Yes, it can be done: You can get replacement parts for your vintage stoves, ovens, ranges and other old appliances. Kathy did it — using a resource that readers pointed out here on the blog. Oh, and so cool: Kathy’s kitchen was originally used by a professional cook in the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens! Continue on for Kathy’s happy ending story –>
Kathy writes:
I just wanted to say thanks for such a great web-site. I was able to get the broiler parts for my original with the house, yellow 1959 GE wall oven that the local Service Plus plan (through local gas company Center Point Energy) repairman said they “couldn’t” get anymore. I found your mention of The Old Appliance Club, and they hunted down the parts twice! I didn’t order soon enough the first time.
Gets better! My repairman said since they told me the parts were not available the first time they came out, they would REIMBURSE me. Wow! Saved $150.I was really happy to keep my oven and cook-top since they are great, original, and the original owner was a professional cook in the Betty Crocker test kitchens in Golden Valley, MN at General Mills near my home. They have some history connection.
My broiler works great. Only cost me the monthly svc fee of $17.50 and I don’t have to remodel and get new appliances. I got an estimate on the remodel. Minimum of $1,500 and then buy the appliances to boot. Thanks again. I’m hooked now that I know I can do this! On to the teal bathroom! (The pink bathroom is in the basement.)
One happy girl!
Way to go, Kathy. And thank you, The Old Appliance Club!
YEA!!!!! Kathy…I am so thrilled you did not subscribe to the new is better way of thinking that is so prevalent these days. Your kitchen is gorgeous and it would have been a shame to throw away that gorgeous oven and cook top. I am so glad that you could find what you needed. It just goes to prove that the older stuff WAS built better.
Thanks Patrick! I love my oven/cooktop too. It’s great this kitchen is more than retro good looks. It is still a hard-working, 3-meals a day, cookie baking, family dinner type kitchen and I really need a reliable appliances.
Too bad the original matching yellow refrigerator died only 2 weeks after we bought the house in the late 1980′s. If only I’d had Retro Renovation then, we might have saved the frig too!
We can find you another fridge in Canary Yellow GE Fridge or you can find a nice working vintage fridge and have it sprayed that color but I vote for going with the a vintage GE fridge myself of course a white one would go as well……..
Most people think (oddly) that it’s easier to replace than to do a little digging and keep what you have. Try finding a new appliance today that will last as long as this one has. I have a newer cooktop in my kitchen (came with the house) and it already needs replaced. It’s probably less than 10 years old. JUNK!
Kathy, your kitchen IS gorgeous and I’m so glad you got to keep your yellow cooktop and oven. It’s sad to be told something isn’t available, and after it’s too late, you find out it was. Happened to me with some tile before I discovered this great site.
I love your yellow kitchen! It’s so sunny and cheery looking. It’s great that everything else was in such nice condition. Very pretty!! Be sure you show us the bathrooms!!! And a tour through the house would be pleasant!
So pretty!
That’s awesome!!
Love it. I need to work replace a few cooktop coils and fiddle with the wiring on my electric double oven/stovetop combo. The larger coils work very intermittently. I’ll use this for inspiration.
I would highly recommend trying the Old Appliance Club. I got great service and they are very knowledgeable. Their web site explains how to request parts from them pretty well and if you need to call instead of email they are very helpful on the phone as well. Good luck!
I have the same oven but with the window and meat rotisserie which still works! My house was the 1959 show house for a local Des Moines developer W. Reed Davisson.
How fun we have the same oven from GE! I saw the rotisserie in the original 1959 GE owner’s manual. What I nice feature. My local family owned appliance store has a vintage yellow oven on display. I think they said it was called “Buttercup” ?
Gee, if your house was a model home, it must have a lot of upgraded features. Lucky you! Our house was built by Associated. It is the “Wabasha” model with some changes. There was also the “Sibley”, “Norman” “Marshall”, “Stevens” and “Brucewood” model of ramblers thru Associated.
The color of Kathy’s appliance is not “buttercup” GE called it Canary Yellow and it was offered alongside Woodtone Brown, Petal Pink and Turquoise Green in 1959.
Ooops. Thanks for catching that Patrick. I think it is the Knowles dinner plates on the table that are called Buttercup! Mom got them one piece at a time when you bought gas at the filling station. Remember that?!
There are some neat things like a Nutone intercom/ tube radio in the bedrooms with the copper-toned master control in the kitchen. The original floor had been carpeted over in the 1970s, [edited]. The original 9×9 tiles were cream with metallic bronze, gold, and silver splashes. I had a cry when I saw what had been destroyed. There were short cuts in the structural supports, however. I had the dry wall open to raise the height of the showerhead and saw a pieced together stud. Eeck! Who knows how often the builders did that!
My kitchen lay out is the same as yours right of the oven including pocket door. To the left of the oven is a broom closet turned pantry and then the walkthrough to the dining/living room. I painted the walls nearly the same blue as you did. I’m changing it to more of an aqua to match my new VCT flooring. Your cooktop is much cooler than mine. I love the “Blender” push buttons on the wall.
DawnT If your Nutone Intercom is not presently functioning or needs work you should call R&I Enterprises they restore and also offer modern replacements for antique Nutone Intercoms There phone # is 800-525-7194 and here is a link to their webpage http://www.rienterprisepartsplus.com/nutone_intupdt.htm
Thank you! I’ll copy that down. They are presently working fine, except the outdoor speaker that we are unsure about the function.
See, this kills me. I have matching coppertone brown GE appliances: cooktop, hood and oven from about 1962. We just recently had to give up our oven because the bake element broke for the second time since we’d been in the house. I had successfully replaced it the first time, and when it broke for the second time in three years, that was it. The poor oven superheated and was hot to the touch – a concern with small kids in the house.
Unfortunately, as much as my husband and I cook, we had to replace our Brady Bunch baby. We still use the cooktop and Hi-Touch vent hood, but the oven has been relegated to the basement. *sigh*
When I can bear to part with everything, I imagine I’ll try to sell it as a set.
Myra check with the same place Kathy checked with……I bet they can help you find the element you need to make your stove safe again
Oops I meant Kathy not Karen my mistake
No, you are not losing your mind. I called Kathy both Kathy and Karen in the story… (my excuse is that there is a Karen story tomorrow)… Kathy alerted me and I changed the story along with the comments that had come in so far.
Congrats, Kathy! Those cooking appliances are great looking! Now we just need to find you a yellow fridge
Love the yellow, so glad you could fix it!!!
Safety is always the first priority with your own little “bunch”. So, it doesn’t all match. Put on your retro apron and make like Carol and Alice and whip up something yummy for those little ones! Isn’t warm memories part of why we are all attracted to the retro vibe anyway.
So my kitchen doesn’t all match either. My kids could care less when warm fresh popovers come out of that oven! Enjoy Myra!
That brings back memories — I grew up in a kitchen that had this wall oven in aqua, with another one above it that had the window. The same stove top too, and aqua formica. Looking at the control panel, I get the sense memory of how, when the timer was done, it would buzz continuously until you clicked it to zero — haven’t thought of that in decades.
i ADORE mid-century wall ovens ………
there’s just something about them.
You are singing my song!!! I just had my original 1956 Thermador stainless steel wall oven fixed by a local company here in Portland. Luckily, they found a replacement element and points but they are getting harder and harder to find. We were so despondent thinking we needed to find a replacement, not to mention the extensive remodeling that would have been necessary. You can see a picture of my beautiful oven in this Retro-Renovation post from 2009: http://retrorenovation.com/2009/03/06/janes-1956-retro-renovation-kitchen/
Way to go, Kathy – your kitchen is gorgeous!
What a beautiful cheerful kitchen!
I have that same tablecloth with the yellow roses, nice to see it in your beautiful yellow kitchen! I don’t have a table it will fit on but can’t give it up. I have one with red roses too.
As for the Old Appliance Club, I am going to join up and see if they can scare up parts for my wall oven. It is newer with digital panel, maybe early 90s, but I am told some parts are not available. Same problem with my 1980 ish Jennaire cooktop, parts not available to fix the timer or replace damaged knob. Great strategy to get us to buy a new one, right?
Elaine, yes contact Old Appliance Club. They have contacts and search warehouses all over the country. Their web site explains how to request parts with mdl/serial number, photo of broken parts etc. They are also very helpful on the phone. I’m sure they would be happy to try to help you!
I’m so in love with those cabinets. Exactly what I imagine in my future kitchen.
Kathy,
You have a wonderful kitchen! So bright and cheerful and those cabinets are awesome! I am so glad your commitment to keep & fix the original appliances was so richly rewarded! I have all vintage appliances in my kitchen and utility room (a 1949 Coldspot refrigerator, a 1969 Avocado green Coldspot and a 1955 Westinghouse electric stove). They aren’t matched perfectly, but they all work great and I wouldn’t trade them for the world! You can see my appliances in a 2011 Retro Renovation post: (Readers and Their Kitchens) http://retrorenovation.com/2011/05/03/janas-cheerful-yellow-red-and-white-kitchen-a 1268-delight/
Is that a pocket door I spy just past the refrigerator? Love it! Just like we had in our kitchen when I was a kid. Congratulations on a beautiful kitchen and that gorgeous oven and cook top!
Jana, I’ve seen the article on your cheery yellow kitchen! It inspired me to love the kitchen I have and just play up the retro-ness instead of fighting it trying to go country or primitive etc. I never get tired of yellow!
P.S. yes, that is a pocket door. I had one growing up too!
Great kitchen-and yes, it looks like you can actually use everything-Yay!
Lived in and loved is the best.
I had neighbors that had a similar oven to yours growing up. Does the broiler rest right in the top? So you could put a rack down low and broil something really tall?
I can’t do that with my glorious 1930s gas oven.
I long to make a childhood favorite cake we used to make at neighbors house….Orange Sody Pop Cake with Cornflake Frosting. You cream butter and brown sugar, then mix it up with smashed cornflakes. Pat this all over your nice orange cake, pop it under that tall broiler and….
3 minutes later you have this amazing crunchy caramelized delight.
Miss those.
Can’t make it in a non Mid Century oven!
Chutti, that does sound yummy!
Chutti, oh, and yes the broiler is a coil in a metal pan that slides into the top of the oven and plugs into the back wall.
Hey! I have a wall oven and range top just like this! Mine is a few years older, but still works fabulously! Never have had to have it repaired. But, (don’t be jealous)mine is a double oven!!
Just when you think you are the only one out there dealing with these old appliances you find lots of new friends who appreciate them too!
Out of curiosity, what’s the thought on energy efficiency? I love the look of retro appliances, but I’d also like to be energy conscious. It’s probably not a huge issue with stoves, but refrigerators? Eep!
We have had big discussions about this in the past. Put an electric meter on your fridge. That is the only way that you can see how much electricity it really uses. You can then compare this number with new fridges and make an informed choice based on the facts. See this story for an excellent discussion: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/choosing-energy-efficient-refrigerator?utm_source=email&utm_medium=eletter&utm_term=energy-efficiency&utm_content=20120523-energy-efficient-refridgerator&utm_campaign=green-building-advisor-eletter
Wow, gotta love Kathy’s kitchen! I have a turquoise version of this kitchen and love it. Don’t know how anyone buying a home with a kitchen such as Kathy’s could even think of altering it in any measurable way. It must drive Lowes and Home Depot crazy to see these things, but too bad!
Well, Jeff, I’m learning to love the kitchen I’ve got as long as it is functioning fine. I hope to someday un-do the fake wood-look counter tops that went in sometime in the 80′s before we bought the place. Been learning about what might be a nice retro look (white w/gold flecks, or pale yellow). Wood cabinets and wood-look counter tops don’t thrill me. Oh well.
The flooring has seen better days too. Starting to come apart at the edges. Maybe when the kids are out of college!!!
Kathy, definitely a yellow, or yellow / white combo countertop with stainless edging would really pick it up.
Flooring in a neat vintage looking linoleum or cork would be great.
I installed cork and it’s been the best thing- having the dropsies as I do, things don’t break! It also stays warm in cold weather.
The original floor was cork under six layers I pulled up, sub floor as well. Now it looks as it did when new. Best of luck!
i’ve got the same cabinets and knobs in my kitchen!
Natalie, I actually replaced mine with something smaller and “antiqued” brass look to try to go more country years ago. Thank goodness I saved all the original knobs because the new knobs kept falling apart and the screws were not as long so the knobs would pull off when you tried to open the cupboard doors!
I cleaned all the old knobs and put all 60 of them back and haven’t had a problem since.
They kind of remind me of flying saucers. I wonder if anyone knows if this style of knob has a name?
Kathy,
I am not sure if the style of the knob has a name (in a May 2011 RR posting, they are referred to as the “radar dish” knobs). http://retrorenovation.com/2011/05/17/inexpensive-hardware-for-1950s-and-1960s-kitchen-cabinets/
I know that Amerock made the same style of cabinet knob in various sizes as part of their Stratoline series in the 50′s & 60′s . You can see a picture of the catalog from 1952 at: http://www.stantheoldhardwareman.com/images/catalogs/scan0058_amerock213_cover_600.jpg.
Yes, I mentioned these in my Comment — I like them with the diamond backplate…http://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/products/dish-star-backplate?category_id=4dfa4a8e9a866569d700000c
I have recently bought a very similar turquoise 3-piece stove/oven set at a yard sale for $25. Glad to see you got yours working great!
I am looking for a little help….the stove top for my set has a small chip in the enamel surface. Does anyone know what the best solution for this is? For anything else, I’d just get a color match and have an auto body shop repaint it….but this is on the stove top, so I’m concerned that I need special heat-resistant paint. Help?
Jamie, why don’t you try The Old Appliance Club and see what they suggest? You can also try Rust-Oleum, they have great customer service and might have an answer for you. Good luck.
I love this yellow kitchen. I recently moved into a 1965 mid-century atomic ranch in Houston from the original owner – it is not quite a time capsule house, but has most of the original stuff and your blog has been super helpful already. We have an original Hotpoint stainless steel wall oven which cooks perfectly, but the timer/clock doesn’t work. Online I found a website called http://www.appliancetimers.com which will repair the timer if I ship it to them after removing it from the oven. I was wondering if any of your readers have experience with them? I did a search and didn’t find anything. Thanks!
Oops. Obviously that should have been ” we bought” from the original owner.
Oh Kathy…you have no idea how much you helped me! We bought a vintage Westinghouse Wall Oven at a garage sale that fell in love with. It looked perfect! We were crushed to find out the elements were burned out after a service company checked it out for us. This meant we could not use the unit since there were no parts to be had anywhere! We went back to the people we purchased it from just to ask if they tried to get the elements. It was their mom’s and after checking with her, that was the reason she sold it. I happened to stop by this wonderful web site (big thank you Pam) and saw your inspiring pictures and information. We did contact The Old Appliance Club on the web. They made brand new elements for us and our Westinghouse oven is up and running again like the day it was manufactured. You and Pam get all the credit. We had no idea where to turn until we read your story. This is the best, best site on the web. I’m so HAPPY!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Do you have a model number for your oven? I need a knob for a similar oven. Thank you