Kitchen Help Category Archives

Category: Kitchen Help Category

Need kitchen design, remodeling and decorating ideas? We are continuously researching products and decor suitable for a midcentury, vintage or retro style kitchen makeover. Our kitchen stories are archived below. If you are looking for certain resources in particular, you can make your search easier by heading straight the sub-category pages in ORANGE navigation above.

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

98 plastic decorator panels — New Old Stock by Manchester Products — discovered and for sale

Translucent plastic panels made by Manchester Products are pretty darned cool, and after my story on a NOS stash found a few years ago now long-gone,..

Dupont Dulux steel kitchen cabinets

I’m back from my travels and yes, have posted another story in my continued research about steel kitchen cabinets. And this one — on Dupont..

These Servel kitchen cabinets had a rare, museum-worthy feature — can you guess it?

Yes, I’ve published another important entry in my growing Encyclopedia of Vintage Steel Kitchen Cabinets: A look at the Servel brand. And ooh la la,..

Belknap Steel Kitchen Cabinets

I’m pretty single-minded these days, cranking away on the Encyclopedia: See my latest entry, on steel kitchen cabinets sold by Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing here...

Marvel steel kitchen cabinets — also sold as Westline steel kitchen cabinets

Continuing work on the Encyclopedia, I just published a page on Marvel Steel Kitchens — which were sold as Westline Steel Kitchens by Western Auto..

Briggs Beautyware “Cab-Unettes” — making steel kitchens as early as 1938

I just published a new page all about Briggs Beautyware Steel Kitchen “Cab-Unettes” — for sale as early as 1938, and oh my yes, in..

This time capsule GE steel kitchen has almost everything GE kitchens were famous for!

This vintage GE steel kitchen is quite amazing: It’s chock full of many of the fabulous features that GE offered in its kitchens starting in..

Rare 1961 dishwashing-wand kitchen faucet from National Rubber Machinery Co. — another Dishmaster competitor

Adding to my online collection of vintage kitchen faucets that mimicked the famous and still-made-today Dishmaster, here’s what I presume is a very rare dishwashing-wand..

Terrazzo look porcelain tile for as little as $6 / sq.ft.

Terrazzo flooring has experienced a tremendous revival in recent years, so it’s no surprise that we’re now also seeing proxies made in other materials. This..

7 authentic vintage countertop laminate designs still available today

Are you interested in using an authentic vintage laminate design for your bathroom or kitchen countertop? Over the 12 years I’ve been blogging, so called..

Steel kitchen cabinets — 4 places to buy them made new today

Where to buy steel kitchen cabinets made new today? I get the question fairly often, so decided to update my research on companies making steel..

12 vintage refrigerators — from rare to wacky to sublime!

In my recent guide to buying a retro refrigerator, buying vintage was tip #6. That prompted me to look through lots of stories in our archives..

One-stop shopping guide to finding a Retro Refrigerator

I recently did a bunch of work to create a one-stop shopping guide to finding a retro style refrigerator (or true vintage). << Check it..

Colored kitchen sink in 25 colors, deck mount faucet design

Here’s a great new colored kitchen sink just added Whyte & Company’s already expansive lineup: A two bowl kitchen sink with a drop-in design that..

Is this the most beautiful modern kitchen sink ever?

I think I’ve just found the most beautiful modern kitchen sink ever. I don’t normally write about contemporary decor. But. Then This. In my research..

Double sink or single sink in the kitchen? Which is better?

It’s a kitchen design question as old as time: Double sink or single sink, which is better? Some readers recently started commenting back and forth..

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..

1970s flooring — two flashback-style sheet vinyl flooring designs

Is the diversity of flooring choices starting to improve? It seems to me that these days, I’m seeing more than just flat gray stone after..

Metal counter edges — 6 places to buy them + more tips

Where to find metal counter edges for retro kitchens — countertop edging in steel, aluminum and even faux laminate edging? I have made a new,..

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” —..

Berger Steel Cabinets for Kitchens — a catalog from 1949

One of my goals for 2019 is to work diligently at filling out The Retro Renovation® Encyclopedia of Vintage Steel Kitchen Cabinets. I have about 85..