In my 1963 aquamarine kitchen, we have the Crate & Barrel Saarinen tulip table knock-off. It’s everyone’s favorite place, and I can’t imagine the room without it. The chairs, which I bought from a place selling replicas via ebay, are not holding up well, by the way. I recommend: Hold out for something built in the period — if it’s lasted this long, it’ll last through your family, too. And it is SO FUN to search.

The kitchen table: Humble, like our houses. Do you have a wonderful dinette? I’d love to see it and share it with other readers. Email me photos at: retrorenovation [at] gmail [dot] com.

Note: Click on the first image — it will enlarge — and then you can use the arrows to proceed through the slide show. Enjoy!

 

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Pam,

I was wondering if you have ever done any research on Shelf Edging and if so where could I get some.  I don’t think that I ever mentioned that the previous owner had placed shelf edging in the linen closet and also in certain cabinets in the kitchen.  Since I have lived in my house for almost a year now the shelf edging is starting to tear and I would like to have some more on hand when I am ready to put more up.  

.

Any information that you have would be greatly appreciated.  Always remember that you are doing a wonderful job in making Retro Renovation what is has become.  I appreciate more and more the smalls details of my house that everyone else would take for granted.  I sent you some pictures of the shelf edging in my cabinets I hope they help.

Carrie

Thanks for the question and for your lovely words of support, Carrie. This was a fun one to research. From what I can tell looking online, there were four waves of shelf edging design:

1. In the “early days” I am betting the major name making this was Meyercord. They are also known for their furniture and cabinet decals. The paper shelf edging was, I am quite sure, a way for women to dress up their farmhouse and apartment kitchen shelves without having to go to the expense of renovating.
2. In the postwar era, the big name seems to have been Royledge also marketed as Roylies and as Roylcraft. I also see some Betty Brite out there. You should also note that the edging came either as “just edging” or as edging attached to white shelf paper – but all still in one piece.
3. In the 60s, I am seeing plastic, pleated / ruffled , self-adhesive shelf edging from Contact. I like this idea a lot. As you demonstrate with your experience – that paper is going to tear in any high-use area. Also, the adhesive is pretty nifty. Otherwise, I am thinking that housewives earlier put the edging down with thumbtacks.
4. Today’s limited options “new”.

Where to get shelf edging and shelf paper?

Betty Brite "Edge 'n Lining" shelf paper from RetroRubbish. 12" deep, 15' wide, $10. Click on the image to go to the listing.

• Etsy seems to be a great source. The going price for a 15′ strip seems be $5 and up. Search terms: shelf edging, shelf paper, Royledge, Roylies, Meyercord, Betty Brite, Vintage Contact Paper

• You can also watch ebay…

• New #1 — I found a company in Scotland — Diana Forrester — selling gorgeous fabric shelf edging embroidered in France.
  

  cotton and linen embroidered shelf edging from diana forrester

• New #2 — And a company that sells vinyl, pre-pasted, lace style edging. You can buy it here, and I also read it may be available at places like Wal-Mart.
• Finally, if you are handy, you could also make paper edging yourself out of wallpaper (new or vintage.) Create a decorative edge with scrapbooking scissors that you can find at Target; this is going to take a very steady hand, though. And, unlike the vintage edging – which is white where it sits on the shelf itself – your wallpaper-edging is going to be visible on the shelf, too. This may not be desirable. Trying to seam the decorative paper to a white piece of shelf paper may not work either as such a seam would be vulnerable to tearing.

This was a fun question to reseach, Carrie. Good luck!

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First, George tells us about the range — it went in first:

…I had been reading “Atomic Home” by Whitney Matheson, and slowly designing my home in mid-century motif, after the pictures in this book…. The stove was a rescue from the San Francisco Mission District – the owner had the stove in the trash bin. When I came upon it… I thought, gosh, somebody is going to throw this thing away and it looked like it still had some life left in it…  Oh, yes, my research indicates that the stove is from 1959 in terms of model year….Love to gaze at the stove and play “Affair in Aruba” by Les Baxter to get the true feel of the mid-century…I swear by the stove, and it cooks wonderfully.

George does note that he had to do some work to replace inconsistently-heating burners….”Well, it took me about 2 years,” he admits.

Here’s the story on the wall oven and the brick veneer surround. George writes:

For the wall oven, I was lucky enough to find a couple who had purchased an Eichler knock-off in Palo Alto, CA, and were planning to rip-out the high-grade Formica countertops and remove the existing, GE turquoise appliances (original to the house). They were going to re-do the entire house and turn-around to sell it. Luckily they advertised the wall oven on Craigslist, one of my typical haunts for mid-century collecting.

It was here that I picked-up the GE wall oven to match the circa-1959 stove. The wall oven had been in very good condition, as the former owners of the house seldom used it (according to the buyers of the house, and people from whom I purchased the wall oven). The former owners of the home didn’t have any young children that might have rough-housed the oven. It was, however, quite dirty. So I purchased for approx. $100.00 and cleaned it up with some Easy-Off (slowly becoming my best friend), and some latex gloves.

After reading through some 1950-1960 mid-century magazines, I decided to add a brick enclosure for the wall oven to my already pretty-mid-century kitchen. I had a carpenter come in and add the build-out for not too much money ($400). A mason added the brick façade (thin-brick, available at a local stone factory) – this was a bit more ($1,000 altogether labor and materials). Walla, I think it made a nice addition to the beautiful stove.

There you have it, a keen, all-electric kitchen (AEK) with turquoise appliances by GE, circa 1959-1965.

Oops, almost forgot. I purchased the ceiling exhaust fan off E-Bay about four years ago (see top of photo) – this was $150; it was new-in-box. Simultaneously with installation of the wall oven and brick, I had an HVAC installer install the fan over the renovated stove ($350). Works great; the ceiling fan was manufactured by a company called National out of Ocala, FL (no longer in business – I looked for it). The model is “Chef-Aire.” The fan is circa 1970s, is 9-inches in diameter, and has metal blades and a heavy, metal crank-shaft inside built to last a lifetime (as long as you oil it each six-months according to the instructions). Guess they didn’t have Teflon ball-bearings back in those days. I had a damper installed to prevent back-flow of cold-air into the house during the winter. I forgot that these fans are a bit louder then those available today, ahhh but nostalgia….My aunt’s home in Miami, FL (circa 1964) had one of these near the kitchen stove.

Anyhow, take care and hope all is going well.

George – Pleasant Hill, CA

Thank you so much for sharing, George. The whole thing is genius. Adding brick veneer to a kitchen is a great – and not too expensive — way to add visual interest. And, I know you have more going on in that house of yours, so look forward to doing another feature soon.

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Hey, Pam!

Sorry to bother you again, but I have a question I couldn’t figure out while reading through the site: When you buy a set of vintage steel cabinets, how do you configure them so they fit your space? What if there are a bunch of small, “chopped up” cabinets and you have a long galley? Or conversely, what if you buy a long, galley’s worth of cabinets but your walls are “short?” I know the pieces are all separate but how do you get that “finished” look when you put your own kitchen puzzle together? I’m imagining all kinds of gaps in between!This has baffled me and made me pass on some fabulous sets because I wasn’t sure how to make them work for my space! Any info you can offer is appreciated!

Lara Jane

Lara Jane, This is an excellent question. You have hit on an important issue for sure:  While vintage kitchens are most wonderful, it can be a real bear to try to fit someone else’s particular kitchen into your required kitchen space. (Also, this issue was the one that, round about, led to me creating this blog.)

To make an even longer story somewhat shorter, I also hunted and passed on several kitchens — for pretty much five years – - knowing that they would not provide enough cabinets for me to work with.  My kitchen is pretty big for a mid-century kitchen, 15 x 15, as it was expanded in the 70s into an adjacent mudroom – the kind that runs long ways between the garage and the kitchen and also is accessible via a second front door.  In planning for my kitchen renovation, I also was not able to move walls.  And, I had a big picture window and three doors to work around.  So,  I knew that I would need a lot of cabinets to make a salvaged kitchen fit into my space just right. So, as I said, I watched ebay and waited for five years.  There was one set I wept about letting go, but it turned out to be a blessing, as these things usually do. When we were finally ready to do the kitchen, had the money, I still had NO CABINETS. But, just when I was about to give up and buy MDF cabinets in a radius-edge slab-door style and paint them aqua — we had them specked out, I’m not kidding,  the retro decorating gods sent me a humongous aqua metal kitchen – 67 cabinets in all.  I knew — well, I crossed my fingers — that they would provide enough variety for me to make the cabinets work in my space. And they did – but by a hair and only a hair, I swear. When I bought the cabinets there were too many for me to even keep track of, I kept losing count of the exact sizes.  So when I got them home, I took all their measurements, and started playing around on Excel. The final layout is above. BTW, the reason this led to the blog? Over the five years of watching and waiting, I started buying brochures and other materials all about vintage steel cabinets on ebay. Then, bathroom stuff. Etc. My expertise really started to grow, my interest never waned, my projects turned out well. Blogs were “new,” and I thought that starting one would be a good way to share resources and experiences with others going through the same struggles.

Back to the cabinets.

So how to prepare if you are interested in looking for vintage cabinets and planning to install them in your space? Some thoughts:

1. Start by taking complete measurements of your kitchen space. (You can use grid paper to scale, or not. I did used Excel, not to scale.) If you cannot move doors, windows or walls, you’ll only need one drawing. This will give you the basic outline to work with. Make a whole lot of copies so you can mark them up.
2. Determine where you would ideally want to put key appliances — the sink, fridge, stove, dishwasher. Typically, the sink gets centered under a window. The dishwasher goes next to it. I think that the “textbook” place to put the fridge is close to the entry door where you bring in groceries — and, make sure that the door of fridge is swinging the proper way, creating the opening in a way compatible with your other kitchen work spaces. I also personally believe the fridge can go closer to wherever folks are likely to access it the most – say coming in from a family room to get drinks. The “textbook” place to put the stove is nearer to the dining room — with the idea that you serve from this spot. But in my mind, the rule for appliances need not be hard and fast — except for the sink, which I tend to think really works best under the main window. Think  “functionality.” While you’re at this step, play around with the possibilities. You can even make little cutouts pieces for the appliances and move them around.
3. Also, as you are trying to imagine your ideal layout(s), look to see where the working spaces between the areas are. You are going to be cooking – where will you mix stuff? Store stuff? Can you make space next to the fridge where the door opens to stage stuff that goes in and out? Can you make space to the right and left of the stove, which is ideal if possible? The “textbook” says to measure the number of feet in your work triangle — the space on the floor connecting the stove, sink and fridge, and that the sum of the three lines should not exceed 27 feet.
4. Once you are comfortable playing with your core layout – measure the spaces left.  Worry about the base cabinets first. Metal cabinets (and new ones, for that matter) were made in 3″ increments – 9″, 12″ 15″, 18″, 21″, 24″, 36″, 42″. Working with your “leftover” space – what cabinets would/could you put where – ideally.  Also, do you prefer drawer-cabinets, or door-cabinets (most vintage door-cabinets have one drawer on the top.) A lazy susan corner cabinet usually has 12″ doors – one to each side of the L. Otherwise, plan for a corner filler piece. Is a lazy susan something you feel you “must” have? If you have a very small kitchen, I’d recommend holding out for one…but this may depend upon your patience.
5. Now think about wall cabinets. These can be a little easier, I think, because it’s easier to fill in left-over spaces with open shelving.
6. Think about symmetry and asymmetry and how they feel in this layout. For example, I think it’s good for wall cabinetry flanking the sink and both wall/base cabinetry flanking the stove to be symmetrical.
7. Know that filler pieces may be necessary – these can be a real bear to find. I think there might be an alternate solution: Fabricate fillers in wood and then paint them high-gloss to match your cabinets; this would of course be easier if you are also repainting the cabinets.

Once you go through all these steps, you should have a good feel for the number and size of cabinets you want — and also what alternatives might be acceptable. You can then watch sets for sale with more clarity. Even so — I’ll tell you, I think that a number of readers out there are collecting multiple sets to make their kitchen work, and you may need to do this as well. Scathing Jane, I believe, has three sets of St. Charles. I also think that she has been pretty brutal about not paying a lot. And you have that going for you – while you know I think these cabinets are very valuable – they do require this hunting and hassle, therefore, you can tell sellers “take it or leave it.”

I asked Jane for her comments as well, and here is what she said:

If you do want to collect multiple sets to create one complete set that fits your kitchen, I recommend focusing on a mainstream brand where you will find more availability – Youngstown, Genevas and St. Charles’ were the big-three brands. I think you might have best luck with Genevas and St. Charles’ because they seem to have longer runs of cabinets with the same basic lines and handles. In some regions, though, it seems like certain brands were more popular. Start looking- and paying attention – before you buy, and you will get a good feel for your local market. If you collect batches, you may be forced into repainting to get the cabinets all back to the same color. Please know that the paint on anything from this era can contain lead – please educate yourself, take appropriate precautions.

That is exactly why I bought 3 kitchens and have leftovers, and you bought a giant kitchen and had leftovers…

The answer is as unique as the kitchen.

The hard/important pieces for me:

1. A good sink front. I am actually using the front grill to the radiator cover; the box for it was built from wood to hold the front by contractors (Montgomery Building Company).  .  It was 42 or 43 inches wide.  I had two other sink fronts and one full cabinet.  The cabinet was badly “injured” during removal.  Neither of the sink fronts was as wide as I wanted, and frankly I love the design punched into the grill front I am using.
2. The cabinet for the cooktop and the cabinet over it if you are going to vent that way.  The upper cabinets can be trickier than the lowers.  I ended up seeing the perfect over-the-range cabinets in a set for sale on eBay and negotiated for that one, including the original vent system.  If I had not already purchased the cabinets I was using, that set would have been great (good condition), or the large green set up in Maine (?) from last year.
3. Wall oven cabinet.  You need to accept that you might be using a narrower oven than the one you are accustomed to using, and that it might not be perfect.  My cabinet was originally for a single oven and was “expanded” lengthwise for a double oven.  The second oven sits too low.  I will be using the 24’’ wide oven that came with the cabinet (budget) so that was the cabinet to use.   I do have a 30” cabinet, but not a 30” wide oven…
4. Specialty cabinets.  You have to think about where cutlery drawers or pan cabinets should be located.  My husband did an original layout on paper based only on dimensions.  The contractor assigned one of his guys (Sam aka Mr. Patient) to drag cabinets around for me one afternoon as I really looked at everything.
5. Shim pieces. The cabinets you buy should come with “shims” the original installers had to use; these pieces can come in handy.

You really have to think about what different cabinets add up to the exact inches you have available while sticking to a work triangle.  The direction doors open is also a factor: it needs to make sense.

And the all-important piece: the installer.  Your installer needs to be patient, creative and experienced in carpentry and kitchen installations (Russ Carnes of the Cool tile installation in my Pink & Gray bathroom).  In the end, my contractor built a set of shelves for one end of the install because none of the upper cabinets I had really fit.  If you have the budget, you might also want to retain a Kitchen layout person to help you through those details.

Related posts very specific to steel kitchen cabinets:
- How much are my cabinets worth? (or in reverse, how much should I spend?)
- How do I sell my metal kitchen cabinets? (or in reverse: how to buy?)
- “The Hard Way” – this renovation stuff is not easy.

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Soffits aren’t only authentic retro, they: (1) keep the tops of your wall cabinets from getting filthy, (2) are the perfect spot for vintage wallpaper, and (3) can hold and hide wiring. One of the other great benefits of soffits is that you can use them to deal with a variety of design challenges.

In my kitchen, I made the refrigerator look “fitted” by bringing the soffit out 24” to meet its profile (whereas the adjacent wall cabinets are only 12-13” deep. I can also mention here that I specifically chose my wicked expensive Sub-Zero refrigerator because it is 24” deep (fitted) and 84” tall – the exact height of the wall cabinets. Yes, it cost a bundle. To pay for it, I chose to wait four years to get the new car that I needed, and ran my beloved Taurus right into the ground, yes indeedy. This is a great refrigerator for a retro renovation kitchen.

Back to soffits, you also want to continue running your soffit over windows and especially that one over the sink. That one: You can either keep the horizontal line or notch the soffit up. Like an arch, but keep it squared off. Put one-to-three can lights underneath.

Note, though, that I do NOT like those soffits that come out 24” over the sink or base cabinets. I had those in my last kitchen, I really thought they made the place feel smaller. I do understand how tucking can lights into the extended space can be beneficial. Even so, I am not a fan. (See below about ‘building in’ features like fridges with extended soffits, that’s okay.)

If you have soffits in your kitchen, you also can then use the same idea to fix other design issues.  In this image, a 1961 Hotpoint kitchen, the wall framing the refrigerator is like a soffit and gives it that “built in feel” so important to this design.

Another example: To get my three pantry cabinets to fit just right, I had about 3 inches of vertical wall space remaining (far left of photo). So, we made a vertical “soffit,” which I also wallpapered. Interestingly, a lot of people say these three pantry cabinets and the way that they are built in are what really “make” the kitchen. Another a-symmetry thing, too: Three, much better than four.

Hope all this is clear. The point: Frame things in finished drywall – whether above in a soffit or to the side like a wall – and they look “fitted.”

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Should you organize your spices with a vintage spice rack – or another way? To be sure, this antique spice rack the Three Mountaineers is absolutely charming. Find these on ebay. We use lots of spices at my house, though — and I like our organization method even better…

Anna over at DoorSixteen.com bought these spice racks (above) from Ikea – the bottles  are included; the labels are from Martha Stewart.

But this is the way that I’ve found most practical: Put them on a lazy susan that fits right into your wall cabinet. I got my lazy susan from Target. It was under $20. It holds a bundle of spices, yes, all in alphabetical order. To the left – a little shelf from the same line. And notice on the back wall – a little magnetic can/holder… you can do this if you have steel cabinets. I have a complete repeat of this setup in the wall cabinet to the left of my stove – for my baking spices and supplies.

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I just got off the phone with George from New York Metals – purveyors of the stainless steel edging to true to 40s 50s and 60s kitchen countertops.

The recent question on the table has been: How to bend my preferred “Snap-On Molding” (in photo above) for rounded edges – be they quarter-round cubbies or 180-degree/half-circle peninsula or snack bars. The news is ‘bad’ – but with solutions – George says:

• In the 50s and 60s, all countertop installers had special machinery to make these rounded bends with this edging. So it is, or was, do-able. But, he is very skeptical that any of this machinery is around today. You can try metal shops in your town to see if they have the equipment – but it’s unlikely, he thinks. If you do find someone who can do it, let us know!
• If you have already purchased this edging – need to complete your project – and want to make a rounded peninsula, I suggest: Butcherblock, as above. You will have to keep it sealed, but there are precedents, and I personally think that mixing and matching countertop surfaces is even more effective than just using the same material throughout.
• If you have NOT already purchased your edging, George says rounded countertops CAN be accomplished today with the aluminum TEE moldings that New York Metals sell. Images are in the gallery below. BUT, you must use countertop installers – unless you truly have the DIY equipment and skilles – because the edges of the countertop need to be routed to take the tee-insert. The trick to getting a good round edge is to clip the tee…miter it…clip it like you would clip the selvage in sewing where you make a curve…which will allow the metal must bend.
• Can you mix and match the aluminum and the stainless steel? George says it’s all in the eye of the beholder…but if you have a discriminating eye, the finishes are slightly different. I would advise: Choose one or the other.
• My #1 preference remains: The stainless steel snap-on. I believe this was most common. The snap-on edge comes in a 1-5/8″ width – a profile I prefer to the max. 1-1/4″ for the aluminum. And, the snap-on edge comes right up over your countertop – whereas the aluminum edge ‘marries’ with it at the common edge. But all this said – either set of choices are good, an authentic. More than anything, this is an aesthetic preference.

My apologies to readers who may have purchased the snap-on molding with the goal to make a rounded edge — I think there may be two of you out there! — I hope the alternative of butcher block is appealing to you.  As I’ve mentioned before – I am not an expert, rather an obsessed amateur – and I am learning as I go, too.

For more info on countertops: See my new Laminates and Countertop Edgings Page including:

Stainless steel / metal countertop edging: The #1 choice for sure!

• Stainless steel edging for your laminate countertop!
• Installing the stainless steel countertop edging
  

Important countertop design tips:

• Mixing materials- like laminate, butcher block and stainless steel to achieve mid-mod variety
• Installing corner shelves including in glass or w

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Yes – if you love Betty’s knotty pine, 50s kitchen – you can recreate one for your own home. And if you’re not into scouting for vintage items – don’t worry, you can do it with all-new products and materials available today.

The keys to this kitchen are the knotty pine cabinets, of course…the laminate countertop with metal edging…the cabinet hardware…and the wallpaper. Pull them together with new or vintage appliances – and a goodly number of knick knacks — and you’re in business. Supply your own lechery, heartache, intrigue and backstabbing. Here is the checklist:

Here are links to previous posts with more detailed information about a number of these resources:

• Knotty pine cabinets from Cabico
• Amerock pulls and cabinet hardware
• Green nevamar marrakesh laminate for the countertop
• Stainless steel edging three piece installation
• Streaky floor tiles from Azrock

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This 1957 Youngstown kitchen has such a California look to me…the sky blue, the wall of windows. To be sure, the California design aesthetic took on new importance in postwar America. It was not until then — when incredible growth occurred on the west coast due to ramping up for the Pacific theater conflict — that California really came on the map as a U.S. economic center. Here are some tips from this sunny naval nautical kitchen:

1. The wall of windows looks out to a patio. In reference to this fact and to play up the view, the designer painted this wall all white. Kind of “blanked it out” so what you see and feel is ‘window.’
2. The accent color in this kitchen is kind of a warm coral-tinged brown. Warms up the cool blue of the cabinets.
3. The vertical Venetian blinds mirror the stripes of the wallpaper and also play up the view. Over the last few decades we have been so focused on horizontal blinds in our U.S. decorating. Maybe it’s time to go back to giving well executed verticals consideration.
4. The windows above the cabinets make a huge difference. Again, though, I acknowledge this is a very modern, west coast look — and not so good for cold climes where we need to stay warm.
5. The countertop appears to be pretty neutral. Moreover — notice how the backsplash extension of the countertop appears to be a shiny chrome. This was done.
6. Clearly the vertically striped wallpaper is a huge statement. Appears to be a dark navy rather than black – part of a progression from the light blue of the cabinets… to the medium dark blue of the floor.
7. Putting wood on the top of the soffit here was a Great Touch that, along with the accessories, keeps your eye dancing around the room.
8. They used stainless steel appliances and a white sink, looks great. Note, though, that the dishwasher is blue – maintaining an unbroken line of blue along the base cabinets, and ensuring a ‘grounded’ feel; I really prefer this to introducing white or SS and did it this way in my kitchen.
9. The lighting fixture above the table has vertical black line detailing in the globe – mimicking the wallpaper and blinds. It’s little touches like these that truly take a kitchen over the top in terms of design success.
10. Wood table. Great. Warms up the kitchen.
11. Floor – a medium dark blue, again grounding the kitchen and providing the right level of counterpoint/balance to the strong wallpaper.

I realize – these are ‘advertising’ kitchens. But I find them chock-full of great tips anyway, as designers thought so carefully through each and every detail. Redone your kitchen lately? I certainly found that when I did, weighing the details quickly became an obsession — so much so, that it led to this blog! Great to have designers help us through potential landmines.

If you have the time, take a look at other flashback kitchen designs:

• Yellow kitchen with Asian flair
• Pink, orange and white modern
• White cabinets, coral walls, green floor
• My favorite St. Charles pink and wood kitchen
• Aquamarine kitchen

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Anne and Gary’s 1959 ranch home in Oregon is a wonderful work in progress and I love checking in with their blog as they settle into their new old classic and continue to make it their own. Currently, they are planning a kitchen update. When I saw their existing kitchen and its layout, I thought immediately that it had “Mondrian” potential. Mondrian = color blocks, like the famous artist. This style had a following from about 1955-1965.

Anne is sort of interested…and I know she’s already working a plan. Whether she goes with this look or not, it’s fun to know about this kitchen design.

Even so – isn’t Anne and Gary’s kitchen great already? I love the picture windows, the brick wall, the way the wall cabinets look built-in and the overall open concept.

Here is some additional Mondrian inspiration:

Notice how the oven is used as one of the color blocks:


While this is a woodtone kitchen, a bit of Mondrian is added with the combo of pain and shelving:

A 1966 color combo with a colonial (!) feel:

And even – today’s modern fashion, in this snazzy Yves St. Laurent number!

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