knotty pine had been previously painted, so we had to repaint vs. strip. OTOH, we are also in a neighborhood of 60′s homes where you canstill find lots of original knotty pine and pink bathrooms.
I will be happy to join in the parade of knotty pine! The reason I bought my house is the knotty pine kitchen and basement/bar. (I even have knotty pine furniture in the basement). My credit union website – has a knotty pine background option (which, of course I chose for when I do my online banking).
I love the turquoise combination – something to think of when my appliances go (drats, I have brand new black ones that came with the house). However, as you all know I have the cherry theme going – hmmm turquoise & cherry red & knotty pine? I do have the snowflake corning ware as well – coveted by my dear niece (she’ll have to wait).
Love, love, love your kitchen! Now – what type of everyday dishes do you have? I have Golden Wheat by Homer Laughlin – it’d go great with any knotty pine decor!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Oopsy-daisy, I had a disappearing post. If I double, I apologize!
I love this kitchen! Okay, I am not genuinely a knotty-pine person myself (I am a painted cabinet person, white or candy colours) but I LOVE that Betty respected – if not outright adored – her vintage find, and didn’t harm or heaven forbid, gut it. I really think there’s a lot to be said for “if you don’t like it, leave it for someone who does…” and I am so glad to see this kitchen reunited with someone who likes it and didn’t just fill a dumpster and then load it up with HGTV’s Top Ten Blandest Hits.
Also, I do personally love the apple green floor – so fresh, so cute, so appropriate. I would have that! I wish I did. I also really quite like the countertops and admire the choice to carry over the fabric of the chairs to really marry them. Apple green and aqua – does it get better? No, no it does not.
So I don’t, ahem, pine for the cabinets, but I do really love your style and vision. Bouncing over to your blog now, because I think I’ll like what I see.
This is fantastic – but that roll of paper towels right over the stove makes me nervous. Please please find another place for that!!!!!!
How perfect! I can’t think of any other word for it! And this from someone who loves metal cabinets.
I love the flooring, it looks amazing. I’ll have to check out that blog. I’m drooling over the vintage kitchenware!
Beautiful!!! I am holding out hope that I will someday find the home of my dreams!
I wasn’t a big fan of the knotty pine until today. The high gloss on them makes them just wonderful! I loooooooove your kitchen. And the green apple VCT is fabulous! I’d love to see your bathrooms, too! Congratulations!
How cute? Where is the turquoise telephone?
Love, LOve, LOVE them! In Tucson, there’s a 50s subdivision where every house has knotty pine cabs! As a realtor, I “stalk” the new listings just so I can preview those knotty pines for some lucky client! What a smart Mama and what a good lesson to teach your little one (too cute, btw) – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix!!!” You set a fine example! side note – would have never thought of the apple green VCT – but, WOW – it looks sensational with the turquoise (my favorite!) appliances.
It’s beautiful and I am so jealous! It’s good to know that there are still such well preserved gems still out there and that instead of someone buying it and doing some completely average “Keeping-up-with-the-Jones” update or “House-flipper” redo this house got owners that appreciate how great it is. I so happy your family and the house found each other.
It gorgeous! We just moved into my grandmother’s home and are fixing it up, and we have the knotty pine kitchen cabinets with yellow walls, and an 1959 addition that it is heart pine walls and ceilings. People keep telling us that they would rip it all out, so seeing this post (and this whole site!) is inspiring! Thank you!
WOW!!! what an inspiration to people that already have knotty pine but are thinking of painting over it . This should convince people out there that knotty pine is not only enviromentally friendly, it is so beautiful! Is there a good web site for buying knotty pine?
Nothing warms my heart like seeing a great vintage house kept the way it’s meant to be. It breaks my heart to see people tear up or paint over such a thing of beauty. Congratulations on your great new digs!
As much as I hated my knotty pine cabinet – you have made it look very appealing. I want mine back so I can do the turquoise with it! Fabulous!
I loved this post….would love to have a house just like it, with all of the accessories. My parents were in their 20′s and 30′s in the 50′s and 60′s and honestly the houses, the styles, everything about that era, I feel comfortable in. My parents had their home built in the 60′s…some retroness, but not like yours!!! Your blog made my day!
I am DROOLING here!
Incredible lookin kitchen!
You must have bought out ebay! You already have everything to match and you have been in it a month. LOL You go girl. No one should ever buy a house unless they love it like you do yours. Blessings on your life there.
gayka, believe it or not, I didn’t have to buy a thing. Part of the reason this house was perfect for me was that my kitchen colors have always been turquoise and avocado, so I already had a kitchen full of matching dishes and kitchenware!
By they way, the kitchen isn’t all the knotty pine in my house. The dining room and one of the living areas also have knotty pine paneling. In all, close to half the house is paneled in knotty pine!
I stumbled upon both yours and this site yesterday too funny
http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/11/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets/
ACK!
It is nice to see these cabinets in their original form–very beautiful.
We just bought a 1956 split level, and ALL OF THE WOOD has been painted white by the former owner to “freshen it up” for the sale. Oak (not even pine) paneling in most rooms and family room, sliding closet doors, all room doors, original wood vanities in both original bathrooms (one pink/grey tile and the other pink with green sink!!!!) and the original wood kitchen cabinets. We just love this house, but are very sad about the painted everything.
Is there any hope to restore the wood look by removing the paint, or are these things ruined forever. . . . ?
Sure, the paint can be removed with paint stripper. Some brands work better than others. It’s a messy job and requires ventilation. It will probably remove the original clear finish (varnish or polyurethane) along with the darned white paint.
We did think of paint stripper, but wondered especially with the room and closet doors could we ever really get all paint out–that wood seems more porous. I have a painting contractor I will ask about it, but if you have any experience with actually doing this I’d love to hear about it.
The turquoise everywhere is just wonderful! I don’t think I would ever get tired of that stove and I love how the counter becomes a little bar to sit at.
Yes, isn’t that a great kitchen!
Ozzie & Harriet had a knotty pine kitchen in their tv show!
I also have new/old house of my dreams – in Florida Gulf town w/ turquoise walls, screened lanai w/ pond – slowly furnishing w/ vintage & ultra modern – turquoise & chartreuse everything and lots of trailing philodendron & no videos or music before 1963
We had the same stove for many years. My mother absolutely refused to get rid of it until it was literally on its last legs. It lasted from 1953 to the mid 1990′s. The push buttons that controlled the burners had different colored lights which fascinated me as a kid. Thanks for the happy memories seeing your stove. Love your kitchen too.
That kitchen is just too cute. I love it!
A total, total c-o-m-f-o-r-t kitchen. My only suggestion is to re-locate the paper towels away from the area above the range. We would all be so very sad if the unthinkable were to happen.
Agree with Mark E. about the paper towels. You can find some great period paper towel dispensers on ebay. Lincoln Beauty Ware says it best.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-Lincoln-BeautyWare-Copper-Paper-Towel-Holder-Wax-Paper-Aluminum-Wall-Mounted-/280929156526?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4168aebdae
The only other thing I’d change is that modular phone plug. Get the proper four-prong push-in plug for a place that’s so visible up above that countertop.
Absolutely fantastic and I’m so happy you appreciate the beauty of what was considered a high end luxury look back in the day! My dad and uncle built a family room for my aunt back in the mid1950′s when I was a kid and it was, you guessed it, knotty pine from top to bottom and so warm, inviting and beautiful! Enjoy your home, it looks great, love your style and passion!