The best way to get ideas to decorate or remodel your mid century kitchens is to — go back the experts who designed them back in the day. My reference library continues to grow weekly — and today, I’ve pulled 21 kitchens — with 21 photos from 1962 — to examine for ideas and inspiration –>
I’m also reading the text more carefully these days, so that I can start to re-introduce the original terms used to describe different products and features. The first and most fabulous one we’ve ever discovered has to be: Hudee rings. But in this 1962 brochure, I’ve learned that we should be calling electric range tops “tabletop ranges.” And, in this brochure, cabinets with raised panels were called “sculpted.”
And you know I always must call out some of the macro-trends images like these illustrate and reflect. Some thoughts:
- Cabinets are mostly wood. The brochure calls these kitchens “warm and colorful.” Steel, especially white steel, ain’t so warm… Also, by 1962, I think the transition from steel-to-wood was well under way because, more than ever, kitchens were being opened to adjacent family rooms, causing kitchen cabinets to be treated mor
e like furniture. - I’m seeing lots of tile in these photos… and lots of brick and stone on the walls. Incorporating these organic materials into the interior of the home comes from ranch-home movement, which included the idea of merging the indoors with the outdoors.
- Lots of fun with laminate. Notice several thick countertops and breakfast bars — the move away from metal countertop edging to laminate edging meant that designers and homeowners were no longer hostage to 1.5″ thick countertops.
All this said, these are mostly studio shots — they are marketer-interior-designer fantasies, and include some silliness to be sure. This brochure was produced by the National Plan Service, Inc. — a company that was all about selling house plans. As far as I know, the National Plan Service was not in the business of selling kitchens per se. This booklet was likely produced to help homemakers building a new house to decide on their kitchen plans. I am not sure what Interestingly, A.A. Laun Furniture Co. continues in business today [link now broken, no longer sure of the status of this company 3/1/2019], making furniture in Kiel, Wisconsin. The company is 110 years old. In the 1950s, it had a Modern Collection of more than 50 furniture pieces. I am guessing that in the 1960s they also facilitated new-home construction in some way, and that is why their name is on the front of the booklet.
I have made notes on each photo in the slide show. To launch, click on the first image, and it will enlarge; move forward or back with the arrows at the bottom; you can start or stop anywhere in the show:
Jeanne says
#5 are the cabinets in my 1952 home, of which the kitchen was remodeled in 1960ish. I have the white laminate counter with the gold speckles (with a Nutone Food Center). The lady of the house must have been so excited to get her stylish, remodeled, oh-so-current kitchen!
I just spent my last week at home on my stay-cation scrubbing wallpaper paste off of my bathroom walls and CEILING (don’t worry, I will be re-wallpapering three of the walls). When I took down the 6′ mirror which spans the sink/counter top there were surprises awaiting me! One of them was the owner had written “1964” and all the family member’s names and birth year on the wood behind where the old medicine cabinet was. So my bathroom was remodeled/wallpapered in 1964! I love it!!!
pam kueber says
gotta see pics of the time capsule names and dates, jeanne! can you take a pic and send to me?
Jeanne says
Sent!
Denise Cross says
I’d like to thank Sears for continuing the ONLY (that I know of) narrow width double gas ovens (pops right in) and the ‘table top’ narrow depth (18″) stove tops!!! Without them, we’d be forced to gut and start over! These are fun Pam! Thank YOU!
pam kueber says
yay!
Dulcie says
I live only about 30 miles from Kiel, WI. Now I’m tempted to wander by A A Launs and see if they’ve got a treasure basement ala World of Tile
pam kueber says
Yes!!!
JamieAbe says
Darn it! Sorry for posting twice : /
JamieAbe says
I loved looking at all the picts! I am kind of thinking the blue dots might be wallpaper instead on laminate. And I do believe that 13 and 16 are the same kitchen. Just different angles, and no natural light in 13. Thanks Pam for another fun post.
BlueJay says
I love that some of the dishwashers pictured are finished the same as the cabinetry. I like that look a lot. Interesting read as well. It would also appear that the majority of these kitchens are of more of a contemporary flair, as opposed to strictly traditional.
JamieAbe says
Loved looking at the pictures! I actually thin that the blue dots is wallpaper and not laminate. And I do believe that 13 and 16 are the same kitchen just from different angles and 13’s not getting the natural lighting that 16 is so it looks much darker.
Elaine says
OK, #10, the U-shaped kitchen, is just about what I have in my 1963 colonial. The refrigerator and ovens are on the back wall out of the picture, and the counter on the left is a peninsula with breakfast nook on the other side. I thought this kitchen was huge when we bought this house 20+ years ago, but living with it has proven otherwise. It is a one person kitchen – Everybody, outta my way!
Tina says
In 1963, only one person was expected to be working in the kitchen and everyone had to get out of HER way. 🙂
Elaine says
First picture made me say Yippee! I can use glass mosaic on the backsplash in my 1963 time capsule house!
Marc says
The fridge unit in several of the photos is a Revco Bilt-In. These units slid into the framing of the cabinets as individual refrigerator and freezer compartments. They also made a free-standing model. Initially available in stainless and several colors, the company later added the ability to match the panels to the cabinets, similar to a Sub-Zero. The company was based in the Detroit area and went out of business sometime in the 1980s. They were very popular in high-end custom kitchens.