Reader Nancy recently made an exciting and valuable discovery in a neighbor’s pile set out for the trash man: A set of vintage Caloric kitchen appliances and sink — New Old Stock, still in the original boxes. Including: Built-in oven with warming drawer (?), gas cooktop, splash back, range hood, double-bowl sink, and brochures. Oh: In luminous pink pink pink. Five years into the blog, and I don’t see this too often. Moreover, I became very intrigued when Nancy asked me if I knew anything about Beatrice West, who was credited on one of the boxes for the color styling. I LOVE learning about — and helping to rediscover — once-famous, now forgotten (?) design personalities from the mid-century years. Read on for what I’ve found out about Beatrice West — oh, and see 15 more photos of Nancy’s NOS pink kitchen loveliness — which she is looking to sell.
Nancy writes:
Hi Pam! This is such a great find! I found them in the garbage!!
Yes in the garbage!
My elderly neighbor died, and her grandson bought the house and basically threw everything in the house out!
When I saw the pile of boxes I had to investigate!
When I saw what it all was I almost fell over!
I got my husband and I loaded our truck! None of it has been used, the oven still has the tag on it! The only thing missing is the part that goes under the knobs of the gas stove top. I have half of the box for the stove (the other half was just crumbling).
Its all made by Caloric!
I can only find the original ad for the stove on the web.
Have you ever heard of Beatrice West?
On the boxes it says her name. I cannot find anything like this (never used appliances from the sixties).
I do want to sell it all, not sure if I should sell it separately or as a package and what to charge… these type of things usually don’t exist!!!:)
If you have an info on it let me know!
I do have other pics that I could send you, close ups etc. if you want to put it on your web site (which by the way I loooooove!!!) feel free!
I had actually thought of changing my kitchen and putting in these items but my husband wasn’t thrilled!
- Nancy
Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your story and these photos. I am sure you will find a buyer, these are so delicious.
Meanwhile — back to Beatrice West. When Nancy wrote I began to search on google and was able very quickly to find numerous references to Beatrice West from the 1950s, into the 1960s, and as late as 1981. I have to admit, though, that it was frustrating, because while Google books now archives many many publications, it only gives “snippets” — not the full text, for copyright reasons. I totally understand and respect this. Just sayin’ that my research on Beatrice West is mostly parsing snippets until I can get to the original source documents.
From what I could piece: In the early part of her career, Beatrice West worked as an architect in Texas. Ultimately, she became an expert consultant on the use of color in midcentury America, operating a number of eponymous companies such as Beatrice West Color, Inc. at 333 E. 46th St. in New York City, authoring or co-authoring a number of books, and working with big-name housing developers like Levitt, with manufacturers like Caloric and with retail clients alike. She was a charter member of the Color Marketing Group and its president in 1969, and received the group’s highest honor in 1981.
Update: See Comments below, for additional info that readers quickly dug up, which I need to incorporate up here when I get additional time.
A 1955 Popular Mechanics story on exterior colors for the home says:
An incident that happened early in Miss West’s career best illustrates the power of color. It was right after World War II and despite the housing shortage a development of prefabricated houses did not sell. Miss West, who was then working as an architect in her native Texas, was asked by the prefab manufacture to visit the project and tell him what was wrong. There she found row after row of white houses with blue shutters and mottled roofs of red, blue and green. She worked out a color plan for the entire project of 300 houses and fixed up a model for demonstration fixed up a model for demonstration purposes. All the house were sold in a single weekend and Beatrice West had found herself a new career. Soon she was planning the color for Levitt projects and National Homes.
Looks like she did color consulting for American Kitchens (steel kitchen cabinets):
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books.google.com1955 - Snippet view – American Lumberman and Building Products Merchandiser
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She was involved with Charles Goodman:
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books.google.com1955 - Snippet view – Tide – Volume 29, Issues 14-27
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Relative to the Caloric relationship, I found this snippet.. there were others for subsequent years:
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books.google.com 1959 - Snippet view – Gas Age: Volume 124
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Somewhere there is a film!:
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books.google.com H.W. Wilson Company - 1960 - Snippet view – Educational Film Guide
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She was a who in the Who’s Who of Women in 1961:
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books.google.com 1961 - Snippet view – Who’s Who of American Women, Volume 2
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Note, this book about Levittown, Pennsylvania, calls West an interior designer, not an architect. It also says she was involved in the very first Levittown:
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books.google.com Dianne Harris - 2010 – 429 pages - Second suburb: Levittown, PA
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books.google.com American Gas Association - 1960 - American Gas Assoc. Monthly Volume 41
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By 1969, she may have become a design snowbird down in Florida:
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No cover image
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books.google.com1969 - Snippet view – AIA Journal
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It looks like she was doing some work with Eljer circa 1977:
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books.google.com Making of America Project - 1977 - House Beautiful, Volume 119
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The last reference I can find to her online is 1981, when she received the Color Marketing Group’s Dimmick Award. They called her “Bea”:
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books.google.com Color, Inter-Society Color Council, Colour Group (Great Britain) - 1982 - Color Research and Application, Volume 7
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But… This information is so scattershot. What happened to Beatrice West after 1981? Why isn’t there more information available about this COLORFUL woman’s life?! Anything mystery for us to unravel!
Beatrice West color-designed Caloric appliances – NOS pink set – for sale 
Samantha spots a Saved Pink Bathroom 
Become a fan
Holy freaking cow, what an incredible find!! I absolutely LOVE the multi-colored triangle details on the oven’s control panel. :drool:
How can we contact Nancy for purchase info?
HI Melita, you can contact me at nancy159@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Nancy
How awesome. Yes, how can we find out more on purchase info. I can be reached at mcmrjr@gmail.com
Thanks for your rescuing efforts and for Pam posting. This is a rare find.
What a great find! If it were yellow or coppertone (they’d go best with my 1955 knotty pine kitchen), I would already be the owner of this set! My question for Pam K. is this: the appliance industry MUST know that there is a tremendous pent-up demand for modern energy-efficient appliances that look like 1960 in all those original retro colors – so WHY aren’t they offering them? They are missing out on a TON of sales to people who are fed up with today’s boring, stainless steel boxes with no style! What can we do to make it happen?
Joe, Last year when I was looking for a new washer and dryer I so wanted a pink one but wanted a new energy efficient one. Of course there were none to be found. However when we were talking to the salesman at Sears I asked him if he knew if anyone made any in the color of pink. He said not that he knew but that I was the third person that had asked him that week about a pink washer and dryer. And while we were talking another couple, probably in their twenties I would guess came running over to where we were and said they had overheard us talking about pink and wanted to know where she could find a new set. Like me she said she did not care what brand as long as it was the 50′s pink. So the buyers are there if some company would just make the leap!!
It certainly would be nice if one of the big manufacturers took the leap and did this. If I worked in their R&D Department, I would pull the old color palettes and reshade them to 30-50% of the original tone, and come up with these new color names: Bermuda Sand (Pink); Surfspray (Turquoise); Buttercream (Yellow); Mocha (Coppertone); Meadow (Avocado). I would give them control panels that have the designer detail like you see on these Calorics, with soft illumination, REAL rotary controls and a splash of brushed metal and chrome. AND make sure to include nice features again like programmable cooking and automatic rotisseries. Those companies would really rake in the sales! The public is starving for the look and features of the old and are really tired of the blandness of today’s so-called modern; I also hear PLENTY of people wishing for the mid-century look. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have the honor of owning my late mom’s 1965 Hardwick Debutante upper/lower ovens gas range in Coppertone with brushed stainless steel and chrome trim. It looks and cooks 3 times a day like brand new (and looks it too), a real testament to how good the quality was back in the day.
I love how the knobs are color coordinated with the diagram in the center of the range showing the burner positions. Now that must have come from “Bea”. brilliant! We need info on this women’s ideas. And by the way: FIND of the decade for sure!
The seller should contact Whirlpool, (who bought Maytag, who bought Amana, who bought Caloric). They may be interested in something like this for its archival value.
Hi Dennis, I did contact Whirlpool, but they only take donations! I would like to sell them! Great idea though!
What a score!… That will look great installed, I can’t wait for a follow up.
Nancy –
Those are fantastic pieces! Makes you wonder what they’re thinking to just throw it to the curb, but your gain, right? Oh, to have a neighbor who might do that – and of course, let me be the first to spot it! Have fun with your find!
Thanks Jan! I actually enjoyed opening all the boxes and cleaning the dust off, I was like a kid at Christmas! But I need to sell them, DH doesn’t want a pink kitchen!
I also don’t understand why there aren’t more color choices in appliances at more moderate price points. Color makes me sing.
Pam, thanks for the info on Beatrice West. Even that small amount was very interesting. We take it for granted that women can do anything and have a career, but working in male dominated fields like architecture in the 50′s was probably not easy!
yes, these women were pioneers in so many ways. it is a cliche to say it. but it’s TRUE
Neato!
The appliances are beautiful and so sturdy. One of the explanations for the appliances never being installed could be the owner won a complete kitchen on one of the radio shows. There were many daytime radio programs with audience participation, such as Queen For A Day, which awarded fantastic prizes, namely from their sponsors. It also could have been a grand prize when building companies held open house, and got leads from the guests signing in. Touring model homes was a lovely and free Sunday afternoon past time. If the winner had planned to install these appliances in a dream home, or a future renonovation, they would have remained in the cartons. One wonders why the grandson didn’t check them out before hauling such heavy items to the curb.
HI Joy! Wow, I never thought of that! It really could be! I just hope I can find a home for it all and not have to break it up!
Wittrup was her married name. Beatrice Kantz West Wittrup. She and husband Jack Wittrup (noted illustrator/artist of 40s, 50s, 60s, posters, pinups – you can see his work online) lived in Boca Raton, Florida from at least the 1960s in an oceanfront condo. Her company, Beatrice West Color, Inc., was registered in Florida in 1956 and the name was later changed to Beatrice West Studios, Inc. It closed down in 1981, having operated for many years in Boca. Jack died in 1987 and she followed him in 1996.
The pink shade of those appliances is gorgeous. I can see them with many different cabinet colors (slab doors would be best) and terrazzo counters.
I agree with a commenter above, who said that the retro appliance colors should be modified a bit and then reissued. I am not opposed to stainless but there is something HAPPY about the colored appliances, which baby boomers will EAT UP!!
Thank you for the additional information about Beatrice West, Cynthia! How did you find all this??
When I saw in your article that there was a possible connection to South Florida (Deerfield Beach), I looked up the company name on State of Florida corporate records, and took it from there. I’m an attorney and so I’m used to tracing things like this. The commercial building where her studio was located is still there, although it was substantially remodeled many years ago. I could even give you the addresses of her former studio and residence, and a few details on their deaths, but I prefer to think of the good old days they must have enjoyed for 30 years as (probably) snowbirds who lived down here in the winter and summered up north where her main business was located. In those years, this area was starting to attract many monied people from up north who bought luxurious winter homes and wanted to decorate with the latest trends. No doubt she had clients up north who wanted her services here, so she wisely opened up shop. By the time she closed up (1981) the type of clientele she enjoyed was starting fade away. to She was 85 when she died in February 1996.
yes great find! would love the cook top and sink and even everything if the price was rite, Big Chill makes diswahers and refrigerators in assorted colors.
HI, I’m taking offers!:) nancy159@yahoo.com
Wow. This post makes me want to become a professional trash-digger!
I just wanted to tell everyone who is interestd in the pink kitchen set that I just received the missing part from the stove top from a wonderful person, Russell!! He mailed me the part, it is not new but I’m sure can be cleaned up!! He also sent me the metal ring for around the stove and extra stove grates! Thank you so much Russell!! And of course to Pan for posting!
Whoops sorry spelled PAM wrong!:)
I am insanely jealous. I have a Caloric oven but it is ivory. I’d be in heaven with a color.
So where are you located and what is the price you are asking for the whole set?
cindy – read through the comments and you will see that nancy has given her contact info…
I’ve never seen anything as fabulous as this “find” — honestly, gave me goosebumps! — but about 2 years ago, I went to an estate sale in my area (suburban Cleveland) and spoke to the daughter of the late owner of the home. The whole split level house was very “50s” and in mint condition, but the highlight was the ALL PINK kitchen, and it was spotless and mint; almost unused. The daughter said that her mom adored her new pink kitchen — so she barely ever cooked in it. When she put it in, she kept her old white appliances in the basement, and used the stove down there for the grunt work of actually cooking, keeping her pink set absolutely pristine. It was similar to what is shown here, with a separate cooktop and stove, range hood and back-splash, plus a rimmed pink sink on a pink original “boomerang” formica countertop.
I’ve seen plenty of other pink kitchens in my time (hey! this is Cleveland!) but never one this jewel perfect and in its original installation.
But finding this in the trash…holy cow. That’s like a sign from god or something. I’d work very hard to overrule the DH on this — I think you could have a fabulous pink kitchen that was not overly “girly”, with the right contrasting color accents.
BTW: unlike many pink bathrooms, pink KITCHENS were often subtle, pale pink and incorporated other colors (like maroon) in the trim, paint, backsplash and detail. They most definitely do not come across like “Barbie’s dream kitchen” but very sophisticated.
So interesting! I love your blog and all the information that I’ve gotten from it already. We still have a Caloric wall over in our kitchen with warming drawer – it’s stainless surprisingly and not a color.
How very cool is that?! I just recently moved into a house that still had the original metal cabinets, stove top, and oven from the 50′s/60′s! When I went to see the apt for the first time I fell in love with it! It originally was pink and had the pint and gold boomarang formica counters. The property manager said that they were going to tear out the counters and cabinets and replace everything. I gave her a deposite on the spot, with the condition that they leave the kitchen as is! We compramised and they replaced the counter tops but left the cabinets. I was told that they could not find a replacement range and oven that would fit into the spaces there (a BIG fat fib!) and at first I was disappointed. I soon fell in love with the old tiny oven and the wide range! I also talked the contractor into giving me all the old counters when they took them out! They did repaint the cabinets brown (ugg). I am now getting ready to purchase my first home and I will have nothing but metal/ceramic cabinets and am hoping to find an old stove and range like the one I have! I plan on incorperating the old counters into my new kitchen and am considering making an offer to the owner for the cabinets and appliances! I will NEVER go back to wood and have become a true, die hard NOS convert! I grew up in a victorian style so I got an early education and appreciation for antiques though I think I prefer the turn of the century homes from the 1900-1920′s or older pre 1880′s style houses. I had been waffling about what era style I wanted to go with for the kitchen and bathrooms…I just cannot warm up to the modern look…and now I have found the perfect fit! NOS all the way!
BTW – imagine my surprise when I discovered that my HUGE turkey roaster fits just fine in my “little” oven! Though I cannot put anything else in there with it
Thanks for having such a great site with so many ideas and hints on ways to incorporate this look in a functional modern kitchen!
NOS to the end!
ItBitKitty
Hi itBitKitty. ~ What is ‘small’ for the oven? I would not have and would not cook in any oven bigger than 20 inches wide. (even a 24 inch is a waste to me) Any bigger ovens waste too much energy for the same results. If a recipe says ‘bake for 1 hr’, I only need to bake for 35 to 40 min – max. I even had a smaller electric range, a european apartment stove, two burners and half an oven – a 20 inch wide but half the height – and – my inherent dislike for cooking on electric aside, I was baking the same loaf in even less time, about 25 to 30 minutes. I understand you can ‘layer’ the oven and bake more than one thing at the same time, but how often do we do that these days? It’s like the sparkling new granite island kitchens, island’s really useful – to hold the takeout pizza…
I just got back from an estate sale and pick up a caloric coppertone sink with the sticker on, never used It was sitting next to the garage ready to be scraped! Why oh why do people scrap these beauties?
Way to go, Karen!
Oh thanks Pam! We got there the second day of the sale and it was still there. No one asked about it because it was in a scrap pile. Well we asked and brought it home along with an Elgin starburst clock and sconce set. I love the last day of sales. Everything 50% off!!!
I have just listed the Pink Caloric Appliances on eBay!! Here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-NOS-1962-PINK-CALORIC-RETRO-MID-CENTURY-KITCHEN-OVEN-STOVE-DOUBLE-SINK-HOOD-/150660871690?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231416760a
Pass it on!! Any questions don’t hesitate to contact me! All offers considered!
Thanks!
Nancy
Just bought a house in Marblehead, MA with this exact oven and cooktop but in brown. My mom helped clean them up so they look like new! Love them!
I knew you would be looking too. Love the stove and oven!
Anyone know the model # or have instructions for the oven/broiler?
Can’t seem to find instructions anywhere…nor can I find the model #.
Appreciate any help.
How I’d love to see that pink kitchen when it’s done!!! We just bought an all original 1963 house (well all original except for appliances) in Phoenix and I NEED at least one, but hopefully 2 PINK GE ovens in good condition. Late 50′s to early 60′s in age, but they need to pink, ge, and in good condition. Hopefully on the east coast or nearby as we are currently living in the DC area and will be moving to PHX in June. zogette@earthlink.net Thanks for any help :^)
Hi,
I am looking for a pink gas cooktop stove and pink gas builtin oven.I just have not been able to find the perfect set.I am remodeling my 1960s mobliehomes Kitchen soon.Pink is so cool and I love the vintage colors.