Scathing Jane spotted this big, pretty set of yellow Geneva steel kitchen cabinets for sale in Pittsburgh on craigslist. $500. Isn’t yellow a delightful color for kitchen cabinets? Thanks, Jane, and 52PostnBeam, too, for all the volunteer work you do posting kitchen cabinets and vintage plumbing items onto the Retro Renovation Forum.
Since 2002 I’ve learned quite a lot about steel kitchen cabinets, which were crazy popular in post-World War II America. During the war, we worked hard, saved our money – and dreamed of the day it would all be over so that we could build happy homes with our families. The center of the home then, as now: The kitchen. And steel was the material of choice. Pulling together much of what I’ve learned and covered on the blog to date, I created an entire page dedicated to the history and design of vintage metal kitchen cabinets, along with an FAQ. 3,263 words. Short? Well, there are lots of pictures too. Read all about the history of steel kitchen cabinets.
Over on the Forum, a homeowner in St. Louis has posted a set of vintage St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets for sale — with their original terra cotta paint. I’d noted this color in a brochure I have dated 1957 — a year in which the company spotlighted a number of fantastic colors and designs. But, this is the first time I’ve seen terra cotta in the flesh, and I like it. “Rust” actually has been on my mind a lot these days — I’m putting it on my list of *hot* colors for 2010. Note in the kitchen design above: The rotisserie operating in the bricked-in, built-in barbeque… the white wall cabinets that lighten up the terra cotta and play off the mortar in the brick…and the scalloped cafe curtains. Great kitchen. And great cabinets, asking price $5,000. Gulp. Prices keep going up, didn’t I tell ya.
Steven, Michael and the pup is Bobby.
Rochester Steven has completed some drop dead gorgeous updates to his 1957 Alcoa Aluminum house, and shares the details and images. This is the third story on these late-1950s “demonstration” houses. We first featured a time capsule for sale in Wisconsin. I think that’s how Steven found this blog, and we featured his house in New York state, along with the home’s original brochure, just a few weeks later. There were only 23 of these houses built — and Steven, Michael and Bobby are amazing caretakers. This house will knock you off your chair — it’s worthy of Architectural Digest. Heck yeah there is more →
Reader Erika Rae found these instructions about how to clean St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets, enameled right inside of one of her cabinet doors. I presume these instructions still hold. Errr, umm, does anyone know where to get St. Charles Cleaner & Polish? Heck yeah there is more →
