Setting up house in the 1940s

Angelicious · Aug 20, 2005

I recently managed to buy, on sale, a vintage-looking enamelled colander (pale "hospital" green) and retro kitchen scales (lemon yellow). Now I'm wondering about how to tie in other things with my emerging vintage kitchen.

What colours were popular at the time? I'm particularly interested in the early-mid 40s, but would like info on the 30s and 50s as well. I'm aware of many of the popular clothing colours of that time, but were they also used in the kitchen? I'm talking about paint and enamel mostly...

There's a resurgence of retro kitchenware at the moment, but many of the colour seem to be gelato-pastels that look early/mid-1950s to me.

Any ideas? Or does anyone want to share thoughts on the vintage home in general?

scotrace · Aug 20, 2005

I think this is a good thread for the boys as well

Since we'll end up doing the work...

We wrapped up our kitchen project about a year ago. Our house is pre-WWI, brick foursquare. We've emphasized the Craftsman elements mainly.
The kitchen design evolved as we went along. We were going for a 20's French cafe' sort of thing, and I think we did pretty well.
As in any such project, the details make a difference. Just two weeks ago I picked up a flawless, working chrome Waring Blender for $5 at a flea market. Dates from the late forties. We would like to have gone with a refurb stove and fridge, but couldn't justify the cost. The backsplash is made up of unpainted tin ceiling panels, which really catch the light and reflect it well. They are slowly rusting, which is the effect we were looking for. The floor is black and white small tiles, the walls are an muted apple green, the cupboards are bright white. We used deep red accents.
Good luck on your project. Some places to find cool stuff and inspiration:
Restoration Hardware
Antique Hardware and Home
Van Dykes
For lighting: Rejuvenation

jitterbugdoll · Aug 20, 2005

We actually had a small thread regarding authentic paint colors a little while ago, and the subject of kitchens came up. Check it out:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=2842&highlight=kitchen

One of my favorite kitchen combinations is Jadeite green, red and white. It's a fresh, happy scheme!

elsewhere · Aug 20, 2005

Our house was built by my great grandparents in 1939. It still has the original tile in the kitchen and bath.
The kitchen is pale yellow tiles with cornflower blue trim & a corner sink.

The bath has kind of a peachy tile with a dark peach (not quite brown) trim.

Unfortunately, both will have to come out. The condition isn't great & truthfully, the bathroom colors are UGLY. However, we're not going to modernize. We're just going to redo and make better.

There are a couple black & white pics of my from both 1942 & 1960 on my family picture page
www.elsewherevintage.com/family

You can't see a whole lot of it... but you get the idea

Angelicious · Aug 21, 2005

Hi, Scotrace, welcome in!

Glad to have input from the mens' quarter; I just put the thread in here because it started off with kitchen appliances, which seemed a girly sort of a thing.

Thanks everyone, for the links and ideas.

Some great info in there.

I'm renting right now, so I can't do much with paint or tile, but those pics give a wonderful overall idea of how things can look. I'd love more input!

scotrace · Aug 21, 2005

Meep - I always forget

Angelicious said:
Hi, Scotrace, welcome in!

I always forget the girls-only thing.

If you'd like to see the progression (though it stops before we got it all done): here are the grisly details:
http://homepage.mac.com/scotrace/PhotoAlbum14.html

Laying the floor started me on the road to back surgery!

The Backsplash:

McPeppers · Sep 7, 2006

Its hard not to see the impact of old styles out here in New Orleans, I personally am having a hard time adjusting to my bathroom still (powder blue everything with pink trim). Had to switch out th old circle bowl short toilet for a more modern one because apparently we're taller than we used to be and I just couldnt get comfortable on it LOL.

Once i have the opportunity I'mma get the white toilet replaced with one in the powder blue to keep the flow of the bathroom intact... if i can find one that matches lol.

(Side note: Kitchens and Bathrooms... interrelated in more ways than you think ^_-)

fortworthgal · Sep 7, 2006

I was going to suggest the Sherwin Williams paint line, but I see it has already been brought up in the other referenced thread!

Check out the movie "Radio Days." I just watched it again last night. A large portion of the movie takes place inside a typical 1940s home.

LizzieMaine · Sep 7, 2006

I always think of the classic '30-'40s kitchen scheme as a sort of creamy yellow walls with jadeite-green accents on the woodwork, wainscoting, cabinets and such. A sort of a warm, homey kind of look that catches the morning sun, in other words. Or, a cream and brick-red look can work well too, especially if you have dark-stained woodwork that you'd like to keep.

There was a trend in the mid-forties for bright primary colors in kitchens -- lots of deep greens, reds, and yellows especially -- compared to the more muted look that carried over from the thirties.

Basically, you'd want the opposite of the modern/industrial/stainless-steel/antiseptic kitchen look -- the emphasis was on the kitchen as a warm and friendly place for people to have breakfast, not as a sterile showpiece for one's industrial-design skills.

I second and third the recommendation for Sherwin Williams paints -- they're very good about custom-mixing just the shade you want!

Viola · Sep 7, 2006

I like many of the retro-style appliances out right now, KitchenAid and things from Target. I REALLY love the buttercream yellows. What colors would be historically appropriate to coordinate with the light yellow, aside from white cabinetry?

Oh, and I will always love Fiestaware. I even saw a cute table setting mixing the "Cobalt" Fiestaware with blue-and-white Willowware, and it was adorable.

mysterygal · Sep 7, 2006

Scot, that backsplash is beautiful! definetely something I would love for the new house as well.
Remodeling sucks, there's no way around it. We've remodeled our entire home and never again do I want to do such a thing. It also doesn't help when you've got asthma and sheet rock dust is everywhere!

But for those of you who are courageous and brave (with a great amount of patience as well!) good luck!

The D.A. · Sep 7, 2006

Over the last couple of months I've been trying to assemble items for a 1930s/1940s-inspired kitchen. So far I've acquired a 1940s Mixmaster 7A with jadeite bowls and juicer, a set of four 1930s McKee Roman Arches range shakers, an oak Gold Medal flour recipe box from the 1920s/1930s (complete with original recipe cards), six or seven cookbooks from the 1930s, a couple of pieces of jadeite, some Pyrex from the 1930s, and quite a lot of the new Fiestaware (I can't afford the vintage stuff). I hope to soon purchase a Toastmaster or Sunbeam toaster from the 1930s along with a Telechron wall clock.

Surprisingly, I haven't found much on the Internet to guide me. Most of what I've found deals with kitchens of the 1950s. The most helpful web site that I've found is here http://www.jitterbuzz.com/decfur.html

LizzieMaine, your information was very helpful, and I've actually used the pictures of your kitchen in the other thread as something of a guide. I just wish that I had the funds to get a vintage range and a vintage fridge.

The D.A. · Sep 7, 2006

Oops, I flubbed the link to the site. I'll try again:

http://www.jitterbuzz.com/decfur.html

Viola · Sep 7, 2006

On my "someday" wishlist:
http://www.elmirastoveworks.com/northstar/index.cfm

http://www.bigchillfridge.com/flash_index.html

The D.A. · Sep 7, 2006

Viola--I love those Big Chill fridges, but the prices--wow!

Here's a place in my neck of the woods that refurbishes old ranges:

http://www.vintagestoves.com/stove/welcome

I'd love to have one of the O'Keefe and Merritt stoves from the '40s, but again, the prices--wow!

Paisley · Sep 7, 2006

Faucets

Speaking of prices, I wanted to get a bridge style faucet for my kitchen, but they were about $500. This one is $755!

I went with this one instead.

LizzieMaine · Sep 7, 2006

If you're willing to scout around a bit, and willing to accept a few honest bumps and dings, you'd be amazed how cheap vintage appliances can be. If you live near a rural area, take a Sunday drive out in the country, and there's a good chance you'll come across some sort of used-appliance barn-sale kind of place where you can pick up a working vintage refrigerator for less than a hundred dollars. And if you scan the local penny-saver type papers, you might actually find one free for the taking if you're willing to haul it away.

The fridge I have, a Kelvinator manufactured in late 1945, is the only refrigerator I've ever owned. I got it for $50 at one of these places out in the country when I moved into my first apartment, and had to replace the thermostat -- cost me about $20 for the part, and I figured out how to install it myself. In the eighteen years since then, it's run flawlessly -- not one penny spent for service or repairs. I defrost it twice a year, maybe touch up the paint now and then, and simply never have to worry about it. I fully expect it will outlive me. Some will argue that an old refrigerator costs more to run, but I'd suggest that the savings on service and the long life you can expect will more than offset that. After seeing my mother go thru three refrigerators over the same span that I've owned my Kelvinator, I'd never own a modern fridge.

The D.A. · Sep 7, 2006

$500 for a bridge-style faucet? Well, I guess that's just one more thing on my kitchen wish list that I can't afford.

fortworthgal · Sep 7, 2006

If Habitat for Humanity is active in your area, try contacting them and see if they offer a ReStore. We have 2 of them here and they are wonderful! They sell salvaged building materials and hardware & fixtures.

Here in Fort Worth we also have a couple of stores that specialize in antique hardware, fixtures, and appliances. We actually have a place called the "Old Home Supply House" that sells nothing but that kind of thing.

Viola · Sep 7, 2006

New but vintage-esque; Home Depot has many old-style faucets in the under $200.00 range, including gooseneck and bridge designs. I don't know how well bronze finishes work in our time period, though, but they also have brass and nickle.

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