Harvest gold Geneva kitchen

[sarahperdue]

These are for sale, but I'm posting in Super because I'm interested ini information--

I thought the bakelite Geneva handle thingies were produced early, but the shaded harvest gold paint job looks to be late sixties.

Thoughts?

Sarah

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1950s-Geneva-Mid-Century-Metal-Cabinets/133241041546

 

[sarahperdue]

paint job

The listing says the cabinets are original to a 1955 house, so the paint job must be new. Wow! someone spent an awful lot of money having those done.

Sarah

 

[pulltostart]

Sarah,

Exactly.  GE introduced Harvest Gold in the Spring of 1968.  Somebody liked their kitchen cabinets a whole lot!

 

lawrence

 

[bradfordwhite]

So many questions...

Only problem with metal cabinet kitchens is the countertops.  All those cut up, different pieces are awkward and unsanitary.

 

Fortunately it would be easy to order new beige laminate countertops, assemble them with a miter cut for the corner, and install them in place of all those pieces.

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If they sprayed them, I wonder if they got a paint sprayer and did it themselves.  If so, they did a good job with the shading detail.

 

Something about them says they came this way from the factory. We have to remember that even Sears was still selling metal kitchen cabinets into the 1970s.

I would estimate these cabinets as being newer because:

1. The sink cabinet doors are not recessed as was typical in the 50s and early 60s.

2. the sink top is not porcelain but SS.

3. the handles are straight rather that the bent design the more often used in the 50s

 

But, the stove cabinet IS recessed, so now I'm perplexed.

 

The other thing is the oven is a new naturals harvest gold which started in '78, so....?

 

That light screams cheapoo late 90s, early 2000s....

 

And why is part of the counter-top collage 70s/80s butcher block?

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Forget what the listing says.  Half the time the realtors get information wrong, especially when it comes to dating things.  All the realtors see is $$-$$

 

[sarahperdue]

Inset Bakelite handle guards

Are the clue that makes me think older cabinets. My 1951 Geneva sales literature has the inset cabinet handles.

Sarah

 

[bradfordwhite]

At the risk of adding more confusion

 

I was interested in consulting the good book that everyone should have and rely on religiously.   

 

.... the 1978 Spring and Summer Sears Catalog.

 

harvest gold metal kitchen cabinets.   

 

What I would give to be able to order these.....and that wallpaper, and those ruffled curtains.

 

 

 

[tomturbomatic]

That cabinet with the flour sifter in it seems to point to older cabinets. I would say that the repainting was done professionally by some concern with a paint booth. The butcher block laminate around the cook top is probably explained by the new cook top being smaller than the old cook top which probably filled that counter area. The kitchen has remarkably little work space for tasks like baking and putting large meals together. Maybe it needs a work island.

 

[jeb]

The base cabinet for the stovetop looks odd with the rest of the cabinets. It's the shape of the sink base of my Youngstown cabinets with the curved front. None of the other cabinets in this kitchen have that.

 

[vacbear58]

Base cabinet

I can see what you mean although it seems to have a Geneva name plate on it. I am beginning to wonder if it originally had a conventional range in there and at some point someone has got creative to create the split level layout.

 

[circlew]

I think the major reason the sink cabinet doesn't have the recessed doors is that it is a narrow unit. The 1954 brochure shows cabinets with recessed doors only in 54" or wider models. Also, being next to the dishwasher would be a problem, as dishwashers don't usually have finished sides. I personally think recessed doors in this particular installation (with sink between rounded end cabinet and DW) would look odd. In most all manufacturers lines, the recessed doors are used when it is a "cabinet sink unit", that has drawer stacks or doors to each side of the sink area. Those are one piece units, usually between 54" and 72" wide.

Stainless steel sinks and tops have been available since the 30's, as was Monel at that time. Porcelain on steel was less expensive, so more common. Stainless and Monel are found frequently in higher class installations.

Link to Geneva brochure.[this post was last edited: 12/3/2019-19:34]

https://archive.org/details/GenevaKitchens/page/n15

 

[circlew]

Some manufacturers had narrower sink units that had blank areas to each side of the doors, such as these Youngstown models.

https://archive.org/details/MullensManufacturingCorpSpecificationsforDianastyl0001/page/n1

 

[combo52]

Diffidently 50s Cabinets Repainted in the late 60s-early 70s

The Tappan wall oven and CT with surrounding  counter top replaced the original units in the late 70s - early 80s.

 

I think all the cabinets are from the original 50s kitchen, notice the High-End Tradewind range hood with auxiliary exhaust intake near the ceiling to catch fumes from the oven etc.

 

John L.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well, a trip through a time in a lot of eras...

Stuck on classy, durable metal cabinets, just seems to make sense updating the color, as the colors of the appliances, and appliances, themselves are updated to newer, decade-by-decade, is my impression!

— Dave

 

[sarahperdue]

The shading

Dave,

I agree. They are from a time when reusing was what was done. It's the shading that really impresses me.

The first French door Frigidaire Custom Imperial oven I saw was white. I later learned that it was originally turquoise but was sent out to be painted when the kitchen was updated.

Sarah

 

[lowefficiency]

>> .... the 1978 Spring and Summer Sears Catalog.
>> harvest gold metal kitchen cabinets.
>> What I would give to be able to order these.....

Hey, those are my cabinets!!!!

I've had a small set of these for a few years - a complete kitchen of them showed up at the local ReStore, and I bought as many as I could afford at the time- one of the base cabinets (#11 in the diagram), and three of the upper cabinet units. That brushed aluminum sticker stripe across them is quite distinctive.

I had searched everywhere, but was never able to determine who had made them or when.
Thanks for posting those scans!

 

[bradfordwhite]

cool

Do you have pics of your cabinets?
Would love to see them.