The Retro Renovation® Encyclopedia of Vintage Steel Kitchen Cabinets

From Ace & Acme to Yorktown & Youngstown:
Our guide to 80 82 83 84 85 86  …85+ brands of metal kitchen
cabinets made after World War II

Pam’s vintage Geneva kitchen, photo copyright Kit Latham

The product that started it all — the blog, that is: Vintage steel kitchen cabinets. I wanted to renovate my kitchen. Vintage steel kitchen cabinets entered my consciousness. I went on a five-year quest to find a set. Along the way I also obsessively researched how to put a 1950s-1960s kitchen together. When I was all done, it turned out so well that I started the blog to share what I had learned. In my cabinet-quest, I already had identified many brands of steel kitchen cabinets made back in the day. And in the years since — very often with the help of readers — we have identified  85+ different brands of metal kitchen cabinets built before, during but most after World War II — mostly steel, mostly in the U.S.

Note: In Summer 2019, I began my mega-quest to finish this encyclopedia! Will I be able to stick with it? We’ll see!

First up, please read:

• A short history of steel kitchen cabinets – history, design and FAQs

Then dive in:

90+/- brands of metal kitchen cabinets made in the U.S. — pretty amazing, huh!

1. Ace
2. Acme Metal Products Corp., Chicago, Illinois, as early as 1938 reference
   1. See this story with photos of Acme sink base from 1948
3. Admiral
4. Alden
5. American Kitchens of Connersville, Indiana. Parent company was Avco Manufacturing Company, and the cabinets were produced by their American Central Division.
   1. Historic bones: esigned by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy and his company. Faucets for the sink top that went with these cabinets still sold today! 
   2. Six American-brand kitchens from 1953
   3. The unique American “Pioneer” kitchen with its birch doors, copper drawers — color-styled by (our) famed Beatrice West.
   4. I do not believe there was any familial relationship between American Kitchens and American-Standard Kitchens. These were two different companies in two different locations and with different cabinets designs.
6. American-Standard
   1. 1953 American-Standard steel kitchens catalog
   2. “Standard” was the original or earlier name of the company (perhaps Standard merged with American? Need to confirm). See this 1938 catalog of Standard kitchen cabinets — in colors!
   3. Famed industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague (second reference here) and his company had a relationship with American-Standard Plumbing fixtures; unknown whether they also consulted on cabinet designs.
7. Ampco, Rosedale, Mississippi
   1. I believe these were the same cabinets as Regency. See entry below. The reason: The unique handles are the same source for comparison here. 
8. Art Metal Cabinets, Jamestown, New York, as early as 1938 reference
9. Beautycraft Custom
   1. Made by Miller Metal Product, Baltimore. Yellow set here.
   2. Green set here
10. Beauty Queen — a subsidiary brand of Toledo Desk & Fixture Corp., Maumee, Ohio
    1. We love their bathroom Vanettes and Lavanettes
    2. Label found by a dumpster
    3. Vintage set, in pink, spotted in the wild
11. Belknap Hardware & Manufacturing Company
    1. See story and photos.
12. Berger
    1. See my Berger Steel Cabinets for Kitchens catalog from 1949. This company was owned by Republic Steel. Berger steel kitchen cabinets may subsequently have been subsumed by Republic Steel Kitchen cabinets.
13. Blietz Construction, Chicago; maybe; (added per spotting by Jim, Sept. 2016) 
14. Briggs Beautyware
    1. An early maker with 12 colors as early as 1938! Made by auto body maker Briggs Manufacturing Co. based in Detroit.
15. Capitol
16. Columbia
17. Cox
18. Crane, I have a brochure from 1936.
    1. Note, famed industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss and his firm are credited with many Crane plumbing designs. It’s still to be 100% determined whether the firm helped with the Crane steel kitchen designs, but this juxtaposition certainly suggests he/they were: Dreyfuss shown in catalog next to new 1956 Crane steel kitchens, available in white and four colors, here.
19. Crosley
    1. Ellen’s search to recreate her parents’ Crosley kitchen
    2. Ideas for Dana and her 1953 Crosley kitchen
    3. Garth & Martha’s restoration 
20. Dieterich Steel Cabinet Corp., Chicago, Illinois — another very early maker.  Spotted as early as 1933 reference here and here; new Customline 1938 reference
21. Dupont-Dulux — immediately recognizable for its distinctive streamline moderne design including its die cut sink base doors; probably an early maker. Unclear whether these were branded Dupont or whether that was just the paint finish; more research required.
    1. Story with photos and mystery here.  
22. Elgin, Elgin Stove Company, Elgin, Illinois
    1. A very early maker, although their 1932 designs were not ‘modern’ — even still, important: reference. Also see this later reference photo)
23. Eljer
    1. Photos and history from their 1955 catalog here
24. Frigidaire
    1. First shown at 1939 New York World’s Fair. Designed by famed industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes. This photo suggests Bel Geddes also designed Servel’s steel kitchen cabinets.
25. GE
    1. A major brand of steel kitchen cabinets — and oh my, how GE innovated in so many related ways, too! I have quite a few stories.
26. Geneva
    1. Precursor was Modern Kitchen Cabinets, both of Geneva, Illinois
    2. I have many stories about Geneva Kitchen Cabinets, one of the top-three brands
    3. I have original finish Genevas in my kitchen — they are what lead to the creation of this blog!
27. Gennesee
28. Hallmark Custom Steel Kitchen Cabinets
    1. Manufactured in Wellsburg, W. Va. 
29. Hotpoint
    1. Steel cabinets, but cabinets made of
    2. Aluminum kitchen cabinet introduced 1948
30. Harrison Steel Cabinet Co., Chicago
31. Hobart
32. Hoffman
33. Homart
34. Humphreys Manufacturing
    1. Brochure
35. J&L Steel, likely Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., (thanks, Chris!)
36. Jamestown
37. Jubilee
38. KBC
39. King
40. Kitchen Kraft
41. Kitchen Queen
42. Kelvinator
    1. See Molly’s salvaged Kelvinators here.
43. Kohler
44. Levitt 
    1. Yes, as in Levittown!
45. Lustron
    1. We suspect they made their own steel cabinets for their steel houses. Thanks, Jim!
46. Lyon
47. Leisure Made
48. Majestic Stove Company
    1. 1923 source found indicating they may had “more elaborate cabinets” than just kitchenets or apartment alcove units — suggests there may have been an early “fitted” kitchen — need to find illustrations! Evolved from Powell, then into Murphy Cabranettes. See this story.
49. Marvel Metal Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Illinois
    1. See 1950 catalog and info. Sold as Westline Steel Kitchen Cabinets by Western Auto Dealers.
50. Midwest Mfg. Company, Galesburg, Illinois
51. Miller Metal Products, Inc.
52. Modern Steel Co., Geneva, Ill.
    1. Precursor to Geneva Kitchen Cabinets
53. Montgomery Ward
    1. 1941 catalog of Montgomery Ward steel kitchen cabinets
    2. Later marketed as Signature by Montgomery Ward. Reference.
54. Morgan Kitchen Cabinet 
55. Morhand Kitchens
56. Morton
    1. See some Mortons here.
57. Murray
    1. Advertising depiction
58. Murphy Cabranettes, made by Murphy Door Bed Co. and later, Dwyer Products Corp.
    1. Big story here — the earliest fitted kitchen I’ve validated so far. 
    2. Likely an evolution of Powell and Majestics; then, evolved into Dwyer.
59. Olympia Aluminum Kitchen Kabinets, Olympia, Wash.
    1. Made by Western Metalcraft / Metalware in both aluminum and steel
    2. Story here.
60. Palace
61. Palley Manufacturing Co.
62. Paul (U.K.)
63. Peerless-Mayer
64. Powell Steel Gas Kitchens
    1. As early as 1919 — but may only have been kitchenets or unitized apartment alcove kitchens. Sold exclusively by Murphy Bed Door Co. and subsequently renamed Majestic, then Murphy Cabranettes. See this story.
65. Puritan 
66. RCA-Whirlpool
67. Regency, Rosedale, Mississippi
    1. 12-page catalog from the 1950s
68. Republic
69. Reynolds — aluminum cabinets, possibly. reference
70. Roberts & Mander Corp.
71. St. Charles
    1. I have many stories about St. Charles cabinets. This was the creme de la creme manufacturer. St. Charles seems to have started in 1935 when it bought out Janes & Kirtland, maker of the “White House Line” steel “dressers”. Unclear whether Janes & Kirtland made unitized cabinets; see entry below. 
72. Sellers Kitchen Furniture, Elmwood, Indiana
    1. As early as 1939. Reference here.
73. Servel, Evansville, Indiana
    1. This brand had a rare, museum-worthy feature. See my c. 1948 catalog.
    2. I also believe this brand of steel kitchen cabinets was designed by famed industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes.
74. Sears
75. Shirley All-Steel Kitchens and bathroom cabinets
    1. 1952 catalog and founder info
    2. Bathroom sink base and sink top spotted on craigslist
76. Signature
    1. A brand of Montgomery Ward (see above.) Set spotted in avocado green in Walworth, Wisconsin. 
77.  Standard
    1. Later merged with American to become American-Standard
    2. 1938 catalog including Standard steel kitchen cabinets here.
78. Stewart
79. Swanco
80. Thriftee
81. Tracy, Tracy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania reference
82. Universal-Rundle, New Castle, Pennsylvania
83. United Lifetime Kitchens
84. United Metal Cabinet Corp./United Metal Box Co., Brooklyn
85. Walters Steel-Fashioned Cabinets, Walters Manufacturing Co., Oakmont, Pennsylvania 1954 reference
86. Westinghouse
87. Westline Steel Kitchen Cabinets — sold by Western Auto dealer;
    1. See Marvel Metal Manufacturing Products, the manufacturer, story above.
88. White House Line by Janes & Kirtland, St. Charles, Illinois
    1. Story here
    2. Importantly, Janes & Kirtland seems to have been bought out by St. Charles in 1935, although it continued with the White House Line for at least a few years.   Janes & Kirtland was a longtime maker of ornamental iron and later, “steel dressers” in the vein of Hoosier cabinets. We’ve seen ‘extended’ dressers (1929), but still need to determine whether they made unitized cabinets (the subject of this Encyclopedia.) 
89. Whitehead Monel
    1. 20-page catalog from 1937.
90. Wood-Metal Kitchen Cabinets 
91. Yorktown
92. Youngstown, made by Mullins Manufacturing Company based in Warren, Ohio
    1. I have many many stories about Youngstown Steel Kitchen cabinets — without a doubt the most popular brand ever sold in America. One of the stories says that at one time they had some 40 manufacturing plants across the U.S.!

Metal kitchen cabinets made outside the U.S.:

I have not tried to identify steel and aluminum kitchen cabinets made outside the U.S. in the mid 20th Century. But I’ve started capturing them as I see them, including with the help of our wonderful readers!:

1. Anemone Kitchen Furnishings (U.K.)
   1. Brochure
2. English Rose (U.K.)(Aluminium)
3. Galgo Steel Kitchens and Vanities — Mexico brand see reference here
4. Kirby (Australia)

Note: In my compendium, I do not include companies that seemed only to have made single-unit items. That is, some companies made steel hoosier cabinets… some made only a sink base with sink… and companies like Dwyer made apartment kitchen combos. I don’t include these — I want to focus on companies that made complete kitchens with lots of mix-and-match models that you could order in bulk to fill out a typical family fitted kitchen. In this sense, I should probably not include Lustron on the big list above, as it was bespoke only for Lustron houses; I may take out of the list at some point — or perhaps make and put it into a supplementary list along with the other such units described in this section; pondering.

Read more:

• Our complete steel kitchen cabinet category
• BE SAFE / RENOVATE SAFE — get informed when using vintage products.
• Four places to buy steel kitchen cabinets made new today