I’ve yielded to all the commenters who said I should go ahead and paint my old 1950s kitchen cabinets rather than labor to strip them to bare veneer and varnish them. (See, now if I don’t like the result, it’s your fault.)
As I contemplate what colors might go interestingly with pink sparkly formica countertops and faux copper, it occurs to me that the 1950s simply weren’t about good taste. In fact, the whole era was all the more tasteless because it envisioned itself as being so very, very tasteful. Young householders who’d trudged their way through the drear of the Depression and the deprivations of World War II were ready so see the world through pink — or aqua — colored glasses, and all around them, in their optimism, they envisioned, and created, the sleek, clean, flawless lines and pure, glowing colors of the “space age.”
Everybody was scared sh*tless the Russkies were going to blow them to vapor. But other than that, they had a lot to look forward to. They were all The Jetsons.
I think angst makes for better decor.
In any case, yielding to tasteless exuberance, I’ve tentatively decided on a kitchen color scheme of two tones of pink (which together make the formerly screaming countertops look subtle and subdued), white, black and (ulp) chartreuse.
But don’t worry. I have a girlfriend coming over tomorrow morning to try to talk me out of it.
Maybe I’ll give up the chartreuse and go with ecru instead. But damnit, the pinks stay!
Hey I just found out last month that Home Depot at least in my state sells
what they call oops paint. We can get five gallons of very good
paint for five dollars. But you may have to wait ahile to get a color
that you may want to start with. But any way call Home Depot/
Lowls in your to see if they offer the same type of deal
Sincerely,
Debby
Home Depot and Lowes have cards that show which colors compliment one another. I needed those for my man-cave/shop, and they worked! My bride said she wouldn’t have picked those colors but at least they go together. I was so pleased I almost took down the “No Gurls” sign. Yeah, I live on the wild side. ;o)
Sam, yep. I’ve seen those cards. Very cool. They really do help give ideas for matches you’d never otherwise think of. Never heard of anybody using ’em for a “No Gurls” cave, tho …
Debby Rich, I’m not near enough to a Lowe’s or Home Depot to keep an eye on oopses that might go well in my house. But that’s good info for anybody who lives fairly close to one; and it’s new to me. One of the local hardware stores also sells oopses — something like $4 for gallon or $1 per quart, I think. I do keep an eye out for those.
I chuckled at your description of 50s decorating. In 1955 my folks moved into a brand-new house. It was painted in some nasty shade of green and chocolate brown. As soon as my parents could scrap up the money, Mom and Dad repainted the house in civilized colors.
Also, Habitat for Humanity has ‘Restore resale outlets’ that sells not only paint but all kinds of stuff for homes. URL http://www.habitat.org/restores/default.aspx
Ah, the 50’s [SHUDDER]; I had repressed them. My psychiatrist will not appreciate you.
Try gray, green or gold, or combinations thereof (with no black). Shades of rose, coral, or violet (no lavenders) will work as pink contrasts, with spots of hot pink.
That all read “real pretty” but it’s still no excuse for “what were they thinking” decor choices back in the 50s LOL……
I’m kinda surprised that you haven’t considered a paint base with some of your own artwork added to help hide the wood flaws….not a mural, per se, but even a subtle stenciled thing would work….and it would also give you the opportunity to incorporate the pink onto the cabinets somehow……if it’s not a complicated design, it shouldn’t take long to do…..& it really makes your kitchen “you”……
Now you have me intrigued on how all this is gonna look when it’s done ~ such a variety of colors you’re thinking about using……
Hi, Claire,
We just recently painted our kitchen walls with a nice color called Weathered Glass from the Eddie Bauer paints offered at Lowes. I think the color code is EB8-1. Its a nice blue with a hint of aqua in it.
Thanks, Chris D. I’ll check it out. But I think the nearest Lowe’s is a couple of hours from here. And I’m just not sure I can “do” aqua. The 1950s can only go so far …
Does this mean you’ll be adding some of those gorgeous pastel colored appliances?
Winston … Uh … no. Fortunately, I inherited all black appliances from the sellers. And even though black appliances aren’t a particularly 50s thing, the color combo of pink and black (in general) was. So I’m figuring I’m cool.
Funny thing. While so many people who are “going retro” are buying faux 50s-style appliances in pink, aqua, red, etc. … hardly any real people had those color appliances back then. For most people, certainly most working-class folks, your choices were white, white, and white.
Hope you post a picture when you’re done with your kitchen–after seeing the last pics you posted, I’m a nosy-bear and would like to see it when it’s done. I bet it will look good. And if it doesn’t, well, you can always paint it a different color.
Patti,
In this case, being a nosy-bear is a good thing. 🙂 I was wondering whether anybody would be interested in kitchen pix, and now I have an excuse to post some. I was thinking that painting the cabinets would be only a long weekend’s work. But since there’s still a lot bad old work to undo (e.g. sanding out old paint drips, getting paint off hinges and door knobs), it’s going to be a while. But after I’ve got about 1/3 done, I’ll happily post some before and after photos.
Thanks! I bet I’m not the only one who’d like to see it.
Loud and awful colored appliances were not restricted to the 50s. When I bought this gorgeous log home in Wyoming, the refrigerator was an air/sea rescue orange, and the stove was a chocolate brown – both probably about 20 years old! Neither one worked very good, so I was delighted to buy new (not the expensive ones). I have always preferred white – and I LOVE the new textured surface on the refrigerator that does not show finger marks.
Anyway, I’d love to see the pictures when you get done. I can’t quite visualize those colors in a kitchen! 🙂