Remember Amber’s pink toilet trafficking antics during her quest to retain the vintage charm in her retro pink bathroom while also meeting current day water usage requirements? Well, she’s been at it again — this time in her knotty pine kitchen, which had received a sad 1980s partial “update” from the previous owners. Thankfully, the knotty pine cabinets were intact, so Amber turned her attention to finding flooring, countertops, lighting, decor and even a vintage yellow sink to complement the wood and return the retro feel to her kitchen. No interstate fixture trafficking this time — but the story — and results — are just as happy.
We bought our house about a year ago. This is our forever home. We knew we wanted a well-maintained midcentury home, as “time capsuley” as possible. After a lot of looking and some disappointments, we finally found it — a single-owner home built in 1961, in great condition, with many original features. We’ve had quite a few projects over the past year (like my pink toilet adventure!) and have been taking things slowly, making changes as time and money allow.
In the kitchen, the original knotty pine cabinetry and paneling was a big selling feature for us! There had been some unfortunate “updates” done in the 80s or 90s, though, including really cheap, unremarkable laminate countertops and a really gross vinyl floor.
With a new baby on the way we wanted to get the kitchen done, and we could not be happier with the results. There were some surprises along the way – such as a full four layers of flooring, the original of which appears to be the coveted Armstrong 5352 embossed inlaid linoleum. I work in historic preservation, and if there had been any way I could have saved that floor, I would have! But unfortunately, at some point there had been water damage in the area of the dishwasher and a large portion was cut out down to the subfloor. We love the look of the VCT, though.
We love our home and have some more projects planned for down the road, but the kitchen was the biggest hurdle and we are so happy it is done. Baby #2 will be arriving in about a month, and my husband and I are thrilled to raise our two boys in a beautiful home that one family loved for 50 years. Our 3-year-old can already school people on ranch houses, VCT, and laminate, so we must be doing something right!
Resource list to renovate a knotty pine kitchen:
- Vintage 1969 yellow sink found on Craigslist – it was really dirty when we got it but thanks to R.O.G., it looks brand new!
- Hudee ring from Vance (of course!)
- American Standard Colony Soft Single-Handle faucet in polished chrome.
- GE stainless steel cooktop (new but fits right in).
- Curtains from JC Penney.
- Vintage light fixtures – one from Ebay, one from a local antiques store.
Eventually we would like to replace the range hood, fridge, and dishwasher, but since all are working well, that’s not a priority right now.
Amber, you’ve done a fantastic job with your kitchen. I love the way the yellow in the sink, countertops and wall complement the warm glow of the Knotty Pine cabinets. What a cheery space you have created. As always, Pam and I are huge fans of your spunk, energy and willingness to go above and beyond to get the job done. While we are bummed that your Armstrong 5352 linoleum floor couldn’t be saved, the VCT you chose is an excellent option and adds a lightness to the kitchen. Kudos to you on a job well done — and thanks again, so much, for chronicling your renovation journey for all to share.
Natalie says
I’ve never met a person more passionate about midcentury design and preservation than Amber! So awesome to see you on here!!
Jenny A. says
I love it! It looks great and I love the countertops. I love yellow kitchens. They’re always so sunny and warm to me. We have the same ‘upgraded’ vinyl floor that you did and I’d love to replace it at some point.
BTW, your little one is a cutie-patootie! 😉
Jamie Janosz (@JamieJanosz) says
This is so great! I love that you didn’t go over the top – but kept it authentically in the style of that era. Adore the countertop and the yellow sink. All knotty pine can feel oppressive, but your kitchen feels light and airy! Well done!
Robin, NV says
Great job! What a sweet, cozy, homy kitchen. I also redid my countertops recently and although I love the harvest gold color of them (“California” by Nevamar), I wish I’d gone with something with a little pattern to it. The solid color shows every bread crumb and speck of dust. Oh well. I guess it will inspire me to keep my kitchen cleaner! 🙂
Barbara says
Congratulations! What a cozy, cute kitchen just right for hanging out with your boys.
Mary Elizabeth says
Hi, my fellow PPP–Pink Potty Pursuer! Love your kitchen! What is really funny is that I was looking for a yellow sink for my knotty pine kitchen for a year after I moved in, and I ended up with stainless. What a beautiful job you did on the clean-up of the sink! Not to mention the very, very cool butterscotch retro countertop, which I was admiring as well.
I’m not surprised your son is interested in renovation details. One of my grandsons was three and a frequent visitor when we did most of the reno to our house and put on an addition. Now five, he understands the rudiments of framing construction, electrical systems, plumbing and septic tanks and sewers just by having watched this stuff go in. It’s nice you are imparting not only the factual information but also the values associated with restoration and preservation rather than “gut and trash.” Good luck with the next RetroReno assistant in training.
Amber Rhea says
All the credit for the cleanup of the sink goes to my husband! I figured I shouldn’t work with chemicals while pregnant! And yes, we are training the next generation! 🙂
Mary Elizabeth says
Good for him! For once-a-month cleanup of that kitchen sink, use the Kohler cast iron sink cleaner. It’s a soft consistency scrub and there are no fumes.
I seem to remember getting out of all kinds of stuff when I was pregnant. That was in the ’70s when everyone thought I was nuts for worrying about such things. I wouldn’t clean the oven or the cat’s litter box. But I did paint a crib with acrylic paint, and I passed out. 🙂
Joe Felice says
Correct. They didn’t seem to worry about stuff like that back then. I got lead poisoning in the ’80s while using traffic-marking paint OUTDOORS. Obviously I knew (and there were warnings) to use a mask indoors, but there were no warnings about using the paint outdoors, and I assumed the fresh air would render the lead harmless. Then we went to regular latex paint, and guess what! It was easier to use and actually soaked in & lasted longer! If I were a woman who is pregnant or contemplating children, I would steer clear of ALL chemicals to the extent possible.
Helen says
Amber, your kitchen looks great, but what I want to know is where you got your kitchen witch. My parents had an identical one in our kitchen when I was growing up but it’s long gone now. I’d love to find one for my kitchen!
Amber Rhea says
The kitchen witch belonged to my mom… so it is authentic retro. 😉
Kate says
awww! My grandma had a kitchen witch too! Cute.
Paige says
I absolutely LOVE how fantastic your kitchen looks!
I loved the story of your pink toilet escapade too.
The kitchen looks SO much better after its re-do, really more time period appropriate.
The countertops & especially the metal banding are gorgeous!
I’d love to hear about your work in Historic preservation, you may have some helpful facts & tips for the readers on the site.
Great job & congratulations on you impending arrival!
Jennifer says
This is a terrific re-do (return?). Since you mentioned that you will eventually replace the dishwasher and range hood when they no longer function well, if you don’t like how they look, a cheap decor solution is a pint can of appliance paint with a custom color. Appliance paint doesn’t have the pre-calculated colors that you can get at the paint stores, so they’ll warn you like crazy that the color may be different than the sample you pick out, but if you are able to be relaxed about that (or buy a second can if it’s awful), all should be well. We’ve painted tired-looking but well-functioning appliances and it’s come out great! Brush-on appliance paint is obviously much easier to use than spray paint in a kitchen.
Amber Rhea says
Thanks for the tip, I will have to look into that!
JKM says
I second the appliance paint suggestion. Until we replaced them with new, we repainted our dishwasher and vent-a-hood using aerosol appliance paint – and they turned out great. Covered with multiple very light coats, we took our time and, when finished, one couldn’t tell we’d painted them. The key was cleaning them thoroughly in advance to eliminate grease, etc. followed by very light sanding before applying paint. We also masked off what seems like half the kitchen “just in case” to eliminate accidental overspray. Good luck if you decide to go this route – but your kitchen looks great otherwise!
Starr Lockhart says
I have to cut corners where I can and a new hookd over my cooktop was not an option. I bought Rustoleum hammer aluminum and painted and it looks fantastic now.
pam kueber says
Great idea!
Sean says
great job! love your kitchen!