56 — count ’em 56 — vintage St. Charles kitchen cabinets, spotted for sale where all the best stuff is. Are you a super fan? You know where that is. Oh so pretty vintage St. Charles kitchen cabinets: Dreamy Chiffon Yellow paint color… and pretty little decorative French Provincial trimmed-out glass front cabinets up top. [See these cabinets from the same line, featured previously.] This kitchen surely cost a pretty penny back in the day. Mega thanks to reader Lisa for this tip!
Okay, so where’s all the Best Stuff?
All the Best Stuff’s in St. Louis, of course!
These were for sale for $5,600.
If you had it to scrape together, I think that’s a fabulous price.
$100 per cabinet.
And remember: St. Charles is / was the creme de la creme.
Above: That’s the nubbly finish that we saw on steel kitchen cabinets after they’d been popularized a while. I am presuming: That’s embossing. Meaning, the steel is pressed into this design by a plate under high heat and high pressure.
I am also pretty sure, this embossed finish was created to address the problem of “fingerprints” on shiny flat steel.
Note, my original-finish vintage Genevas have plenty of fingerprints. But, I am quite adept at ignoring “the problem.”
Howdy hudee, what is THAT going on behind these cabinets? That wallpaper scene. J’taime!
I don’t quite understand the whole story. But these belong to Laura, a longtime reader, who took these out of her kitchen and replaced them with NEW St. Charles kitchen cabinets when they were available once again in the 2000s. I will see if I can get a story on her new kitchen. Meanwhile, she says that she is using some of these vintage cabinets in her weekend cabin and will send photos when that’s done.
Meanwhile, it seems all 56 of these mello yellow glories sold pretty darned fast. Who got them? Congrats! Are you a lurker? Declare thyself and we shall heap thee with praise and adoration!
Thanks, Laura, for permission to feature the photos — we are so happy that these found a happy home. And thanks again to Lisa for this tip! Keep ’em coming, dear readers!
Pat - In My Wheele House says
We moved into a 1966 time capsule in February. It has the most funky cool kitchen cabinets I’ve ever seen. Nothing at all like you’ve shown here, but very mid century nonetheless. I keep finding myself on your site because of it. Glad to see so many people restoring rather than gutting.
Dottie says
Just curious: Why do you consider all the best stuff to be in St. Louis??? I actually live there now and am working on my mom’s 1958 brick ranch — do you know of any great St. Louis-area suppliers that appreciate mid-century design and fixtures? Thankfully, her grey-tiled bathroom is all original, so I don’t have to do a thing!
Pam Kueber says
Historically, over the 10+ years of the blog, many if not most of the most interesting finds have been in St. Louis. Not a scientific analysis — just a fun one!
Dottie says
Ah. I was just wondering if there was a particular reason St. Louis had so much cool stuff. It’s certainly no Palm Springs when it comes to MCM.
Mark says
Never thought I’d actually admit to liking pale yellow this much, but these cabinets are absolutely lovely. The glass door cabinets on top are so cool – I wish I had cabinets like that myself! I could use the extra storage space! 🙂
Joe Felice says
Most back in the day knew that yellow as “buttercup.”
Karin says
They are show stoppers. The cutouts are very pretty. White uppers and cream lowers are in line with the current trend for different coloured uppers and lowers. I’m not enamoured with the textured finish myself. Call me crazy, but I’m happy to whip out the spray and wipe off the fingerprints from my steel and chrome stuff.
I’m glad I’m not alone in wondering why open shelves have become a trend. Perhaps people are balking at the cost of new cabinets.
The St Charles cabinet price is probably justified, especially when they are as clean and high quality as these cabinets. The neutral cream colour is definitely a plus. A pristine set of white Youngstown steel cabinets in my area sold for a similar price and it had far fewer cabinets. People who acquired steel cabinet sets before they became a thing are the lucky ones. Great post, thanks.
Pam Kueber says
I probably could have made a fortune hoarding great sets from the day I started blogging. Yes, before we made the COOOL!
But then, I could have lost a fortune. Warehouses are now cheap!
Liz says
I’m in love!!!! I think I want to paint my kitchen yellow… lol
Barbara says
Pamela,
What’s the St. Louis website that you call the best of them all?
How much did these sell for?
p.s. Have I missed the grand opening on the tiki lounge?
Pam Kueber says
Just a saying here on the blog: “All the Best Stuff’s in St. Louis.”
I don’t know what they sold for.
The Mahalo Lounge = I need to finish.
Ms. Vel-Vida says
Gasp! I am falling out of my chair in love with those top row Frech Provincial style cabinets! If they were starlight or horizon blue I would probably faint. Always dreamed of a light blue and white French Provincial kitchen. The visible bits of that scenic wallpaper are fabulous.
Carolyn says
For me, what “makes” them, is the cut-outs, although that neutral yellow runs a close second. Forgive me, my jaw drops at prices until my brain kicks in to remind me new/current of inferior quality, would cost about the same or more. Unless, of course, you go with open shelving (yay! more stuff to clean!) otherwise known as scrap wood we didn’t know what else to do with it. And, yeah, what/where IS that wallpaper?
Mr Kim says
Open shelving also known as «rinse everything you get from the shelf before you use it because dust got stuck. Hey, but the kitchen looks wonderful [and modern] in my deco blog»~ 🙂
Those sassy and stylish housewives from the 50s wanted doors; they knew better.
Karen Klinedinst says
People with open shelving must not live with cats.
Ann says
I have two beautiful St.Charles brochure/catalogs/sales materials in the original envelopes from the 1970’s. My grandmother had green metal St. Charles in her kitchen, with one of those low pile rubber backed pattern wall to wall carpets from that era. I am getting ready to list this packet on ebay, but would love to share with the group if you would like! Contact me if you want me to share some of the really cool photos/pages.