Using Vintage Shelf Edging & Tablecloth "Cutters" to Decorate Kitchens Shelves, Cabinets & Cupboards

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 29, 2010 | No Comments
C. Dianne Zweig asked:




One of the best ways to create the feeling of a vintage kitchen is to use original shelving paper, trim, wallpaper and textiles in the colors, patterns and themes which prevailed during different eras. During the Colorful eras of the 40s and , 50s kitchen accessories were bold and often whimsical. It was common to see curtains, tablecloths, appliance covers, oil cloth and shelving paper with images of fruit, flowers, kitchen wares, teapots, Mexicana, roosters, poodles, Scotties, dots, stripes and plaids.

Today you can still find original packages of shelf paper and borders although you may pay a premium price for these adorable treasures of the past ($12.00-18.00 or more). Back in the day, homemakers would cover kitchen shelves with this shelf lining paper which would be folded down to show a decorative border; or, a separate scalloped trim could be applied to the shelf edge with thumbtacks. The Royal Lace Paper Works Company in Brooklyn, New York, marketed these products under the name Royledge.

Even if you are lucky to find original boxes of trim or sheets of shelving paper, you generally never find enough of a pattern to cover the needs of today’s larger kitchens. What you might consider doing to create the look of a retro kitchen is to use material from older tablecloths or dish towels. Damaged tablecloths are called “cutters” and as the name implies these dry goods can be used to cut apart and use as edging or shelf coverings.

Vintage kitchen housewares and cooking accessories such as batter bowls, pitchers, decorative plates, juice glasses, Pyrex etc. look so much sweeter when they are sitting atop a shelf which is covered with a charming remnant in colors and themes consistent of the time period you are after. In the 1940s, you would generally find surfaces, furnishings and kitchen-wares in reds, yellows, blues and greens. The fifties brought pastel colors into the kitchens and textiles, tables and housewares were made in aqua, pinks and soft yellows.

If your shelves are wood, it is easy to fasten down fabric or remnants of tablecloths and dish towels with thumb tacks or even a staple gun. It’s always nice to position the fabric so that the whimsical designs are showing. For example, fold an older tablecloth remnant in such a way as to allow an edge of strawberries, or flowers or whatever to drape over the edge of the shelf just a bit. Often you need to experiment with your choice of materials. Choosing colors and patterns which are complimentary to the objects you want to place on the shelf will help with the overall appearance.

When you have predominately blue objects or collectibles to sit on a shelf, try using a piece of a vintage tablecloth or fabric which is mostly yellow or red perhaps. Patterned cloths are fine as long as they are not too busy to showcase your collectibles or objects. Using blue with blue may result in a boring presentation. On the other hand if your objects are dark blue, a predominately light blue tablecloth or fabric remnant might just work.

What’s Hot and What’s Not in Kitchen Collectibles

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 28, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments
C. Dianne Zweig asked:




Kitschy kitchens decorated with vintage kitchen-wares and furnishing from the colorful eras of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and beyond are captivating not only baby boomers who remember many of these items sitting in grandma’s kitchen but younger collectors as well. Whether you prefer the bold primary colors of the post war years, the softer cottage palettes of the mid to late fifties, or the earth tones of the seventies , there are plenty of affordable kitchen collectibles and textiles to choose.

Among bona fide kitchen and home d

Retro Kitchen Decorating Ideas

Lee Dobbins asked:




Home decorating is easier than you may think and the kitchen is the most popular room to start with. While there are many styles of kitchen d

Vintage Scouring Powder Tins Charm Today’s Collectors

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 25, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments
C. Dianne Zweig asked:




Powdered cleaners, or scouring powders, were favorites in households during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Today collectors decorate their vintage kitchens with these colorful products of yesterday.

Technically, powdered cleaners are called pumicites, and they were used as scrubbing agents for sinks, stoves, tubs, and floors, as well as for cookware, especially porcelain or enamelware products, which were popular in the dime-store era.

Their cleaning and polishing action is provided by fine particles of minerals, such as calcite, feldspar, quartz, and silica. Soap or surfactants are also included, to remove oil and grease films from dishwashing. Some of these products have bleach added to remove food, mold, and mildew stains. Some powders may have also added rust remover as well.

One of the most recognized polishing soaps or cleansers was Bon Ami, manufactured by the J.T. Robertson Soap Company of Manchester, Connecticut, in around 1886. One of the main ingredients, feldspar, was originally discarded until it was realized that this soft mineral when combined with soap cleaned surfaces without scratching.

Bon Ami’s famous logo, “Hasn’t Scratched Yet,” has become an advertising textbook slogan. How did the chick’s relationship to Bon Ami come about? According to the company’s explanation, “A newly-hatched chick will not scratch the ground for food for two or three days after it comes out of the shell because it is still living off the nutrients of the yolk. As neither chicks nor Bon Ami scratch, the chick is an appropriate symbol with the trademarked ‘Hasn’t Scratched Yet.’” Sales of Bon Ami declined in the 1960s, and the product almost disappeared from shelves, but it returned under new acquisition in 1971. To boost sales, in 1980 the company launched a major advertising campaign with the headline, “Never Underestimate the Cleaning Power of a 94-Year-Old Chick with a French Name.”

Kitchen Closet Storage – Closet Storage Ideas You Can Use In The Kitchen

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 23, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments
Neil Day asked:




Kitchen closet storage and pantry organization can be difficult to handle. Trying to figure out what should go where and how to make it all work is challenging at best. When storage isn’t handled correctly, the result can be a poorly managed home kitchen that actually costs people more in their monthly grocery budget.

Those who doubt the value of proper kitchen storage need only consider how many times they’ve replaced the same item long before it’s time because they thought it was out. Also, consider the times items haven’t been replaced when they’re needed because the grocery shopper thought they were there. Knowing what is in a kitchen in regard to supplies, cooking items and so on is vital for planning, budgeting and just peace of mind.

There are some great, relatively simple and affordable ways to maximize closet storage for the kitchen. When the pantry is the problem, the ideas include:

* Spice racks.

One of the most creative and organized ways to keep track of expensive spices is to get a good door design spice rack. These can be rather large, which means they can handle a number of different spices and varying sized bottles. The door is a great place for these items since they can be stacked in single depth rows for easy spotting when they’re in need. Also, several of these racks can be installed if a lot of spices are common in the kitchen in question. This type of closet storage tool is easy to find ready made in most stores, too.

* Small stack shelving.

There are some shelving units for kitchen closet storage that are designed specifically for canned goods and other similar items. These items make it easier to stack cans in a uniform order so what is on hand can easily be spotted and inventoried.

* Lazy Susans.

These little creations can work very well for spices and even for canned goods. They are great for kitchen closet storage as long as people don’t mind losing the surface space. Double and triple stack designs can more than make up for it though.

* Pull out tubs.

There are some great, easy-to-find devices that are ideal for storing small envelops of gravy mixes and other similar items. These tubs can easily set on top of a layer of canned goods, too, which makes them space savers rather than takers.

Closet storage for the kitchen can make finding things in a pinch a whole lot easier. When food and cooking items are simple to spot and inventory, the whole operation of running a home kitchen can be a great deal easier.

Is it possible to have a kitchen remodeled on a REALLY low budget?

pemn asked:


Need to have our kitchen remodeled and have no idea where to start. I’m guessing any contractor or kitchen remodeler would probably laugh in my face…but is it possible to have a 40 yr-old kitchen remodeled for under $25,000 and get good quality cabinets, new fridge, new dishwasher, new built-in oven, sink and stove top, new countertops and some recessed or in some way enhanced, lighting? And replace existing ceramic tile floor with either hardwood or laminate flooring? The work area is about 10 ft long X 8 ft deep. The eating area is about 9 ft X 11 ft. If this is totally unrealistic, what’s the approximate minimum we’d need to accomplish this? Has anyone attempted this on such a budget?

Retro Kitchen Design

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 18, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments
Tim Lee asked:




Any American watching old television sitcoms during the Fifties would know what the retro look is like, especially in the kitchen. For today, the same retro kitchen design has been given a bit of a facelift, provided there are a few good old American items and furnishings still available. All it takes is a little of that American know-how.

There is no such thing as recycled in a sense, but anything that has a lime green color is pretty much pushing it already. Of course it depends on the homeowner’s preference, but with some materials that are no longer available, there is always the present compromise. Wood is also a popular way to bring back the retro look, as designers of the past have been experimenting on a more space saving way to design a great kitchen with all the bells and whistles. As for flooring, it can be anything from linoleum, wood, or even tiles for that matter as long as there is a certain pattern like the diners with the black and white checkered prints.

Size does matter in an American retro kitchen design, as it is the dining area from the usual dining area where guests or occasions are involved. But with careful floor planning, any small space can still have that retro feel in the kitchen.

Some products in the market like toasters and blenders still come in its stainless steel variety and a much better choice to begin with. The same goes for other appliances like refrigerators and stoves, but would be better to use what the homeowner already has in his kitchen. There is nothing modular or space saving in a way, but it’s all about the furnishings at this point.

There are still those who have some chrome and vinyl dinettes available in the market, and for some in a garage sale somewhere. Glass top tables were also fashionable during that time, and can be fabricated given to a professional glass maker and the price. To add up with a more retro feel, hanging pictures of that era (including Elvis Presley) or newspaper clippings of the Apollo space shuttle launch would spruce up the kitchen even more.

Kitchen Sink Materials – What Are Your Options?

Steven Tikas asked:




The range of kitchen sink materials on the market today are far more varied and diverse then they where even just a few years ago and much, much greater then 15-20 years ago when your kitchen was originally built. You need to make sure that you are educating yourself with all of the facts prior to picking out your kitchen sink to make sure that you are picking the one that is right for your kitchen, budget, and family. The kitchen sink is probably the most used item in the kitchen so a bad choice could be something you regret for years to come.

Stainless steel kitchen sinks is the most popular material for kitchen sinks today. Along with being easy to clean and install it come in a very wide range of prices. On the downside is that it can scratch, dent, and scold easily if not taken care of properly. Also it intensifies the sound of running water and the garbage disposal because it is not as good at deadening sound as some other materials are. If stainless steel is what you are going for make sure you check the gauge of the material. The lower the gauge of metal the thicker it is which will help minimize the downsides of stainless steel. One other option to look for in your next stainless steel kitchen sink that can help is an undercoating that further muffles sound.

The second most utilized material is a solid surface kitchen sink which can quickly be either under-mounted or surface-mounted and is also available in a wider range of options than stainless steel for instance. Solid surface materials have grown in popularity in the last few years and are now available in a wide range of color to help you match your kitchen counter tops. While solid surface sinks are not totally scratch-proof they can resist most scratches and when you do get one it is typically able to be buffed out. Additional benefits include being resistant to both heat and stains.

These two are going to be the largest majority of kitchen sinks out there today but there are some other options that you should know about to ensure that you make an informed choice.

Porcelain is another popular material commonly used on kitchen sinks in older homes. Porcelain kitchen sinks are not as durable or as stain resistant as some other materials

Acrylic is a stain resistant material that can be purchased with anti-bacterial coatings built into them which can be helpful if you have kids or a lot of traffic threw your kitchen. A big negative to acrylic kitchen sinks is they are not as heat resistant as some of the other materials.

One of the more cost effective options is the enamel kitchen sinks. Less durable than other options, enamel comes in a variety of colors an also needs careful maintenance.

Soapstone is a recent development in kitchen sink material that is easy to look after and available in a range of colors. Those who like the antique look for their kitchens also often use copper and brass.

There are the heavy granite and fireclay kitchen sinks that are durable. You get kitchen sinks made of quartz resin composite materials that look exotic and are cost effective. Lightweight, yet durable, these are available in a several designs and suit many kitchen decors.

The Hunt for Vintage Kitchen Sinks

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 16, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments
Jason Gluckman asked:




Want to relive the excitement of California’s gold rush of the mid 19th century? Or the grandeur of the Victorian age? If your answer is a ‘Yes’, try installing an antique sink in your kitchen and mull over the glorious past of your ancestors while eating your meal.

Obtaining a real antique or vintage kitchen sink is not going to be easy. The kitchen sink from the pages of the history book is likely to have developed cracks or chinks and the one you are lucky to chance upon may not have the necessary accessories like faucets to make it workable in today’s kitchen.

The kitchen sinks of the mid 19th or early 20th century were made of marble, porcelain, fireclay or copper. They mostly came from Continental Europe – France and Italy.

Kitchen sinks from the early 20th century are quite difficult to find in useable original condition. This helps drive the price up.

To take one example, a classic 1900 model of marble sink, manufactured in Chicago by the Wolff Mfg. Co, which the Los Angeles-based Vintage Plumbing has put up for sale, has a 4′ tall heavy French plate beveled mirror back splash. It has full original mixer hardware and complete supply and drain hardware below sink. It has nickel plated brass cabriole legs and carved soap dish in the slab drains into the basin. The store has priced it at $8,900.

According to the Vintage Plumbing, kitchen sinks from the teens, 20’s and 30’s are very popular among the customers and so they have a fairly good stock of them. The store stocks antique farm house kitchen sinks manufactured by the Kohler’s, Standard Sanitary Mfg Co, besides the Wolff Mfg. Co. However, the store admits it is difficult to find sinks in good condition.

Kitchen Cabinets – Using Two Different Colors to Create a Vintage Look

Posted by admin | Filed under Home Improvement | Jun 16, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments
Jason Delmar asked:




A growing trend in kitchen design is using two different style cabinets or two different color kitchen cabinets. If you are accustomed to the traditional uniform look in a kitchen, than this may be a new concept to you. There are a wide range of looks you can create by combining different cabinet styles, so I have pointed out a couple of the most common reasons below.

Creating a vintage or old-world kitchen look – when trying to create a vintage look in any room of your home, it is often common to mix antiques and new pieces to give the impression that items were accumulated over time. The same look can be achieved in the kitchen by using different style cabinets. A really good way to use two different styles is to use one color for the island and another for the cabinets. You can also use one color for the wall cabinets and one for the base cabinets. By simply choosing a two different style cabinets and adding some custom accessories, you can create the illusion that your kitchen was assembled over time

Adding a focal point to your kitchen – by using a different style cabinet on a specific wall, or over the cooktop, you can add a splash of color and create a focal point for the room. This is a great way to add some personality to your kitchen, and can be a great way to experiment with a color that may be too bold for the entire room.

Creating separate work spaces- Using two different cabinet styles in your kitchen is also a great way to create separate work areas in your kitchen. This can be used when there is a desk area in your kitchen, or when you simply want to separate the cook top area from the prep station.

The most common combination when using two different cabinet styles is picking a neutral cream color painted kitchen cabinet and a darker stained wood cabinet. Don’t be afraid to experiment with two different shades of stain on the same style cabinet. Good luck with your kitchen remodel.