Do you want the look of vintage steel kitchen cabinets — but don’t want the hassle of searching out, and possibly needing to restore, vintage? If so: Here’s a new source for new wood cabinets faced with that oh-so-retro powder-coated steel door: Toro Kitchen Cabinets.
Company co-founder Heather Tyng reached out to me with news of the company:
Hi Pam!
I am super excited to send you this email. I’ve been visiting your site because I am the cofounder of a company called Toro Kitchen Cabinets. The creative and industrial designer of our cabinet line, Avi Gordon, is a ’96 architecture graduate from the University of Arkansas and a Miami and Southern California surfer who has created a line of cabinets that are right up your alley.
A fresh mix of modern and retro-inspired design is the basis for the lineup. An all-wood box construction and a metal door blend the old and new bringing a mid-century modern appeal. The line is a semi-custom line that is made in the USA. The door is powder-coated to any color the customer chooses, there is a choice between several handle styles, as well as legs or a standard toe-kick and the box comes in either a light wood, walnut, ash (gray stain) or white melamine. These customizations offer a style that can fit into anyone’s home and look stunning.
I followed up, and Heather sent photos and more information.
From surfboard shaping — to designing kitchen cabinets
Avi Gordon — aka Heather’s husband — is a trained architect who, while shaping surfboards — his hobby — contemplated using those same skills to make a consumer durable product.
“He began thinking of something that plays to his strengths of design, architecture, and puzzle making,” Heather said. “He wanted a product that wouldn’t become obsolete over time. It should be innovative and also artisan in nature. Additionally, it should be sculptural and repeatable. He wanted it to be tactile. A product that he as well as his customers could be proud of. He knew that if he believed in the product, he could sell it. As it turns out, the idea it wasn’t far fetched — he wanted to design kitchen cabinets.”
Once on this path, she continued, “Avi landed a job designing custom kitchens in a local shop with a good reputation. This move had specific intent. The idea was to learn all there was to know about selling and creating cabinetry. What he had planned to be a one year endeavor into learning the cabinet business had turned into three years.”
The path to this product — in this style — had a few other influences. Avi grew up in Miami, which gave him an appreciation for Art Deco design. Later, he spent 12 years in mid mod mad Southern California, where as an architectural student he studied Case Study Houses. Then, researching sites like Retro Renovation, where they saw the revived interest in vintage steel kitchen cabinets, Avi and Heather saw the potential, more specifically, for replicating that look — and their company was born.
The cabinets are not exacting proxies for old designs, which typically had (1) full overlay doors and (2) drawers on steel boxes [a source for those, made new today, is Moya Living.]
These cabinets can made to look ‘retro-authentic’ or ‘retro-modern’
The Toros, on the other hand, have wood boxes and not-quite-full overlay steel doors and drawers. I tend to be a retro-reproduction purist, but that said, the not-quite-full overlay doors and drawers wouldn’t bug me, I think, if the box were painted or laminated the same color. Clearly, though, Heather and Avi appear to be working to extend their design in to the retro-contemporary space by (1) mixing box and drawer colors and (2) showing the cabinets set on legs. This is a much more modern look. Good news: Looks to me like the design is flexible to go either old-skool or new-skool — smart business.
In their email to me, Toro makes a case that foregoing the 100% overlay also means that there is less chance that drawers and doors might get off kilter and scrape and scratch against each other. I have not had this problem with my vintage Genevas, which seem to have exacting tolerances. But it could be that lesser vintage cabinet designs (GEs come to mind) could have this issue.
In this video of the cabinets coming together, they look quite impressive!:
- The door and drawer heads are the main feature and are composed of 18 gauge cold-rolled steel with a powder coated color.
- A brushed aluminum back brings a nice finish to interior side of the door and drawer plates.
- The cabinet is an all wood ¾” plywood box with premium wood veneers in a European frameless construction that allows for the greatest access to the cabinet’s interior.
- Dovetail all-wood drawer boxes, premium Blummotion soft-close hinges and drawer slides that are rated up to 120 lbs complete the package.
- All drawers are deeper than standard — perfect for sliding cutlery trays and storing big pots and pans in them.
- An option for designers: white vertical grade laminate (again on an all-wood box) to make a hybrid modern look with a ½” reveal around all doors and drawers. This allows the paint to pop off the background color of the cabinets. The eye drawing down the horizontal and vertical lines that the door and drawer heads lead one into the idea of purposeful art and function.
- These cabinets are made, manufactured, and designed in America.
Pricing
Regarding pricing, this is a very bespoke process, so pricing is established directly with the client. Heather told me:
Hi Pam, It’s been a long road finding manufacturing for the metal doors and also converting files to the correct engineering format. While we could ballpark pricing, it just wouldn’t be accurate for everyone because every kitchen is, of course different. …Our process is to consult with clients, learn what they want and how they use their kitchen, design a kitchen based on the conversation, create a rendering and present to the client. If they approve, we place the order and drop ship to their home. We recommend that our clients use a professional kitchen installer to provide preliminary measurements of the client’s space and install the cabinets after delivery.
Link love: Toro Kitchen Cabinets
See all my stories about steel kitchen cabinets here.
lyndasewsalot says
Great looking product ! Good luck with your new business, I have an idea for you . Why dont you design replacement doors for existing 1980’s golden oak cabinets. then sell matching paint for the faceframe.In a few select retro favorite colors. some one could retrofy an existing kitchen without having to tear out the whole kitchen. ( this could be for your budget limited first home buyers).
Arron says
I’ll second the budget option of replacement doors and drawers for newer wood cabinets. My ex wife wanted light oak cabinets which I now have and she is an ex wife, I’ve redone my entire kitchen back to it original 1963 design except for the stupid cabinets. They are in great shape but I h*** [edited] them.
Lyndasewsalot says
Yes, I think a lot of people are In similar situations. The average person can’t just tear out a functioning kitchen.
Mary Elizabeth says
This is a wonderful new company, and we all wish them the best. It reminds me of your stories about the Florida homeowner who had a carpenter design wood cabinets with a high-gloss finish so that they looked like steel and also the house flipper/carpenter who decided to bring a small kitchen back to the mid-century.
Palm Springs Stephan says
I confess to being a purest, which means I much prefer original materials rather than modern ones that imitate the originals (but with a “modern” twist and modern materials). To my mind, the “hassle” of seeking out original materials and restoring old things for re-use is more than half the fun, to say nothing of being eco-friendly. Of course, not everyone has the time or inclination to search for original materials. And getting some original materials back into usable condition can sometimes be exceedingly challenging … and expensive. But to a purest, it is worth it! Still, it is good to know that there are alternatives available.
Karin says
How exciting that a boutique design firm has come up with cabinets that seamlessly blend retro with modern. They seem to have addressed many concerns with metal. I love those curved end units and will investigate further. The range of colors and cabinet pulls is awesome. I’d love to see them at a home show. As I understand it from their website, each kitchen is “bespoke”, so prices very much depend on the kitchen’s design. No doubt they’ll turn up on HGTV. Great post, thank you!
Carolyn says
Huh! RR has this blog post from awhile ago that fits in with today’s topic
https://retrorenovation.com/2012/01/11/timeless-kitchen-and-bathroom-designn-kitchens-and-bathrooms/
So! It appears they walk among us – a newer generation who admires and wishes to emulate the Mid-Century esthetic. Welcome to our little slice of heaven Heather and Avi!
Retroski says
Yes we do! The coral dresser with the lucite pulls, marble top and steel legs is lovely. I think pricing wise these would come in equal to nicer custom cabinets but if it’s a home you’re planning to stay in or a freestanding piece to use for years to come it’s a worthy splurge/investment.
Avi says
Thanks Retroski,
We believe they are a quality investment as well. 🙂
Avi
Toro Kitchen Cabinets.
Brooke says
I’ve had neighbours joke about starting their renovations with the kitchens and then working their way through the house only to end up back at the kitchen and starting the whole process over again…
I’ve always liked the idea that when we redo our kitchen and take it back from the 1980’s to something 1960’s appropriate that it will look just as dated going in as it will look in 20-30 years. The saving grace is that it will be appropriate to the house. I love the idea of not having to renovate every 5-10 years to keep up with the current trends. No thanks! I’ll keep my plans for a “dated” kitchen.
Pam Kueber says
I re-read the story Carolyn pointed to:
KeLLy aNN says
That’s what we are doing with our 1953 house. Trying to keep the vibe. We are working on our kitchen now. I just received my sample card for the Nevamar Odenton Pink Lady formica and I’m considering cream colored cabinets from Toro. Also planning a Bakers Bar with the Passionfruit formica and Toro cabinits. The hanging wood cabinets we are bringing back down to natural wood with a clear stain and replacing the glass cabinet slider doors. The Toro cabinets seem exactly what we are looking for. I’ve found more ideas and sources for our 1953 house on your site than anywhere else! Thanks!
Avi says
Please excuse my poor grammar. I am phone texting texting these replies.
Cringing a bit.
Annette Pollard says
I LOVE these cabinets!????
Kudos to Avi for the awesome retro design & to Toro for the quality built cabinets.
Avi says
Thanks Annette!
You are correct. They are premium grade cabinets.
Cheers for the nice comment.
Avi
Janie4 says
Oh, please, please please let them stay open long enough for me to be able to do my kitchen!
Avi says
We will certainly try!
Thanks,
Avi.
Michelle says
This is an awesome new resource. Thanks for finding it!
Melinda says
These look very beautiful and well made. If anyone here places an order, I’d love to at least have an example of pricing.
Andrea says
Hmm, my 1960s house has a triangular shaped kitchen (that now has a 80s cabinets) and while I have always wanted steel cabinets, custom wood cabinets seem the only way to go… Not any more though.