Jacqueline and hubby Glen have tracked down some impressive vintage goodies on Craigslist in the past — but their latest find really struck gold — Harvest Gold, that is. When the couple needed to replace the selectively operational 27 inch GE stove in their new 1972 ranch home, they thought they had found an almond-colored replacement. However, after some detective work and a bottle of Citristrip, it turned out their kitchen had a colorful new treasure.
Jacqueline writes:
Hi Pam! I’ve written in before about my thrifty turquoise appliance finds and my brown 40 inch GE stove that I needed help identifying the color name.
A lot of changes in Glen’s and my life since then — we moved into a darling 1972 ranch home in Arizona. We still own our other home that is pretty small, and it is being rented by my son now. My husband likes his space, and now that we are in here, I do too!
We went from just under 1,100 sq. ft. to almost 1,700, which is nice, and we have the added bonus of a swimming pool, great for the weather around here!
My story today is that even though I absolutely love the turquoise appliances that we collected to be put into a new house that we found, it wasn’t in the cards. They will be installed in the little house. Our new kitchen won’t accommodate them and I really don’t see the necessity in re-doing a perfectly fine kitchen for that reason. So, my DH (he really is dear) has been on the hunt for 70’s appliances, ever since we moved in.
We found out that in this big old kitchen, our stove opening is only 27 inches. The original 27 inch space-maker had been replaced at some point we believe, and an almond 27 inch updated GE put in its place. We had problems with the almond one — it was giving me fits — so we started looking for the replacement with more haste. Ha! Try and find a 27 inch space-maker. No appliance makers other than GE manufacture them, and to be honest we were at the end of our rope, the new ones are $1,300-$1,400!! AND I didn’t really want “new.”
Glen was on Craigslist, (his favorite past time) and showed me an ad for a free 27 inch stove in Phoenix, that said: “Remodeling, works great, don’t want it” (you know how they go.)
He called, made arrangements to get it the next afternoon, and brought it home. It’s almond…but the guy said it was a 1972?? (Same year as the house) I was puzzled, and so was Glen. It’s a P7 top of the line according to the model and serial numbers, but almond? Hmmm…
We got it inside and it looked like someone had patched a spot on the front with a badly matched porcelain paint. I rubbed at it a little and almond paint started to come off a bit. HOLY COW, I realized right then we had a stove from the early 70’s, that had been painted almond. We both looked at each other…..our stove was GE Harvest underneath all that almond!
I researched online to try to remove the paint, not a lot of info, but I remembered a post from your site, that some folks had used Citristrip to remove old paint from their bathtub and toilet in their vintage mobile home. They live close to us in Arizona, that is why I had their posting firmly in my mind!
[Precautionary Pam reminds that old paint may contain lead — be sure to consult with a properly licensed professional to assess what you have so you can make informed decisions. For more info see our Be Safe/Renovate Safe page here.]
Just finished this endeavor this morning, did the top yesterday, and the door this morning.
Oh Pam it is beautiful — and I am so happy to send you this and let you know how it turned out. It is perfect, no abrasions from sandpaper, it looks like it just came out of the GE carton. It shines, it’s full of chrome, and it is amazing. It was actually pretty easy, That stripping gel works so well (I’m so glad it wasn’t roughed up before they painted it.) We brought her back to her old self!
We do not have a Harvest gold fridge, and as you can see we are dealing with a black fridge, and a black dishwasher. Could be that is a quest for Glen..he is always looking!
The floors are a light VCT, we had it installed before we moved in… I love it, it’s Armstrong Imperial Texture, “Pebble Tan.” The walls are painted with Valspar Satin low VOC “Imagine.” I love the pinky orange color, it may not come through that well in those pictures.
I am in the process of painting the cabinets too, you can see the bare wood under the stove area but it’s not horrible, It’s just a little at a time. I have a few done which don’t show in the pictures, they are a little more white than the others — Sherwin Williams “Creamy.”
Here is a shot of our Whirlpool Laundry pair. We have grown fond of this color for sure!
I also included a picture of our “Roxy” She reminds me so much of Kate’s puppy! Only she is much older than he and kinda grouchy..it’s just age!
Thank you for ALL your time and energy that you and Kate put into helping us through our projects, and all the good advice.
Wow Jacqueline and Glen, not only did you guys save a bundle ($1,400) sourcing a stove for free on Craigslist, but kudos to you for restoring this stove to its former glory. Mega thanks for sharing your success story with us.
Read more about Harvest Gold —
our 2014 Retro Renovation color of the year
.
Laurie Louise says
How I love it when the remodeling surprises are good ones! Congrats!
Karin Jeffrey says
Hi Jacqueline and Glen,
Love your beautful Harvest Gold stove. Years ago, I rented an apartment with a fridge and stove in those colors. It wasn’t love at first sight, but they did grow on me. You did an amazing job on the stove. It’s quite surprising to me that anyone would just paint a stove-it may not be the safest thing in terms of heat affecting the paint. BTW, I LOVE the vintage turquoise appliances you acquired that were mentioned in an earlier story. If you ever want to part with that incredible aqua dishwasher, let me know. I have never seen anything like it, and I’m quite jealous
Ethan says
Wow!!! I love harvest gold. Absolutely beautiful. Great job! Your washer and dryer are awesome too. You probably already know this but I will say it anyway. Check craigslist everyday for a fridge. Heck, check several times a day. I happen to love avocado and my house was built in 1973. I have matching avocado appliances but only because I was vigilant on craigslist. I came across a 1971 avocado side by side that was like brand new from the original owner. I called about the fridge the moment it posted on craigslist and the lady already had someone who called her because that person wanted it for a rental house. Fortunately, the lady with the avocado fridge wanted the fridge to go to a good home. She was only getting rid of it because her grandchildren insisted she get stainless steel appliances. Just make sure that you stay vigilant on craigslist. Old fridges like that can go very quickly because landlords are always on the look out for cheap appliances. Good luck!
Neil says
You’re so, so lucky not to have finished the stripping only to find out the original finish was marred. The stove is very beautiful! By the way, I happen to have a harvest gold plastic period toilet seat, new in the original box, that I can’t use in my Twenties house.
Neil
Danita says
I absolutely LOVE your ‘new’ stove. You did a great job bringing it back to life. Your washer/dryer in harvest gold was exactly what I had years ago – too bad I had to sell them with the house when we moved.
I must warn you, though, regarding that salt lamp on your hi-fi cabinet. PLEASE remove it at once! Salt lamps do major damage to wood over time. We have refinished furniture for many years and it is next to impossible to get all the salt that seeps into wood out. Salt will raise the grain and ruin any inlaid work. Even when stripped to bare wood, it is extremely difficult to get stain and/or finish to adhere where a salt lamp was sitting, and it doesn’t matter what type of base you use. Your hi-fi unit is too nice to be ruined by a salt lamp.
Roundhouse Sarah says
Oh my! Well that’s good to know. I’ll be texting my mom right away to make sure her salt lamp is in a proper place.
And I’m loving the harvest gold and pink color combination, beautiful!
PamL says
Wow, the stove looks gorgeous! You know, I was in Target the other day and was amused to see Harvest Gold bedspreads and throw pillows!
Jacquie Y says
O my gosh that’s so cool, I will have to go!!
Mary Elizabeth says
Fantastic find, Jacqueline and Glen, and even more fantastic job of refurbishing the stove. Did you use any special cleaner or wax after the Citristrip? It just shines! Very happy kitchen–hope you enjoy working in it now.
Mary Elizabeth says
Oh, and I meant to mention the teapot–is that harvest gold also? And I love the mixer, too.
Jacquie Y says
Hi Mary Elizabeth!
No, I didn’t use anything on it but a dampish dry cloth. I was blessed, I think, that when it had been painted, it was not sandpapered and roughed up. It really does look new, but I bought some Maguires cleaner wax (for cars) and polished it since then, that stuff works great! I just figure, it does 2 jobs in one bottle! 🙂
The mixer and tea-kettle are avocado green,…goes well with the gold, don’t ya think? Love the 70’s hues, I love all colors!
tammyCA says
That’s just amazing how great the stove turned out. Seeing the harvest gold in a lighter setting than the original dark heavier tones of the ’70s decor I remember really makes it shine..your kitchen looks very cheerful.
Neil says
Yes, the H. Gold looks a hundred times nicer in light, bright surroundings than it’s fellows did in the original dark, heavy kitchens of the period!
Suzy says
hey guys … I am in Phx too … did you see this craigslist post, has a refrigerator that would match (Harvest Gold) … posted 26 days ago but … check it out … there is a dishwasher that you could possibly paint the panel the correct color …
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/gms/4631221916.html
Lauryn says
So pretty! The 70s have never really been “my” decade, but damn, that stove is great. The gold just looks fantastic in your kitchen, really pops out as a centerpiece, and bravo to you for getting it back to its original glory. I just love this story and can’t wait to see your fridge and dishwasher when you find them! (Good luck with that, by the way!)
Jacquie Y says
Thanks Lauryn!
We both thought it really did brighten things up in there with all that gray counter space. It always amazes me how some colors just meld so well. I love color!!