magic chef — Retro Renovation

Vintage 1950s style stoves from Big Chill

Posted by: pam kueber • June 5, 2009

retro-stoves

A DAY LONG IN COMING: New, retro-style stoves with an authentic vintage look. Big Chill is now taking pre-orders for fall delivery of these 30″ ranges, which run on gas or propane. Eight colors. This stove has a far superior look to all previous attempts, which have been too caricatured, in my opinion. The Big Chills seems to mimic real stoves from back in the day. For example, the backsplash (or whatever you call it) is pretty similar to vintage Magic Chefs, from my recollection. Even at $4,295, I think they should do quite well — not just in the retro renovation market, but among all homeowners. Cozy comfy granny retro will continue to be hot hot hot for years to come, extending deep into the mainstream marketplace, I predict. Many thanks to reader Lisa for sending me this hot off the presses info to share with all! Big Chill website here.

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12 great products to create a Lodge kitchen

Posted by: pam kueber • March 30, 2009

vintage-magic-chef-range-good-time-stove-2

omega-dynasty-cabinet-door-lodge-style I WAS EXCITED TO SEE AN ALL-NEW DOOR STYLE from Omega/Dynasty: “The Lodge”. Who doesn’t want a cottage with a warm, cozy, rustic-style kitchen? Fortunately, there are a lot of great products today to pull one together. How about starting with:

A refurbished vintage Magic Chef stove circa 1930, from The Good Time Stove Co. This is not inexpensive at $10,500 – but what an heirloom. I’m going to visit this company within the next few weeks – they are right up the road from me in Goshen, Mass.
The new Lodge door is from Omega/Dynasty. Honestly, I’m not sure what kind of wood that is – at the home show in Oregon I saw “knotty cherry” available – it looked like this. Cherry is a harder, more durable wood than pine, which makes it better for kitchens. I like!
But: Use a vintage Youngstown steel sink cabinet with porcelain-enamel-on-cast-iron drainboard sink for your sink. Yes – you can use JUST the steel sink base and surround it with cabinets – this is a great look! The vintage Youngstown sink cabinets (or similar brands) are arguably the easiest vintage steel cabinets yet to find today – as they were sold by the piece starting in the 40s. You see them stand-alone in ads from the period, surrounded by wood cabinets (presumably made by pa) just as I am suggesting.
And I’ve suggested a bundle of other features and accessories to add color and interest: Wonderful Scottish- plaid wallpaper from Thibaut… Adirondack-style barkcloth for drapes from Full Swing Textiles… a schoolhouse lighting shade from Rejuvenation… wrought iron cabinet pulls from Crown City Hardware… Marmoleum flooring… a Capel braided rug… laminate countertops … and more.