Readers and Their Kitchens Archives -

Category: Readers and Their Kitchens

So many great stories about readers and what they have done with their kitchens! Definitely shows there's more than one way "to retro"!

Very importantly: Always remember to Be Safe / Renovate Safe!

Stacy celebrates the “avocado goodness” in her 1968 ranch house kitchen

All hail the color avocado for kitchens! After seeing my recent stories on the color avocado used in kitchens, Stacy emailed with photos of her..

Recreating a Brady Bunch kitchen — Duane and Wendy show us how!

Duane and Wendy recreated much of the Brady Bunch kitchen, right down to Mike and Carol's coffee cups. They even got out their plaid double knit bell bottoms for the photo shoot!

A 64-year-old Geneva kitchen that looks like it was installed yesterday

Carol bought a 1956 house that came with a second kitchen that was barely used. Let's take a look!

Scott started with one adorable vintage dinette — and built a picture perfect kitchen around it!

With this sweetheart mid-century style kitchen, Scott also shows us how to combine new materials with vintage appliances and decor.

Blue countertops — with polka dots — dial up the happy in Bridget’s new kitchen

Polka dot patterns are a favorite for retro dresses — so, how about for the blue countertop of a retro kitchen remodel? Bridget shows us..

1953 Sears steel kitchen cabinets — painted pink — take center stage in Monica’s 900 s.f. cabin kitchen remodel

We love pink kitchens, and we love stories of readers who take a big gulp and dive into their design projects “the hard way” —..

Wonderful brick flooring in Paula’s 1953 house + oh happy kitchen, too

When I did that story asking whether Marie should keep the real clay brick flooring in her kitchen, reader Paula chimed in and said she..

Addams Family meets Dick Van Dyke: Nanette, Brian and their three dogs’ long journey to their 1952 house

“This house was so loved, you can feel it when you walk in. And I’m so happy that we get to carry on its legacy...

Reversing the remuddle: Megan & Nick bring their 1947 kitchen back its retro roots

Megan and Nick have been retro enthusiasts for years. So, when they purchased their 1947 house, they knew what they had to do — take..

From “tastefully bland” to history-worthy: Steven and John transform their Palm Springs kitchen

The kitchen in Steven and John’s Palm Springs house — designed by midcentury architect Herbert W. Burns — had been pretty nicely updated, albeit, admittedly..

Jennifer’s epic journey to add Raymond Loewy-designed kitchen cabinets in her 1948 house

How long might it take to pull together a historic kitchen of your dreams? How about: seven years — and that includes buying the house...

Elizabeth’s 1965 kitchen before and after — from gloomy … to retrolicious

Yesterday, Elizabeth invited us to weigh in on floor tile choices for her blue bathroom Retro Renovation. Setting up the story, I came across an..

Amy buys her grandparents’ 1959 time capsule house: A love story

For my first story of the second decade of Retro Renovation: A love story. Amy bought her grandparents’ time capsule “city” house, a place full..

Two 1948 kitchens in Mary and Duane’s time capsule house

Mary and Duane’s 1948 time capsule house is a sweet little Cape Cod. Quintessentially post-war New England, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s..

Drew collects 60 Geneva kitchen cabinets — four sets, in all — to get all the pieces for his ‘new’ kitchen

Do you want to build a ‘new’ kitchen using vintage steel kitchen cabinets? Well, buckle up: Because if you’re going to fit someone else’s cabinets..

Youngstown kitchen cabinets share star billing with an O’Keefe and Merritt range in Meara’s kitchen remodel

Meara’s “before” kitchen was actually just fine, with that can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it O’Keefe and Merritt range and neutral cabinets, countertops and flooring. That said, it wasn’t the..

Retro Renovating for resale when you already have a quality — but wrong-dated — kitchen

Readers Kate and Tom recently asked how to approach a Retro Renovation of their 1960s kitchen — which was updated by previous owners in 1990s style —..

Bonnie Jo Campbell — an author and her modest kitchen, revisited

“I always tell my students that if they are serious about writing that they should live in a very modest house and try to keep..

LaDonna creates a retro-style kitchen that would make her grandmothers proud

LaDonna loved the look of vintage steel kitchen cabinets, but wanted the features of wood. So, taking a cue from the vintage Elgins at her..

Congratulations, Jim and Heidi and Scott — “The Hard Way Awards” winners 2016

Congratulations to our “The Hard Way Award” winners for 2016: Jim, for the pink bathroom that he built, inspired by his grandmother’s, and Scott and Heidi, for..

Christine gives her pink 1962 Lyon kitchen some retro TLC — including Retro Renovation® by Wilsonart First Lady Pink laminate

The oven in Christine’s kitchen — complete with original-finish pink Lyon kitchen cabinets — finally gave up the ghost and could no longer be repaired. A..