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.
BETSY says
Nothing looks like Happiness as the color Yellow! Well done! Reading your story made me smile! Take good care!
lauren fraser says
A knotty pine dutch door (and more!) for sale in California!
A friend is conducting an estate sale here in Cheviot Hills ..
Sadly the 1950’s ranch house is slated for the wrecking ball : (
The good news ..
All the knotty pine paneling, built-ins and fixtures are up for sale!
http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/CA/Los-Angeles/90064/639834
Karen says
Lauren-thanks for posting the link. Nice to be able to look at everything without having to elbow others to get a glimpse of the treasures.
Lauryn says
It’s amazing how such subtle changes can so dramatically alter a space. Love what you guys did with the space, especially the sink and the countertops. Great color choices!
Amber Rhea says
Credit for the initial idea for the color scheme goes to my mom – originally we’d been planning to do something in green, but our dining room is painted a light gold color with kind of a burnt orange accent wall, and my mom said dining rooms and kitchens should kind of blend together. That made sense to us so we started over with new ideas!
Diane in CO says
Love your metal banding! Had to screen-capture that.
nina462 says
and I am soooooo jealous of the dutch door!
Lauryn says
Yes, the dutch door was the first thing I noticed!!! I love them. We just stayed at an old school motel in Vermont and the room had two of them, a front and a back door.
Amber Rhea says
We love the Dutch door as well, including the funky lock on it! Never seen anything like that before. The door goes out to a screened-in porch, perfect for kids… open the top part of the door and the grown-ups can stay in the kitchen while the kids are safely contained yet “outside.” 😉
nina462 says
as a fellow knotty pine kitchen dweller – I love your kitchen. I really like the little shelves above the sink – that is the one feature I wish my kitchen had. So I could put knick knacks up there.
Sweet kitchen!
tammyCA says
Great job! The buttery yellows compliment the warm pine wood very well…a kitchen that feels like a kitchen…I feel like having buttery toast with cinnamon sugar now.
Scott says
It came out great. Thankfully the ’80s update did not involve the wall oven and drop-in cooktop setup… color me soooooo jealous on that. 🙂
I highly endorse your choice in starburst clocks too, I have the key-wind cousin in my entryway.
ineffablespace says
I am a big fan of the matching countertop and backsplash.
Mellyfrance says
What a great job you did with your kitchen! It’s nice to see people who prize the items from this time period, so many folk still in my older (60’s) So. Calif. neighborhood ripping out some wonderful stuff and putting in crap. My neighbor who is 91 and an original owner of her home is having her kitchen “redone”, I saw her beautiful, lovingly cared for, still working GE wall range from the late 50’s-60’s in her driveway, I told her to keep that, someone may really want that. It was too late for her cabinets, all thrown away, sad. She is storing the wall range in her garage, I hope it goes to a good home.
Amber Rhea says
We have the original GE wall oven. That thing is a workhorse. Best oven I’ve ever had. It makes me want to bake – and if you knew me, that is really saying something!