My Vintage Kitchen & Laundry Room

[danemodsandy]

Question!

I have to ask:

Your cabinets look like newer units, though they're in an older style. The reason I say they look newer is because of the crispness of their detail.

Yet your countertops look like well-preserved vintage red marbelized Formica, which so far as I have been able to discover, is not currently available. Black marbelized laminate is available, as is green, but not red. And laminate in the glossy finish is HTF in any color.

Would you be willing to let us in on the secret? How did you do this?

 

[washdaddy]

That Packard is your daily driver!!! O.M.G. How long have you had that car and how many miles do you have on it? It looks like it's in pristine condition.

{Oh no, the vapors again! I need air.} LMAO

 

[dosxxpapa]

Secret

Of course I will tell you my secret. The cabinets are original 1948 that came with the house but a new coat of paint has made them look new.

The countertops are new not vintage, but look like red marbleized Formica. I used Giani Red Roma Granite Countertop Paint it. It is very easy to use and they look great. I did the countertops over a year ago and they still look great.

Here is a link. Check it out!

http://gianigranite.com/DetailRedcountertoppaint.html

Have fun!

Joe

http://gianigranite.com/DetailRedcountertoppaint.html

 

[dosxxpapa]

Parkard

This car has 73,000 miles on it. It is original un-restored. I take very good care of her, her name is Eloise. Everything has been rebuilt 8000 mile ago, so she is ready for another 100,000 miles. She is still in pristine condition and everything works on her, all gauges, clock, radio, heater, etc... I want to us all my vintage items just like they were used when then were produced.

It is a joy to still get fine service everyday from all my vintage items. I am living in the late 40's or early 50's and I enjoy each day that I can use all my many vintage products.

Thanks for asking

Joe

 

[danemodsandy]

Joe:

You could have fooled me, and I've been an editor of a magazine dealing in midcentury stuff. I have seen a LOT of photos in my time, and yours really do look like those countertops are vintage Formica. Hats off to you!

P.S.: If there are any other red laminate lovers among us, red "cracked ice" is still available, as is solid red. It's the marbleized stuff that's unobtanium.

 

[fester]

Kitchen plans

Man, that is an awesome kitchen and laundry set up ! I really dig the dishwasher treatment. Pure genius! and the car...the car is outta sight! Too sweet!

I plan to do something similar with my kitchen when I remodel. (gotta re deck and re roof first) I have found some modern materials that I think would pass as vintage to most folks and fit right in with my vintage stove, fridge, and small appliances. I am leaning towards going with plain white laminated cabinets with chrome pulls to mimic the old prefabbed steel cabinets without all the rust and racket issues. I also found a one piece synthetic counter top material that comes in either marbled or speckled finish in both red and that old vintage green shade. You can get it with the counter top and sink in one piece or add a drop in or under mount sink. The colors are right, just throw on some ribbed aluminum or chrome edging and you've got the look nailed. I'll also be making a place for the glass back center dial Maytags I have as well. I can't justify going real vintage on the cabinets because I don't have any bones to work with. Just crappy generic cheap cabinets and black Formica. Yuck! My pad was built in 74, but has some features found in earlier MCM homes like the low pitch roof, celestory windows at the top front wall, plywood walls in living room that are blasted or abraded to raise the grain, etc. Any suggestions are surely welcome. When I start going through the Maytags I'm sure I'll be bugging the bejesus out of y'all with questions. This group is the real deal. I joined for the vintage appliances and then discovered that there are so many fans of MCM as well. I'll definitely re up in eight more days. I've repaired several older "real" maytags that the "smart people" put to the curb for pick up just by reading the archives. Two had trash where the motor slides ruining the belts and one needed a lid switch. They all have homes with friends that had new washers die after a couple short years. Great group, great knowledge base,

FEster

 

[tolivac]

Nice 'ol laundry area and kitchen-Have a HB mixer just like yours.The tube boxes and record on the shelf-and that Kenmore blender-My Mom used to have one of those-I have the "cookbook" for it-funny-how the "doco" survives-but the machine doesn't.

 

[turquoisedude]

What a wonderful kitchen!! I love what you did with the dishwasher - very creative and what a great look! Your kitchen is now the showplace of your home - congratulations!

 

[dosxxpapa]

Questions

If I can be any help let me know. This is a great place for think minded kind of people that love vintage appliances and the vintage look. The thing I am looking for now is a white porcelain single basin kitchen sink, the stainless steel looks out of place. I am sure I will find one some where.

The house as been a fun project and have been working on it the last few years. It is amazing what people throw away. These things were built to last and it is not that hard to work on them and get them back up and running. It was a time when people took pride in what the built and made a great product.

Thanks to everyone for the kudos about the kitchen and laundry room. I will post other pictures of the house later. 99% of the is complete with all vintage items and we enjoy it very much.

Have fun with your projects and enjoy these fine beautiful vintage items as you find them and give them new life.

This site is wonderful and there is a wealth of knowledge from fine people who are members here.

Thanks to all of you!

Take care!!

 

[pulltostart]

Joe

What an awesome space!  Thank you for sharing - please continue to add photos of the house and the car.

 

Looking at the kitchen I thought - right out of about 1948, except in full color.  It's not unusual to see photos of kitchens like yours, but the photos were taken in the late 40's and are in black-and-white.  Pictures like that rob us of the reality of color.  That red scattered around is dyn-O-mite!

 

I, too, had wondered about the countertops and had almost figured they must be a solid-surface material or an agglomerate such as Zodiac because of the shine.  Very interesting material that you've used (successfully).

 

Congratulations on your showpiece!

 

lawrence

 

[mickeyd]

I love the way you have the Maytag installed permanently, and how you've gotten around the difficult drain hose. Since it looks like the hose is already in the sink, I wanted to share with you an easy manuver. You can fill the machine by placing your inlet hose inside the drian hose, for hands-free filling, so you can load and agitate as the fill proceeds. It's a lot of fun and somewhat automatic. It's also a good way to keep the pump young--fresh, clear, clean hot water gushing in.

 

Wondering if you wash a load, drain and rinse. Or if you wash a few loads in the same water, then drain and rinse. Read elsewhere that you do both in the Tag. Good move. Some of us love to hear the varieties of wringer washing methods because there's always a new twist. What's yours?

 

[dosxxpapa]

One load at a time.

Thanks for the tips about filling the tub. I like to do one load at a time. Fill with water, soap, bleach and wash, after that drain water, wring clothes rinse out tub, fill with fresh water and fabric softern, wash, drain, wring and put clothes in the dryer. It works great for me and clothes come out clean and fresh. The Maytag wringer does a better job washing than my newer automatic washer did and much better agitation.

Take care and thanks!

 

[supersuds]

Hope you belong to the Packard Club, Joe. The newsletter and the quarterly Cormorant magazine are great! I've been a member since 1977. I don't have a Packard now, but had a 1940 and a 1952 in the past.

Nobody mentioned your Telechron alarm clock. I've got a couple...they really made them well back then; you can't hear them running.

 

[48bencix]

Made my day

Your kitchen and laundry room really made my day. The Maytag water heater is the one thing that really tops it off for me. I would agree that the Maytag washer would clean well, especially using a deep rinse as you do. I wonder if the wringer takes out more water than a high speed spin, such as a Frigidaire Unimatic has. Has anyone done that test? (My bet is on the wringer for more water removed). Extracting all of the wash water would help account for the washing efficiency. Everyone has mentioned so many details but also the Folgers red coffee can, are there two? and the red dishcloth as nice added details (also the lamp). I enjoy this so much more than the HGTV shows where they rip everything out and install quite common pre-made cabinets of low quality, stainless appliances and ugly stone counters.

Martin

 

[boboh1]

Wow...

Very nice. Thanks for sharing the great pictures.

 

[retromania]

Love it!!

I love it! Love, love, love vintage kitchens!!!

 

[chachp]

HGTV Rehab Shows

I watch most of them, most of the time. I cringe every time I see them rip out some beautiful Vintage anything especially the kitchens. You would think they would at least appear to try to save and donate some of these things but they get in there with their Sledge hammers and just tear those things to smithereens!!

It's such a waste especially when they are in really nice condition.

 

[Chetlaham]

I love it. Especially that fridge! Im envious of you.

 

[ken]

Sandy:

Just saw your comment about "cracked ice" laminate still being available in red. I have seen that. Would you know if theres a source for it in yellow? Id like to do my counter tops in yellow but havent been able to find. Im referring to the yellow from the era. Not the bright, screaming yellow you do find available today.

 

[norgeway]

You are living!

Like I want to!! Wonderful, I long for the day i can have a old car for everyday use, I drove a 62 Plymouth to the VCCC convention in 96, about 1500 miles round trip and used about 1/2 quart of oil!not bad for a old car!