Another readers asked about installing boomerang/chevron pulls on cabinet doors vertically. This looks great, too!

Finally, re the floor – notice the three stripes of darker green vinyl tile interrupting the mass of floor… nice, without overdoing it.

Altogether… such a well-designed kitchen!

Thanks to Java1888 from flickr for the photo — he has TONS of great vintage images on his photostream, he’s one of my very favorites! Image: Youngstown Kitchens.

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On Thursday we looked at Catherine’s 1948 Ohio kitchen and bathroom. She wants decorating ideas that will bring these firmly into the modern era and to complement her growing collection of Drexel and Heywood Wakefield furniture — along with her young family’s needs. With this post, I will start with the kitchen. Ad image:  American Standard 1948.

This house was built in 1948, which you can clearly see in details like the tile. Anytime I see the punches of black or darker colors like maroon, I think ‘deco / streamline’ – which clearly preceded 50s atomic.

40s look: If you want to be true to the 40s basics already in your kitchen, I’d recommend you go with colors from that palette – as seen in the wheel above. And in fact, I really like the red/violet floor from Marmoleum that picks up these tones. You’d have to go get some samples and see — but it could be fabulous in terms of picking up your burgundy.

I also see in your kitchen a red-white -blue theme possible, which was very popular in these patriotic time – when dads were welcomed home from the war, and all was right with America (as in the lead photo). Starting with your burgundy trim – how about adding a blue linoleum floor, blue laminate countertops, a sweet colonial-modern retractable lighting fixture, porcelain white painted walls, a set of 2-3 framed prints, and curtains trimmed in burgundy.

Early 50s atomic: All that said – you seem to really want to pull this kitchen decisively into the modern era. If so, I think you can do it while still keeping your steel tile walls with that burgundy punch. How about: Charcoal boomerang laminate (set into the existing frame), a neutral ivory VCT sheet or tile floor, a retractable ceiling fixture, all tied together with a patterned barkcloth valance for the window that includes grey, black, maroon and porcelain white.

In both cases, if there is room, how about a smallish 50s laminate table and chairs. Something with a crackly finish, lots of personality. The retractable light goes centered over it.

Regarding the stove, fridge and possibility of more cabinets: Yes, if you can find a corner pieces and extend the kitchen into an L — that would be great. You are going to have to be patient, though, as well as tenacious to watch for the pieces meant for you. A lazy susan that connects to a vintage stove (yes!) then a small cabinet on the other end, would be great.

Without seeing the layout of your kitchen – it’s hard to say regarding where to put the fridge. Do you have any space to recess or otherwise ‘build it in’ somewhere? That would be ideal. As far as brand – I think that reader sentiment right now favors Fisher-Paykel, in white. The size is right, and it’s counter depth.

Catherine, this is already a long one, so I’ll come back with bathroom ideas on Tuesday. Hope this helps. You know, the thing to do is to …. go get samples, put them down and see what “clicks”… Pay attention to decorating that you see and like and analyze why it works … You are so young, you already seem to have a great eye and the enthusiasm … Don’t stress, have fun.

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Sweetheart Catherine wrote me a while ago, asking for ideas for her 1948 Ohio ranch. She tells me she is already a daily reader — hurray! — and she’s also the Catherine who scanned and sent us some great Drexel brochures. So she is a Giver not just a Taker!

Catherine is fortunate to have a vintage Youngstown kitchen (albeit beat up) with metal tiles (do we agree – fortunate on this?), as well as a pink (metal tile) bathroom with some original fixtures. There are a lot of fun photos to look at, so I thought — I’ll post them today — ask readers to contribute their ideas via the Comments (or if you have a photo, send it to me) — and then on Saturday — I’ll do a post with all the ideas, including mine of course!

Hello Pam,

I am a big fan of your website and your passion for all things retro! I have recently (well, two years ago) moved into a 1948 brick ranch in Northeast Ohio. I am 27 years old and live with my husband and two young daughters. We like a lot of things about the house. It has a great location and a great .5 acre yard full of lilac trees. It’s just right right size for us, with good bones (brick with hardwood floors). There is very little that I want to change, it’s more about what I would like to add to it. I’m new to this so I need all the help I can get, as far as design and what would be the style of a house from 1948.

The kitchen

This house has the original Youngstown Steel cabinetry in the kitchen, with the original burgundy and cream metal tile all around. I am having a hard time figuring out which direction I should take this. The cabinet’s paint is severely worn, and the laminate countertops have been replaced with some sort of flooring material. I found out about your site when you wrote to me after posting an ad on craigslist for wanted: Youngstown Steel kitchen pieces. My cabinets only stretch one wall, and I am looking for a corner piece, and a few others to make an L shape with it. The stove and the fridge (both newer, came with the house and do not match) just float out by themselves on other walls. To sum it up, I want to pull my house together in a very clean and mid century modern design. Does this fit my house? How do I work that into a pink bathroom? I need a color palate to work with my kitchen tiles, and fridge and stove information. What do people think about repros like Northstar and Big Chill?

The bathroom

Here, the bathroom still has the pink and black tiles (also metal). Tub, medicine cabinet, and lights are original but the sink and toilet have been replaced. I love my house and the fact that it hasn’t been stripped of it’s originality, but I am having a hard time understanding the overall style and color palate.

I have purchased a beautiful Heywood Wakefield Sculptura bedroom set, and a Drexel Declaration bedroom set and dining room set for my house. And I think the style of those fit the house perfectly. All suggestions and information is greatly appreciated. Your website is such an inspiration, thank you!

Sincerely,
Catherine

So – faithful readers — let’s help Catherine retro-renovate! Post your ideas in the Comments section – or send them to me for the Saturday Ideas post.

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41. TGIF, it’s party time and these 1961 Hotpoint kitchen-goers are ready!

42. This 1955 Geneva kitchen is more sedate but setting the pace nonetheless.

43. Pink and yellow, what a spring-y combination. And, this seems like quite the 1957 groove pad! Note the wall-cabinet fridge, every ReRe reader’s favorite, it seems!:

44. Oops. Another formerly used Flashback Kitchen with the numbers stuck in it. But I had to show this pink-lavendar-blue combo. Lavendar for kitchens was promoted later in the 50s. It looks nice here, be clearly never caught on. I think there’s something fundamentally icky about purple+food, grapes and eggplant notwithstanding.

45. A 1952 Youngstown kitchen – you can see the rosy pink cabinet at the right, so this made the list.

46. Religious readers will recognize this amazing kitchen. You gotta give those Formica interior designers credit:

47. A 1955 St. Charles kitchen combining pink, aquamarine and birch (I believe.) Pretty snazzy:

48. An honorary pink kitchen: pink + classic birch plywood cabinets with a darkish stain:

49. Another (painted) pink and birch kitchen, from Coppes-Nappanee:

50. And another all-time favorite, a Dow Styron tile ad with a kitchen that I christen pink because of the wall cabinet refrigerator. Awesome kitchen!

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Youngstown Kitchens were the #1 brand of steel kitchen cabinets across America in the postwar period. As a result, we see lots of these “fitted kitchen” sets come available for sales – with lots of choices of cabinets pieces.

While I am still in the early stages of gathering the history of these cabinets, I do know that the company seems to have been originally called Youngstown Pressed Steel Kitchens, and was a division of Mullins Manufacturing Corp., of Warren, Ohio. Ultimately, Youngstown Kitchens (at least) was purchased by American Standard, which also had metal kitchen cabinets. Presumably, this was part of consolidation that ultimately occurs in any industry.

Here are some great reference pieces from 1957 – the year that I consider the absolute peak of the postwar consumer frenzy — when EVERYTHING was available.

And, BE SURE to watch this incredible, bouncing-ball sing-along, 1953 video of the “Mullinaires” singing about Youngstown Kitchen, presumably for a dealer convention. Thanks to reader Jackie for finding this.

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Scathing Jane in Atlanta is looking for some more St. Charles metal cabinets to build out her set. She’ll send her sons to get them as far as Chicago or anywhere along the east cost, she has a big  kitchen to fill. Please take a look at her post on the Postwar Steel Forum, and let her know if you can help.

Let’s turn Jane’s frown, upside down.

Also see, eight Youngstown cabinets listed in Los Angeles. And, a sink base in Boston.

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