 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Don’t we all want a diminutive pink refrigerator (in one of our fantasy retro kitchens, at least)? I think the idea is particularly appealing, today, because most refrigerators are just so honkin’ big: Silver, black or white elephants drawing too much attention from our beautiful kitchen designs. This is why built in refrigerators are so popular — they make the darn fridge disappear. Cabinet-depth, too, eliminates the protrusion, at least. A curvy pink lollipop refrigerator puts the perfume on the pig, sad metaphor, I know. (This reminds me: My grandma Agnes had this toy pig thing inside her refrigerator. Every time you opened the fridge door, it oinked at you. This, from a woman who never met a full-fat dairy product she didn’t try to wedge into every recipe possible.) So, where can you get a pink refrigerator? I did some research and came up with seven places or ways to get one. Read on…
Following along with my photo spread, above, starting at the top and moving left to right:
- #1 — Big Chill’s classic retro refrigerator comes in two sizes, a 20.9 cu.ft. unit and a 14.4 cu.ft. unit. They also have an undercounter fridge that you can get in their complete color palette, including pink. Link: Big Chill refrigerators.
- #2 — Big Chill’s Retropolitan refrigerator has more of a Jetson’s look and the freezer on the bottom. It is 18.5 cu.ft in size– and it is 2″ less deep so sticks out less. Link: Big Chill refrigerators.
- #3 — The Northstar refrigerator by Elmira Stove Works comes in three sizes and variations: The 19 cu.ft. model has the freezer on the bottom, while the freezer is on the top in 18.2 cu.ft. and 11 cu.ft. models. You can also get the 11 cu.ft. model with a built-in kegger. Link: Northstar refrigerators.
- #4 — The Smeg ’tis a baby doll, coming in at just 9.2 cu.ft., but she is oh so cute. Remember Laura’s? Link: Smeg refrigerators.
- #5 — Take your plain-Jane refrigerator to an auto body shop or industrial painting place — Professional painting joints can consult online paint color guides to match or help get you the color you want. The advantages of professional painting include (1) they have access to very durable automotive paints, (2) they use dust-free booths to avoid itsy bitsies ruining your smooth glossy finish, and (3) someone else does it. However, you will have to get your fridge there and back, and this will cost you, of course.
- #6 — Spray paint your existing fridge yourself. The only spray paint I could find close to a retro Mamie pink is Rustoleum’s Candy Pink spray paint. Rustoleum has an epoxy spray paint specifically for appliances — but it does not come in pink. So, I asked Rustoleum if they could advise on how to use this less fancy pink spray paint to do a fridge, either metal or vinyl/plastic. Here is what they said: “Painter’s Touch would work fine on the fridge. We also have a spray paint called Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2X that also comes in Candy Pink. The real advantage of using Ultra Cover 2X is that it offers twice the coverage of general purpose spray paints. It also has distribution at The Home Depot and many hardware and paint stores, so it’s easy to buy anywhere in the US. According to our brand management team, before painting the vinyl/plastic parts of the fridge, prime them with Specialty Plastic Primer. For metal, you can prime with a Stops Rust Clean Metal primer for added durability. You could use Painters Touch Ultra Cover 2X Clear over the Candy Pink, but priming would be the most important step. If you topcoat with the Clear, apply it within 1 hour after painting or after 48 hours.”
- #7 — Stalk craigslist and Re-Stores for a vintage pink refrigerator. This will take time. But once you send your vibes out into the universe, the Retro Decorating Gods may reward you sooner than you think. I am not an expert on what to look for in a vintage fridge. See this post for some links and such if you are serious about pursuing this option.
- Update March 2019: I did a lot of new research on where to buy a retro refrigerator — I have seven ideas — see them all here.
Daizy says
In our experience painting works quite well. Hubby painted the dishwasher and a breadbox pink for me and it really made the kitchen. Dishwasher is easy – just remove the front panel, clean, spray, cure, etc until it’s ready to reinstall. Beautiful.
Sadly the dishwasher broke and went away along with the rest of the kitchen. Still…the new dishwasher will probably be pink soon. If I get my way the fridge will be classic robin’s egg blue 🙂
hannah says
When we bought the house we used the money refunded by the escrow process for a new fridge, and got a small apt sized second hand stove. The fridge is Frigidaire, (18.2 cf) and does have somewhat rounded edges on the door. The process to paint (read a blog a few months back by a gal that did it herself) is nothing I’m interested in doing, and Mr. Wonderful would probably pick apart the process to death…so not even going there with him! lol
A little piece of me died inside when I was at the Catholic Charities and spied a vintage harvest gold fridge, with wood handles (forget the make) going for $50, with a ‘sold’ sign on it. Dated 7 weeks out (like they had to put off picking it up). There again Mr. Wonderful would have issues with the debate of cost to run. I’d REALLY like to get some data on what the difference really is, especially when you consider how well things were made back then and how they last.
Side note: When Mom and Dad split in 1977, Mom got her own place and bought a Sears Kenmore apartment dryer (harvest gold!), which I got from her when she purchased a set. That thing just gave up the ghost about a year ago and ONLY due to a worn out belt which couldn’t be replaced due to the fact Kenmore no longer made that specific part. Believe me, I searched for something that would work.
Great topic Pam, and lovely fridges!
Justin says
Hannah: I have a 1963 Lady Kenmore dryer that I can still find the belts for. I’m sure you could find the belts for you 1977. If you still have the machine and want to still replace the belt I know of a couple places that probably would have it. One place is a local appliance parts place that I have gotten parts for my dryer and the matching washer. Also the other is a friend of mine who owns an applaince repair shop in the D.C. area. He works on the vintage machines as well and has a surplus of parts. He would definately have it.
Birgitte says
My husband tested with a meter how much our 1948 GM Frigidaire costs to run and it is apparently the same as a light bulb…
One of the selling points for this fridge was how little electricity it needed and how long it would last. I’d say the advertising people weren’t lying for once!
pam kueber says
Thanks for this info!
MrsPItcher says
My house came with a 1949 Philco. Amazing luck! She works like a dream and really could use a new coat of paint. 😉
Ann-Marie Meyers says
I am thinking my poor beat-up Kenmore side-by-side in my Texas house wouldn’t look too bad done in RustOleum Warm Yellow Painter’s Touch. The white has got some scratches on it from too many moves and rough treatment by the kids when they were little.
I’ll see if my sister wants to help me add a bit of early ’60’s fun to a 1990’s refrigerator.
laurie magpie ethel says
I have a Northstar vintage style fridge which I love – it actually makes me smile when i open it up. How many people can say that about a fridge? I got white (altho entertained getting a color) which totally compliments my vintage O’Keefe and Merritt vintage stove that has been reconditioned. Nothing better than some vintage love in the kitchen!
Rochelle Kramer says
Love it! Make mine Beach Blue.
Rosemary says
Newer fridges are way better for the environment but the retro new ones cost a fortune. So I have a white whirlpool and may be a pink bif Chill will fall in my lap one day.
pam kueber says
It is not necessarily true that newer fridges are better for the environment.
Patrick Coffey says
I am sorry but I can not understand how a modern all plastic fridge can be more environmentally friendly then a 50’s fridge of which 90% of its content is made up bio degradable metal especially because a vintage fridge will last the lifetime of anywhere from 3 to 4 of these so called better modern models we get today.
TappanTrailerTami says
Long post….Part 1
Great list of refrigerators Pam! Even though I wanted white, I still lusted after a vintage look and adore both of the Big Chill refrigerators for their style. I have some tips for those who want to pursue # 6 (custom painting) on an existing fridge, and/or #6 on a new fridge.
What stopped me on the Big Chill (or Northstar) was price and cubic feet. I wanted something a bit bigger and a whole lot less expensive. There are ways to “retro” a new refrigerator – painting a retro color is one way, suggestion # 6 from your post, and I think ultimately that option is quite a bit less expensive than buying a Big Chill or Northstar. I have a few more tips as well once you take your fridge in and have it painted the color of choice, or had the fortitude to paint it yourself.
Ultimately, I opted for this white fridge from GE (25.9 cubic feet) with no external dispenser (has an icemaker inside though), and my favorite part, is the slightly rounded doors. These are perfect for putting a wood valance right above it (attached to the bottom edge of the over-the-fridge cabinet) that echoes the curvature of the doors. Valances were commonly used 40’s and 50’s kitchens – usually over the sink, but I will be putting one over the fridge. Best part again: a big whopping fridge (sorry Pam!) for 1/2 the cost of a Big Chill – about $1400 plus shipping.
Here is the fridge I purchased: http://www.ajmadison.com/phpdocs/ajtest/item_image_browser.php?sku=GFSF6KEXWW&AutoNumber=132341
Here is sample of the valance to go over it:
http://www.unfinished-kitchen-cabinets.net/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/VF24.gif
To further “retro” my fridge, I am replacing the black and brushed nickel GE logo badge with the red and chrome GE logo from their Cafe line of appliances, which only come in stainless steel (you can order the badges through parts)….if you click on the link below you can zoom on the badge to see it better.
http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=CDWT280VSS
ChrisH says
Those GE badges are a good idea.
Zann G. says
LOVE these; I am going to get either the Big Chill or the Elmira Northstar in Buttercup Yellow to match my stove…;-))) I can’t wait! Have to save a little more money first…
Laura E. says
You could also get a Sub-Zero with a panel insert and paint the panel pink. I painted mine (in my main house–not the summer cottage with pink! Smeg!) green and then freehand painted an Arts and Crafts design on top.
pam kueber says
Good one. Make that eight places, Laura. In addition, I *think* that you could insert a panel made of pink laminate. I need to check with Sub-Zero on that one — but I think their panels are basically similar to sheet laminate…
Laura E. says
We bought our house with a Sub-Zero with a paneled door that matched the cabinet doors. Way too matchy for me, so I just removed it and slid a piece of luan (you know, that cheap, thin plywood) in instead. And then painted that. I thought about wallpapering it but I was worried that it wouldn’t hold up with fingerprints. I suppose I could have wallpapered the back of a piece of Plexiglass–hm. Maybe if/when I get sick of the design I painted on it!
No reason you couldn’t put a piece of laminate in there either. Good idea!