Wow, this may be the rarest vintage steel kitchen we’ve seen yet: A Youngstown Servi-Center, which was originally posted on real estate agent and reader Sarah Snodgrass’ blog, At Home in Brookside, Kansas City. That’s Sarah –> … I always like me a smiling face on the blog. Anyway, this Servi-Center IMMEDIATELY caught my eye because of that whole set up on the backsplash. Even super-expert-of-the-universe 52PostnBeam was impressed. I ping her right away and just to underscore what nuts we really are she writes:
WOWOWOW!
That’s so cool, that little upper shelf add-on. I’ve seen the square emblem before but didn’t realize it was one of Youngstown’s logos. Hard to say if it was before or after Diana, because the square logo actually contains the little “wings” – type older logo within the design.
…The font on the cabinette looks very Brady Bunch to me, late 60s. My guess is the cabinette was an add on, maybe the sink unit is earlier. I haven’t seen many (or any) “Undercabinettes” by Youngstown. My guess is the GE Cabinette with reeded sliding glass was the original because they’re so prevalent, but I’ve occasionally seen cabinette versions in Geneva and St. Charles with slightly different glass and shape. I saw some in a Lyon kitchen once, but they were the GE cabinettes. I would also surmise the cabinette idea became popular during GE’s blitz of advertising the Wonder Kitchen (for Levittown and such) — many Wonder Kitchens mounted the cabinettes to the top of the bases like this one does, instead of to the bottom of the wall cabinets.
This one doesn’t have a sliding door, but it look like a lip at the top and a simple integrated hinge at the bottom, so my guess is the doors on either side of the faucet will pull forward and down. That faucet is obviously newer, they may have done some modification to make it fit — the two plugs in the front of the hood look like original faucet holes. There may be lights inside that shine through the white plastic, and certainly there’s some electricity running to the clock, outlet, and light switch
Look at those cracked old cloth electrical cords just inches from the sink and directly under the faucet – what a trip! I think I know why this model is so rare, lol.
Thanks for sending!
Helen
This Servi-Center is such a jewel. After my initial note to Helen aka 52PnB, I emailed Sarah, and she added more photos showing detail to her blog. Check up out (via the link in the first paragraph). As you will see, the white spaces to the right and left of the center of the Servi-Center backsplash indeed tilt out, as Helen suggested. How a faucet ever connected to those two holes is beyond me, though. To be sure, the faucet as currently positioned is wacko – can you imagine the splash back?
Note: Get with your own properly licensed expert to assess safety etc.
Anyone near Kansas City, want to snap this up and hold it for our “future museum?” Morever: Maybe a museum today really truly wants this. Eight years into a serious love affair with vintage steel kitchen cabinets — I have never seen one quite like this. Oh, the wonders! 2011 is off to a good start.