Mid-Century Kitchen Renovation

[pulltostart]

After working on a kitchen renovation for 6 months, I'm pleased to say that the project is 99% complete (the base cabinets and doors need another coat of paint and the wall cabinet doors over the refrigerator do not fit properly and need some more work). Here are some photos that I took today during lunch. This first one is the area to the left of the sink, looking towards the breakfast room.

Lawrence

 

[pulltostart]

Right of Sink

This shot pans around to the right side of the sink, and includes the 1958 GE Combination.

L

 

[pulltostart]

Laundry!

Area opposite the refrigerator, featuring the 1977 'Tags.

L

 

[pulltostart]

Pantry

This shot looks towards the breakfast room and includes the new (packed full) pantry. The refrigerator originally sat where the pantry is now.

L

 

[pulltostart]

Opposite Direction

The view from the breakfast room towards the kitchen.
L

 

[luxflairguy]

STUNNING!

 

[pulltostart]

Breakfast

Ok, couldn't resist showing off the breakfast room. I've had the Eames chairs for close to 20 years, but found the table on New Years Day on Atlanta's Craigslist - I think the wood and the lines work great with the chairs.

L

 

[ronhic]

Kitchen is FAB...

...and whilst not trying to remove the amount of work you've done...

That table and chairs is stunning....

 

[gyrafoam]

Lawrence, it looks fabulous!

 

[perc-o-prince]

WOW!!!

Looks fantastic. Enjoy it in good health

Rich

 

[pulltostart]

During

Here's a photo taken during the work. I re-used the existing cabinets, which were 50-year-old knotty pine with the original finish. You can see the (lovely) yellow plastic laminate countertop that came with the house (purchased this house 3 years ago last month). The house was built in 1957 and did not include a dishwasher but one was added at some time by the former owners. There was space (where the refrigerator sits now) for a washing machine, but no provisions for a dryer. Eventually a dryer was installed in the storage room on the carport, like most homes in this neighborhood. Where the laundry is now there was originally a banquette, long ago removed. The wall cabinets were taken down and reinforced, cleaned up and painted; new doors and drawer fronts were installed.

Hardware came from Rejuvenation, countertop is Formica's Boomerang pattern in coral, the stainless steel trim on the counter was purchased from a company in New York (I would have to look up the name), the flooring is Forbo Marmoleum. The range was purchased from Antiqueappliances when I moved in and only needed cleaning up (not restoration). The refrigerator was purchased on Ebay from a Phoenix seller (was orginally pink) and I had it shipped to Antiqueappliances for restoration. Unfortunately, it is not cooling properly and is due to be shipped back this Friday for some investigative work.

L

 

[luxflairguy]

You should ask Petek for his floor lamp to complete the breakfast room!
I'm pleased to see you use 4 gang plugs in the kitchen. There are never enough plugs to go around in most kitchen.
I have the owner's manual for that GE range if you are interested in a copy. Greg

 

[pulltostart]

Gracias

Thanks for the compliments, I've enjoyed the process in spite of how long it took. I did the kitchen for me - not for resale - my goal being to approximate what it could have looked like when the house was built. For instance, the microwave is on a shelf in the pantry, not exposed in the kitchen since they wouldn't have existed then. The base cabinets are black to help conceal the dishwasher. The Formica and the linoleum products existed in 1957, that's why they were selected.

Lawrence

 

[petek]

Looks really good. Is that circline light on the ceiling original to the house?
Just gotta get a vintage Western Electric wallphone and you're set LOL

 

[pulltostart]

Light Fixture

As far as I can tell, that is the original fixture in the kitchen. At first I was going to replace it but couldn't find anything I liked, then decided just to polish it up and continue to use it. I used to have an aunt who had a pair of those in her kitchen and I remember thinking how TACKEY they were. I'm glad I decided to keep it.

L

 

[qsd-dan]

Looks fantastic!! Just need to fix the modern eyesore of a phone with a beautiful vintage rotary one.

I will have to admit that I liked that yellow counter top. I'm sure it was pretty scratched up though, like they usually get with age.

Great job!

 

[douglasdc6]

Kitchen light

Nothing tackey about that vintage fluorescent circline fixture.

Glad you decided to keep it .

I`ve also seen a few of the 3 bulb fixtures - Talk about wild - they are so cool.

 

[mixfinder]

Hidden Agenda

Have you hidden the roll away dishwasher in the pantry or have you restored to a time when dishwashers weren't the norm! The workmanship is so great and man oh man is that table the bee's knees!

 

[pulltostart]

Dishwasher

The dishwasher is between the sink and the refrigerator. It's just a GE tall tub model in black and it blends in (i.e., disappears) just like I wanted it to.

Greg, thanks for the offer of a Use and Care book on the range, but I managed to find one on Ebay several years ago, so I'm all set!

L

 

[cadman]

Lawrence, is that stainless countertop edging? That didn't, perchance, come from NY did it? LOOKS VERY NICE! -Cory

 

[turquoisedude]

Fabulous kitchen!

Lawrence, the kitchen looks wonderful!! Love how the dishwasher blends in so discretely. Of course, you could always look for a 59 Fridgaire Imperial spray-tube in charcoal... LOL
Seriously, great job!! Congratulations!!!

 

[rickr]

Very nice Lawrence! I LOVE it! Congratulations on a very unique period kitchen design.

 

[spankomatic]

The black cabinets are cool looking.

 

[danemodsandy]

Lawrence:

I'm going to put my professional hat on here, and congratulate you on a midcentury job well done. I am in awe of how hard you have worked to pull together the elements for that kitchen. I'm particularly impressed by the use of GE majors all from the same time frame, the metal-edged counters, and the fact that you re-used so much that was still usable. As you know, Atlanta is a town where a lot of good midcentury kitchens have been summarily ripped out and replaced in the name of fashion or resale value, instead of getting the kind of sensitive, respectful re-use you have achieved.

Again, top-notch work, really fine.

 

[circlew]

Like it!

Very nice. Agree with Pete and Dan you should get a W.E. 554 wall phone. Is the sink the extra deep model?

 

[112561]

Anybody else notice the fantastic yellow GE can opener?

Congratulations on you over the top perfect model kitchen. I can't get over that range either. The two tone cabinet treatment is perfect, and the boomerang counters with the metal edging is just superb. The Eames chairs with the table are to die for.

I notice the old counter has the rolled edging, as well as the top of the backsplash. We had the rolled Formica in the white, with gold threads and little gold flecks, just like Mixfinder's counter. It was replaced in the '90s with the sharp edged Formica that has the side panels too. I found out in the meantime, that was also applicable in 1961, when this house was built. I want to take these cabinets down to the bare wood.

 

[sudsman]

Wow

Expect too see Betty Crocker come out with a Angel Food Cake!

 

[pulltostart]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the compliments - I am proud of my kitchen! That stainless edge did come from a company in NY. It's a snap-on extrusion so there are no fasteners to snag your clothes. It's a snug fit over the edge anyway, but my contractor ran a bead of silicone on the backside just to be sure it didn't back off. So far so good (except for the nose prints from the dog that have to be wiped off daily). The sink is an Elkay Lustertone, purchased used off Ebay, polished up, and it's the standard Lustertone depth, not extra-deep. And that wall phone; I agree that its not the prettiest thing in the room. I'll keep working on it. A part of the problem is the DSL filter that installs between the wall box and the phone, pushing the phone further out. I'll keep looking for a better solution.

L

 

[toggleswitch2]

Beautiful!
What is the floor covering made of?

May I suggest that the quarter-round mouldings where the floor and wall meet be paited white or black to match the other wood? As it stands, it sticks out visually and draws the eye away for the other beauty and proper focal-points.

Personally, I'd also paint the door near the W & D white (or maybe even black) for a more designer and unified look. Dito the harware on that door. Looks like all your kithcen hardware is silver in color, so the gold of the door kinda stand out!

WHAT A GORGEOUS KITCHEN!

 

[norgeway]

Absolutely wonderful.

I love it,I would like to have either black or charcoal cabinets, but im tackier than you...I want all pink appliances...LOL