Buckle up, readers. Here is one of the most beautiful, glowy, dreamy vintage kitchens yet, and the story is still unfolding. This 1956 kitchen — with top-of-the-line St. Charles steel cabinets, in a soft gray with aquamarine countertops — first appeared on our metal kitchen cabinet buy/sell Forum (now defunct). Bonnie listed the cabinets for sale. She recently bought this house — a gorgeous c. 1900 Southern Victorian near Nashville — and she is going to create a 1900s-era kitchen for it. Within days of the listing, reader Pam snapped them up, with plans to put them into a house she recently purchased. Stunned by these beautiful photographs, I got permission to feature them from real estate agent Starling Davis and from Showcase Photographers. I also was connected to the original owner — Mrs. Starling Davis, mother of the real estate agent — who lived in this home for 50 years, from 1956 until a few years ago — and who, with her husband, had the kitchen designed and installed.
Mrs. Davis told me that when her family bought the house, it was a shambles. They renovated the entire home, including putting these grey St. Charles cabinets, aqua countertops, and turquoise stove into the kitchen. She said that her husband is the one who knew about St. Charles. He asked to put these in. The wallpaper and flooring as shown, is original. Mrs. Davis says the gray has a “touch of pink” in it. The cabinets are in perfect shape, except for a small gash in one place.
The side-by-side refrigerator, Mrs. Davis says, came later. She believes it was the first modern side-by-side available. Her husband bought it as a surprise — and he had it painted soft gray to match the cabinets before installing it.
Please, readers: No woe-is-me’s that Bonnie is not keeping the kitchen (I will expeditiously edit/delete such comments). I totally understand her desire to create a period-authentic 1900s kitchen. We are so happy she chose to list the cabinets on our Forum — and that an RR reader, Pam, snapped them up! Good retro karma! Thank you, Bonnie!
All the photos above are of the kitchen and the adjacent breakfast room. What else can I say? Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Now, the four stunning bathrooms also installed in 1956:
This ivory-yellow bathroom, with its ivory colored fixtures, was Mrs. Davis’ bathroom. I marveled with her about how “glowy” this room was — she credits the wallpaper. Exquisite taste. This takes my breath away. I’ll even take it over Mamie pink. Gasp! Yes!
An angle on the vanity. Louver doors are good and righteous things. Mrs. Davis says, “We took good care of everything.” Well, yes, you did!
Beige tile, Mrs. Davis says. Notice how they did the shower entry — they tiled up three tiles before mounting the shower door. Louver doors again on the vanity. Hexes on the floors, as in the ladie’s bath and the blue bath coming up. Mrs. Davis says the fixtures are Crane. In her bathroom, though, they are American-Standard.
Blue bathroom. There Is Nothing Wrong About Tiling Your Bathroom Countertop. Wallpaper = yes. Peek into the hall to see the louver closet doors. I am going to do a follow-up story on this room alone, there are numerous design secrets within that Mrs. Davis told me about.
Even though the foreground of this photo reads blue, this is a very soft green tile, Mrs. Davis says. With a pink sink (remember Nora’s time capsule pink and blue bathroom?) Metallic wallpaper…. towel rings with bows on top… a little tile-in nook shelf above the vanity… a door with applied trim…. and teensy mosaic tiles — on the floor. This is the most amazing house ever.
Thanks again to Mrs. Starling Davis for talking to me about this house… to realtor Starling Davis, to Dan Raper of Showcase Photographers for permission to feature the photos, and to reader Bonnie and Pam, for helping with this story. Guess what? More to come.
Annie B. says
What attention to detail. A stunning home. Glad to know the cabinets are going to a good home.
Don’t the louvered doors keep the contents of cabinets cool and dry?
That’s my thinking.
Deb says
This is a perfect post on so many levels. The house is being restored to its original time period, the gorgeous cabinets are going to a new home, the rooms and photography are beautiful, Pam got permission and credited all involved, and Starling Davis is an amazing name! I can’t wait to see the rest of the house and, perhaps a photo of the elder Mrs. Davis. She sounds like a very classy woman.
dipsterdeb says
love, love
Tami says
My vote for comment of the day:
“Louver doors are good and righteous things.”
Kathryn says
Louver doors! I bought my 1956 house a couple of years ago, and there are louvered doors EVERYWHERE – bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, everywhere. Was this really a common part of mid-century design?
pam kueber says
yup!
Jeanne says
Gorgeous, gorgeous rooms. Lot’s of louvres and shutters. I notice each bathroom has a louvred cabinet on the wall…at least I’m assuming they are medicine cabinets? Or a laundry chute?
And how sweet is her husband for surprising her with a side-by-side refrigerator and having it painted to match?! Thanks for sharing those time capsule photos!
clampers says
I was wondering what those little doors are too!
pam kueber says
Yes, medicine cabinets. I will do a future story. I talked to Mrs. Davis about why she did it this way. She has sage advice!
Eartha Kitsch says
Woweeeee…So beautiful. I love the wallpaper with those cabinets. And those high ceilings in the kitchen where all of the heat can go up and stay up. I really love all of the softly painted woodwork in that house too. I wish that we could tour the rest of the house.
Tutti says
I know it doesn’t really fit with the theme here, but I’d sure like to see updates on Bonnie’s 1900 kitchen remodel, and Pam’s retake on this beautiful kitchen, in the future!
pam kueber says
Well, of course, you will see these!!! Both Bonnie and Pam were very excited about this story running!
pamela lyle says
Hi Tutti,
Pam here, the one who purchased the cabinets. Don’t you worry, I will be keep Retrorenovation Pam in the loop as our new kitchen progresses!
pam kueber says
xoxo
ChrisH says
I’d like to see the 1900 kitchen too, as my house was built in 1917. I think I prefer a 30s/40s kitchen, but maybe I’ll change my mind.
JaimeMarie says
How did she keep it in such good condition?! I have updates in my house from the 80’s (ick) that are falling apart, but her stuff from the 50’s is still *gorgeous*! Really fantastic! I’m sure Mrs. Davis was happy to have her style appreciated all these years later.
pam kueber says
I bet the kids weren’t allowed in the kitchen! I will have to ask!
Adrienne Blackwell says
This is gorgeous! I love the wallpaper in all the rooms, but especially the kitchen. Such a beautiful home!
Kate H says
You know what I like best about these pix? The owner picked what she liked and stuck with it. It’s really pretty, and she has great taste. Very classy. Fabulous wallpaper.
Victoria says
It’s really beautiful — she DOES have good taste and it has her distinctive style, as you say.
I really get the fact that she wants to go back to the house’s roots and time period. It’s not a mid-century house, it’s a 1900 house with mid century updates. She’s just doing what we do when we rip out 1980s updates and restore our 1956 house to period style.
I’m glad she realized that people value what she did so well in 1956 and is willing to let someone buy it. It took years for my 85 year old mother to see why I kept the original pink appliances that came in my 1961 house.
Victoria says
…and I just realized in re-reading that the new owner is the one who sold the kitchen cabinets, not the original owner. Even so, huzzah for them.