All things "Avocado"; a thread dedicated to the long lived color...

[drh4683]

This may have been discussed in the past, but I'm looking to find out some history on this color from its first uses in industrial design followed by its phase out. I'm curious if any one particular manufacturer can be credited for having first introduce an appliance in this color. We know it eventually became so popular that virtually all consumer goods were offered in this color for quite a long time, both as painted items (automobiles, bathroom/kitchen fixtures, large appliances etc.) and also produced as injection molded plastics for millions of different containers and other small appliances. I don't think any color was used as extensively as avocado was. Apparently it was the "in" color for quite a long time. In the 90's, I recall how many people reflected on this color with complete hatred, having nothing but memories of how "everything was avocado back in the 60's and 70's" and that it was "ugly". Well, that was the 90's and that was a while ago now. 15+ years later, it doesn't seem to be looked at as "ugly" like it was. I find more people think its a cool color rather than ugly. At the store, I see a few different things in "avocado" or some other variant that is close to the original olive green color, but not so much in appliances (yet?). Like everything, design trends come and go and eventually whats old is new again, maybe not to the extreme as it once was, but it at least still makes some sort of a comeback in a watered down sort of way. Perhaps this is happening with avocado, but very slowly.

I'm curious to find out some kind of in-depth history on this color, kind of a timeline so to speak. When was it first used on appliances (and by who. I think its agreed to have its first consumer use around 1966), when its popularity peaked, and when did it start to fall out of fashion followed by when was it last offered by the appliance manufacturers. Lastly, what kind of future if any do we see for this color making its return to the appliance world.

Lots of questions, and probably no real definitive answer to some of them, but I'm looking forward to getting your input, opinions and experiences.

Either way, I'd also like to see some photos of your avocado appliances, especially some of the later last gasp Avocado models(presumably)from the 80's.

 

[norgeway]

My 1975 Frigidaire Imperial

Fridge!

 

[norgeway]

My 1975 Frigidaire Imperial

Fridge!

 

[norgeway]

1975 Frigidaire

Deluxe Range. These were my neighbors, they bought them when I was 10, I got them a few months ago after her passing...at one month shy of 102 years old!

 

[circlew]

To the best of my knowledge, General Electric was the first to use the name "Avocado" for a major appliance. However, in '66 Frigidaire had come out with a color called "Tahitian Green" which was a very similar shade.

 

[joelippard]

Here is my '69 Rollermatic in Avacado.

 

[joelippard]

 

[turquoisedude]

Here's a few dishwashers to add to the Avocado parade...
This is a Canadian 1978 Kenmore

 

[turquoisedude]

Another Canadian model - a 1971 Westinghouse portable

 

[turquoisedude]

And a stunning 1965 (may be a 1966, though...)Lady Kenmore portable

 

[goatfarmer]

Avocado Whirlpool washer from the early 70's

 

[goatfarmer]

3 speed dryer

almost a match.

 

[circlew]

Youngstown steel cabinets even came in Avocado. I remember seeing them on display at the local dealer in the early 70's.

 

[gansky1]

Lovely avocado Whirlpools on CL here - went to California

 

[pdub]

Here is one of my 1-18 sets in avocado. I like to tell people they are "sage green". Very trendy you know!

 

[drh4683]

Great photos so far!

Some very impressive appliances you guys have. Norgeway, I especially like that '75 Frigidaire electric range. I'd put that in my kitchen right now if I had one like it.
pnub, that's a great pair of 1-18's. What year are those? I never saw them with the viewing glass. Is this a later model feature?

 

[rickr]

.

Maytag 806 set I restored for my aunt just over a year ago. They got the full tear down and restoration, except the paint was original and cleaned up very well.

 

[aquacycle]

I'm not sure about appliances, but we had an avocado bathroom suite from 1985 in my childhood house. It was awful, but very fashionable at the time. I still remember the day we had a plain white suite fitted and how much brighter it looked

 

[philr]

 

 

Doug,

The window lids were mostly featured on Gold Crown and later Crown models. Other models had them too.

 

 

Here's my 1968 Frigidaire Rapidry 1000 Gold Crown washer (and the dryer that should eventually be painted to match!)

 

 

[this post was last edited: 8/9/2012-00:23]

 

[philr]

My 1969 Frigidaire Custom Imperial dishwasher.

 

[philr]

My 1973 Frigidaire GMini washer and dryer (they aren't shaded on edges but Frigidaire later called this color Avocado too).

 

[vintagekitchen]

Avocado bathroom set

I actually quite liked my grandparents bathroom with the avocado green tub, sink, and toilet. Unfortunately when I was 17 something went wrong with the toilet, and for once my grandpa couldnt fix it, (a very rare thing, that man could fix anything, and I do mean anything), so a white toilet took it's place, and ruined the whole look of the room.

 

[bajaespuma]

Doug,

I like the way you think.

 

As I recall from the time, all the princesses were getting tired of their American Standard pinks, aquas, canary yellows and wanted something more "Natural". Peter Max was the rage and industry was responding by introducing colors that could, theoretically, be found in the forests and the farms. The word "ecology" appeared in our lives. I think the advent of less expensive color TV and the art directors for TV had lots of influence here. Couture followed very quickly; I remember the colors for the sewing patterns that my Mother drew changing along with the times. Avocado, unfortunately, was a very hard color to use in interior design. It quickly became the color of the close-out appliance and the odd toaster and iron. Most of the avocado appliances I remember seeing were bought as bargain-basement buys or to replace appliances that had been turquoise and were no longer available.

 

Here's a re -imagining of a kitchen I grew up with where I've replaced the white appliances with avocado ones and I've only changed the counter color a little bit to coordinate (the color transfer on this graphic is a little off; less cyan in the original so it looked much more authentically avocado):

 

[philr]

I think Avocado looks great with very dark brown cabinets like this.

 

The owner did change the color of this older range to Avocado with newer panels.

 

[frigilux]

Appliance colors go in and out of fashion, just like....well, fashion. The candy colors of the late 1950's and early 1960's were all the rage, but once they were replaced with avocado, harvest gold, coppertone, the once-favored candy colors (yellow, pink, turquoise, etc.) were derided. By the early 1980's, almond reigned as the great new color; later, black was fashionable. Currently, we're in a stainless steel-or-white mode.

While I think stainless steel and white are classics, perhaps we'll see a return of the candy colors or the Mediterranean triumvirate (avocado/gold/coppertone)?

 

[firedome]

The color Avocado was popular

even in boats!! Starcraft made aluminum runabouts in light avocado in the late 60s, I have a scanned ad of one around here somewhere!

 

[dirtybuck]

PhilR:

Dod you make a typo on the year for the Frigidaire Rapidry 1000 washer? It looks newer than 1968 to me. Could you have meant '78?

 

[philr]

Bill,

It is a 1968 model and it's how it came from the factory (with some added wear!). Other members (including Patrick who posted in this thread) have the exact same washer.

 

Some 1968 models were still produced in 1969. Mine is a US model, but in Canada, 1968-69 models were still produced until the Frigidaire factory closed in 1970. And the Canadian models differ a bit from the US models too. The last series from 1970 have a mix of parts from 1965-66 and 1968-69 US models. Washers made were not available here with the fanciest features like the variable speed clutch or the water level selector.

 

Here's my 1977 (which is identical to 1978 models) but it's not avocado...  And unlike Patrick's similar Crown washer above, this one didn't originally have a window lid as it wasn't available on this model. (I kept the original one in case I want to switch back!). This lid was donated to me by SteveD and I really like how it looks!

 

 

 

 

[pdub]

PhilR...

Thank you for dropping my name! I just love your loaded with options TOL avocado 1-18 set. I always wanted to find one with the lighted console but have never run across them.

Here is a picture of my 1968 rollermatic set for Bill.

Patrick

 

[philr]

Patrick, my 1-18 set is harvest gold just like your Gold Crown set!

 

 I still need to repaint my Colonial Copper Gold Crown dryer so it matches my Avocado Gold Crown washer. Mine was a cheaper DE66 model with timed drying only and no heat settings but thanks to a forum member who had a DN5 dryer like yours that she offered here for free, I was able to get all the parts to update mine to have an automatic setting.

 

Here's the dryer with it's original control panel before I made the switch to DN5 parts.