Kitchen Retro - Everything Old is New Again
Ranked #7,557 in Home & Garden, #115,998 overall
Everything Old is New Again
"They just don't make em like they used to!"
Contents at a Glance
Brand New Retro Finds!
Just spotted... watch this space... things move fast
As I Was Saying...
No, they don't make them like they used to; they make them up to 21st century performance standards, using 21st century technology. But that doesn't keep us from yearning.
For many of us, however, they harken back to a gentler time, the good old days, the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies, apple pies cooling on window sills, massive cast iron dutch ovens, tiny bright ceramic salt and pepper shakers, World War II recruiting posters, victory gardens.
Now we have running water in our kitchens, telephones in our homes and our computers, even our pockets. Miracles of modern science that make our lives ever so much easier than those our grandparents had in their time. Our stoves aren't burning coal unless it's by choice or we overcooked the dinner rolls.
Our furnaces are far more energy efficient than the giant basement sawdust burning behemoths. Our air systems cool far more effectively than burlap sacking draped over huge blocks of ice in wash tubs resting in front of fans.
Nana's Kitchen
My grandmother's kitchen was magical and, when I was a child it was huge. It was quite a bit smaller, of course, when I moved back as an adult, but my most vivid recollections come from when I was three or so.Its floor was linoleum, battleship gray with a pink overtone, just about the color you'll see in the little floorplans throughout this lens. Speckles and lines had been painted on by hand, forming a gentle randomness accentuated by several depths of wax sealant. It was a good floor that broached no argument, was comfortable to play on and scoot around on, and it was always clean.
I don't think they make floors like that anymore. You can get linoleum floor polish
Vintage Kitchen Finds
Keep your eyes out.. things move pretty quick...
To the South, The Fridge
A good-sized refrigerator with an inside top freezer rested against the south wall near the back door. I recall helping defrost it once a month, hauling out the ice cube trays and taking them to the sink, then layering the floor with dozens of raggy towels to keep water from flooding the entire room. It was an all-hands scrambling affair of boiling saucepans of water, carefully chiseling sheets of ice away from the coils, and swamping out the freezer compartment with buckets of rags. The fridge had no evaporative drainage system, so the half-day process was one of constant vigilance and boiling, and celebration as we raced to save (or consume) popsicles that would have otherwise been lost to the world. In a Cupboard, Heavy Pyrex Refrigerator Dishes
These days, refrigerator storage containers are sealed to perfection with color coded lids, and can often go from refrigerator to microwave or oven to serving dish at the blink of a modern eye. But for purely retro modern, nothing beats good old heavy Pyrex refrigerator dishes with their matched-size heavy fitted lids. We didn't dare stack them very high in a cupboard or in the fridge... not that they were fragile by any means, but moving a stack of them took real willpower!The ones we had were clear, and if you can find them in mint or great condition, snap them up - especially the lids! The bodies come in a wide range of colors.
Pre-loved Pyrex Glass Refrigerator Dishes
Near the Sink, Honest Sturdy Baking Gear
A house can never have too many mixing bowls, baking pans, cookie sheets and downright great gadgetry. The fun part comes four decades down the road when you try to replace it with the same great big sturdy ceramic and glass that you grew up with, or find the heavy squat stainless steel mixer that never gave up even in the face of the stoutest dough. Nonstick was not a term in use, naturally, so every bit of baking gear had to be kept spotless, scrubbed with care after each outing. But it was sturdy enough to stand up to repeated elbow grease applications, and if scouring powder and steel wool were what it took to do the job, that's what got used. Vintage Bakeware
Near the Oven, Cast Iron to Die For
Face it. Nothing cooks like a perfectly seasoned, well cared-for cast iron dutch oven, fry pan or griddle. A pot of stew simmering on the back burner can be left to bubble to itself most of the day without fear of burning or scorching, since well conditioned cast iron disperses heat with expert perfection. I still have four pieces of cast iron from the 1950s, although I am far from a specialist in using them to their full potential. Instead, I baby them, keep them oiled, keep them seasoned, keep them safe, and cherish them. My small cast iron skillet, on the other hand, is used almost every time I cook, and spends as much time in the oven being seasoned as it does in active duty. Cast Iron Dutch Oven
The ideal wedding present!
Some of the newer cast iron pots and pans come pre-seasoned (it's not cheating.. it just feels that way!) and ready to use, and stand up to constant use as well as their ancestors do.
My favorite cast iron frying pan, though, is one that is a foundling. My husband found it, scarred and battered and thoroughly burned, leaning against a tree a dozen paces from a campsite up in the Sierras. Someone had tried to scour the burn layer off of it and given up. Luckily they were scouring the outside, and the inside was seasoned to perfection. Ah well. One man's trash is this old gal's treasure! I've used it steadily for the last 15 years.
Formerly Cherished Cast Iron
Next to the Hall Door, a BIG Electric Stove
Big. Key operative word here is BIG. It had one oven, but in that oven you could probably cook a third of a cow. Ok, I'm exaggerating just a bit, but it was large enough to cook a large turkey, the pan of dressing to go with it, and a flat of rolls beneath on the lower rack. All four burners worked, though one of the knobs misbehaved slightly. This was easily fixed with the insertion of a matchstick, then all would be well until the matchstick broke a few months later.In between all the cast iron that worked hard on the stove was a huge collection of Revere stainless steel pots with copper bottoms. Ah, heavenly.
Revere Cookware
Revere cookware is not necessarily vintage or retro. It is timeless. I still use several of the pieces I inherited from my grandmother's kitchen, and they are as durable and solid as the day I first learned to make molasses taffy in one. You can spend a ton of money on high-ticket cookware with fancy names and even fancier pedigrees. But, for my money, I'll go Revere cookware any day, save that ton of money to spend on more treasures.
On the Counter, a Sturdy Oster Blender
Up in the Cupboard, Wondrous Cups
Aluminum Cups that Someone Had
... and they'd like you to take 'em off their hands
Against the West Wall, a Big Kitchen Table
Think massive slab of wood with legs and a drop leaf that squealed with raised into position. It seated four when condensed, many more when opened up, and was the social center of choice for almost every meal. The formal dining room to the north of the kitchen got converted to a nursery on my arrival, so I can't say for sure if meals were ever consumed in that room before my time - but I can definitely vouch for the use the kitchen table got.
On the Counter, a Hard-working Toaster
In the Corner, a Big Stand Mixer

I'm not sure of the brand, but I am sure of the color - a gleaming white monster that took up a great bit of counter space and worked extremely well. Sunbeam sounds right, but it could just have easily been a KitchenAid, if those were available in the early 1950s.
What Made Our Kitchen the Coolest Ever? Lazy Susan!

A built-in completely cabinet-filling lazy susan. Absolutely hands down the most fun thing in the kitchen then, and definitely a timesaver now. Ours was a brand new thing at that time, a module that integrated with all of the rest of the stainless steel cabinets, and was easily big enough for a three-year-old to get into (and back out of with some effort). It was a heavy steel double-decker that held flour, sugar, pots, pans, mixing bowls and scads of other stuff, and always spun smoothly with a bit of a rumbling of ball bearings.
Retro Kitchen Appliances and Art
Vintage Kitchen Appliances and Art
Your Childhood Kitchen Memories
What are your fondest memories of the kichen of your childhood? Let us know!
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anymoreq
Dec 15, 2011 @ 6:06 am | delete
- nice kitchen pantry cabinet idea, thanks..
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pimbels
Jun 13, 2011 @ 3:40 am | delete
- My grandmothers kitchen. it was simple, but functional. In winter the warmest room in the house. Great lens, thank you.
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---Chazz
Apr 2, 2011 @ 10:18 pm | delete
- Nice job! Squid angel blessed.
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darciefrench
Feb 3, 2011 @ 7:35 pm | delete
- Super cute! My kitchen memory is in vintage green. Lensrolled to lens of same name -:)
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kevinw1
May 17, 2010 @ 4:47 pm | delete
- Making bread and cookies with my mother and sister. Watching Mum decorate a wedding cake for a neighbour. Making marzipan fruits, mint creams and stuffed dates for Xmas. It was a tiny kitchen, but it got a lot done and handled a surprising number of people!
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renee7 Mar 20, 2010 @ 4:27 pm | delete
- Adding a retro touch even to a modern kitchen adds the perfect accent! Nice lens.
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The_Idea_Gal
Mar 14, 2010 @ 9:54 pm | delete
- I personnally like retro and traditional touches mixed in with my moder decor. Very Nice!
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renee7 Mar 5, 2010 @ 3:00 am | delete
- You have some really fun retro finds pictured here. Thanks for displaying all of this great information.
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WindyWinters
Jul 19, 2009 @ 2:23 pm | delete
- Nice Lens. I still have one of my Grandmother's Paul Revere pots from the 50-60s. They are very durable!
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BigGirlBlue
Jun 15, 2009 @ 11:40 pm | delete
- We weren't allowed in the kitchen. We were in the yard.
Congratulations on your purple star!
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Tipi
Jun 6, 2009 @ 1:36 am | delete
- A step back in time going retro! Congratulations on the Purple Star Award!
Susie
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Demaw May 19, 2009 @ 12:05 pm | delete
- I love a mid century kitchen. I still have some of my mother's kitchen items like cast iron pans, egg beaters, toaster, TV trays etc. I have picked up pieces from thrift stores also. 5 star lens.
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Swisstoons
Apr 5, 2009 @ 12:01 am | delete
- I am old enough to remember many of these items. An interesting len. Starred, favoritied and lenrolled to three of my lenses which feature funny kitchen magnets (I know they only go back to the early 1970's...but what would a kitchen be without magnets, afterall??) :)
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Happiegrrrl
Jan 18, 2009 @ 10:33 am | delete
- Yay for old school kitchens!!! I dub my personal style - "1940's Ultra Modern." The term, I discovered, in renting my second apartment as a young adult. It had this *dreamy* stove; sleek gray enamel with chrome. Not lots of chrome, like it's child, the 1950's suburban kitchen. Oh no! Just the right amount of chrome. Built in cabinets below, with the oven above the cookspace so you could watch that London Broil broil away. It had a rotisserie attachment! But best? Best was the built-in cooking well on the stove top. 4 burners AND a deep opening with the heating element recessed at the bottom of the well. No doubt there was originally a big pot that went along with it, but that was long gone. Still, I fantasized about frying chicken for Sunday picnics, ladling home made donuts hot from the fry basket, or a slow-simmering delicious soup..... Thanks for the trip back in time!
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stargazer00
Jan 16, 2009 @ 2:53 am | delete
- Sounds kinda like my grandma's kitchen. She had the Kit Cat clock and we had the colorful aluminum tumblers. Nice memories!
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JaguarJulie
Sep 25, 2008 @ 3:06 pm | delete
- Ah ... black and white linoleum ... rotary phones ... doilies ... aprons ... horn-rimmed glasses ... I'm waxing nostalgically can't you tell?
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ElizabethJeanAllen
Jun 5, 2008 @ 3:38 pm | delete
- I love the retro look. It reminds me of my Grandmother's kitchen.
5 Stars and lensroll to "Pass the Salt"
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FoxMusic
Apr 28, 2008 @ 3:16 pm | delete
- Great Lens Idea -- I too have fond memories of my grandmothers kitchen.
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fledgling
Feb 21, 2008 @ 4:16 am | delete
- Awesome lens! 5 stars! I love retro, for the look, the memories, and last but definitely not least, the fact that appliances lasted a long time! My Mom has had a GE electric percolator since I was a kid in the 60's! It still works great! That's probably why they don't make them anymore! I use retro and vintage designs a lot in my Custom Pyrography business. God work!
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thomasz
Feb 13, 2008 @ 9:30 pm | delete
- Nice lens. Great info.
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