Reader recently uploaded 208 pictures of antique stoves, refrigerators and other major kitchen appliances — and in this story, I had fun trying to pick out my favorites. These photos show that retro kitchens come in many design flavors. Above: April’s 1961 kitchen — with its lovely blue Hotpoint refrigerator and stove — is sleek and modern — but friendly at the same time. Droooooooool.
Cool and colorful
Out of all the appliances that were uploaded, the colorful stoves, ranges, vent hoods just had me squealing with delight. Aqua, pink, brown, green — I love them all. Above: Anonymous’ 1963 kitchen, complete with turquoise and bronze starburst flecked countertops.
Above: Reader and fellow blogger Betty Crafter’s swoon-worthy aqua stove in her knotty pine kitchen — complete with aqua laminate countertops. We’re a huge fan of Betty’s kitchen — which we have featured before.
Above: This reader also has an aqua stove and aqua countertops just a slightly lighter shade. I’m loving how the vintage stove meshes with the metal cabinets and funky pulls — retrolicious! [Pam interjects: I think this kitchen is one of Bizarro Twin Pam’s six kitchens.]
Then there is the pink — ohhh the pink! I think Susie O’s pink kitchen above might just be my dream kitchen — a pink Frigidaire Custom Imperial Double Oven and a dishwasher — is your fridge pink, too, Susie?
Since my kitchen doesn’t have room for a full range, I’d settle for this cute, original 1960’s GE pink wall oven, above — love the pink laminate countertops, too, we need a close up!
More a fan of the 1970s? This avocado green wall oven from Frigidaire might just do the trick. “I love the fonts,” says anonymous uploader.
I’ll admit — I’m not usually a fan of brown appliances — but reader Adam’s super built-in Western Holly range (complete with cute owl decor) might just change my mind. I’m really digging the circular oven window.
Another reader whose stove (and kitchen) made me happy was Wendy’s 1960’s Frigidaire Flair with 1970’s avocado green cabinet. Wendy — your kitchen is fabulous and your stove is the crowning glory.
Wonderful whites
Above: Reader Jeff’s 1949 Kenmore stove is pretty awesome — as is his cookware collection. He topped it all off with one heck of a cool aqua range hood complete with silver starbursts. His cabinets and pulls are tiki-tastic too.
Speaking about cool handles, check out the handles on Heather’s 1950’s Roper stove that she found on Freecycle — for free. What a score Heather!
Here’s another 1960’s Westinghouse 2 level stove — just as cool in white. I didn’t realize there was an outlet on it until just now — is that safe?
Above: Reader JoAnn’s vintage white O’Keefe & Merritt stove looks so pretty in her house. My favorite part is the red knobs and handles and the cool work light (that is a work light, right?). JoAnn — you have quite the snazzy house.
Here’s another gem, Chutti’s 1930’s spark stove — which looks to be in perfect condition. They just don’t make ’em like they used to, do they?
Fabulous Fridges
Perhaps a perfect pair to Chutti’s Spark stove — the 1934 White Seal Ice Box above also looks to be in mint condition too.
Above: The 1967 Limited Edition Sears Coldspot Designed by Sundberg-Ferar is cool to begin with. What makes it arctic level cool? The fridge came with a nameplate inscribed for the original owner — Flora. She was a Scottish schoolteacher according to the fridge’s new owner, reader 52 PostnBeam.
Above: Reader Amy F’s Mid 60’s GE Combination Fridge with turquoise and yellow interior and swing out shelves. We’d love to see pictures of that interior Am — and the exterior is lovely.
Reader Ann-Marie Meyers wasn’t afraid to open up her 1962 GE Fridge to show us how cool the insides are. (Though it could be because it is empty)
Gailsmile was also kind enough to open up her retro Philco fridge — love the aqua accents on the inside.
And here’s a really brave reader — who let us peek inside their fridge with food inside! JD Log’s Crosley Shelvador “10” is not your typical Crosley — this is the Australian version — complete with Vegemite in the yellow jar!
T&J from This Atomic Life has two restored retro cool appliances in their London apartment. A vintage Frigidaire with the most awesome handle ever and this super neat Tumblair clothes dryer.
All of these cool refrigerators are making me sad that they just don’t design new appliances with all these fun details anymore. Reader Ali’s 1938 Hotpoint oozes cool — look at all that chrome!
Crazy Chrome
There were loads of Chrome-tastic details sprinkled throughout your vintage large appliances. In particular, I loved Peggy W’s 1956 Caloric stovetop — check out those knobs. They look like little radios built right into the cabinet.
Here’s another fabulous Ultramatic Caloric stovetop with knobs in front — this looks great with the steel trimmed retro laminate counters!
Michelle in Iowa’s Tappan Fabulous 400 is a shiny space-saver indeed. I can imagine baking something in that fabulous oven, just sitting back and admiring this cool retro stove while I wait for my cake to rise.
Readers — you’ve really blown me away with this one! I’m so glad to see so many of you are loving, using and maintaining your vintage large appliances. In today’s world full of streamlined, energy efficient stoves and refrigerators it is easy to believe that “upgrading” to a shiny new appliance is the thing to do, but honestly — what the cool old appliances might lack in technology they more than make up for with their charming and quirky design.
Amy F. says
Absolutely love all these vintage appliances! Thanks for sharing my mid-60’s GE Fridge … I will send pictures of the inside. You are spot on when you guessed that I didn’t share pictures of the interior because the fridge wasn’t empty. LOL. But, I will humble myself and send some along. 🙂
Jamie says
I have the same oven/range/hood set in the kitchen second from the top! I bought all three pieces at a yard sale for $25. Supposedly they all work fine, but we’ll see. They’re in storage in my parents’ barn for now…..someday maybe I’ll buy a house with a kitchen worthy of being ripped out and redone. *sigh*
jmb says
Love this post! So many wonders to behold. We have an a late 40’s Vernois that isn’t much of a looker, but is one hell of a cooker. I would not want a newer stove, but I do enjoy having a frost free, quiet, spacious fridge.
Kitchen Remodeling Yorkville says
If we could get the energy efficiency that new fridges have but the style that the older ones do. The market would be flooded with new kitchens that are a throw-back to the 60’s and 70’s. Minus the pink. Ohhh the pink.
Spillers of Chard says
Wow great round up of retro appliances, we have a few appliances that are modern but look retro like the Smeg Fridge Freezer take a look at
http://www.cookercentre.com/smeg/refrigeration/smeg-fab50-fridge-freezer
Gwen says
I love these! I live in one of Del Webb’s first 55+ retirement communities, built in 1961, and though my house is newer (1970), it and most of the others are well-preserved time capsules of the era.
A bittersweet part of living here is that there are estate sales just about every weekend. We visit them to find “parts” such as leftover kitchen and bathroom tiles (no matches yet, but we’re bound to find some eventually), and cool 60s knicknacks, but we also enjoy the homes themselves, with so many of their vintage features intact.
No pics yet of my “coppertone” GE hood, cooktop and wall oven, alas. The digital clock on the wall oven is long dead, but we set it to “4:05” to match the house number. Everything else works perfectly.
lynda says
The forum is new to me! Thanks. It is sort of like the “I Shop Craigslist sSo You Don’t Have To” site! http://tinatimestwenty.tumblr.com It is not updated often, but it features some neat pieces and shows what the prices were when listed. The info might be helpful.
Janet in CT says
Oh thank you, Kate, for the replay of the appliances! As many of you already know because I beat you to death on the subject of old appliances, my father was a GE dealer and I think I developed a love of appliances from the fond memories. I especially love the colored ones and the oddballs like stoves with light up knobs and pushbuttons, and the copper accents, and the fridges with swing out shelves or unusual pans. Some of you may not be aware that there is a Steel Cabinet Forum link at the right of the page all the time in the “Quick Links”, which shows ALOT of info on not only steel cabinets, but there is a section to list items for sale off of craigslist or other. I often go through craigslist all over the country to find those unusual appliances and list them under kitchen, and also some bathroom fixtures when I see them. I live in CT and often just pine over those great finds in other areas of the country. I hope SOMEONE will check them out and find their treasure right in their backyard. Currently there is a listing for a stove like Tammy’s, a like new GE wall fridge, and some super aqua and pink wall ovens, one of which is a Hotpoint that I swear would have fit right in the hole in David’s kitchen cabinets featured yesterday. I had a listing there for one of those alcove Western Holly stoves just like Adam’s brown one shown above but in pink, but it appears to be gone and some lucky buyer must be in heaven! Kate and Pam, forgive me for this shameless plug but I often wonder how many people are unaware of the forum with links to great items I always hope will find a good home, and vice versa that someone will spot their dream appliance!
Sara says
I’m usually not one to fix a typo, but please re-read the section with Jeff’s Kenmore collection. Don’t want you to get in trouble!
pam kueber says
Thank you, fixed!
Stacey says
What a great post! Thanks for a recap of this uploader series. These appliances and the kitchens they live in are beautiful. I never would have guessed before I found RR that so many folks had these American Beauties.