Found one pic -to me the rest of the kitchen doesn't really have a strongly-defined period other than not "modern".

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If it was me, I'd think I had 3 options:
- matching period, and I'm with you that I wouldn't like that
- neutral background, no obvious styles or modes or periods, so that the range stands out as the focal and design centerpiece
- other design elements that are not the same period but just as strong, tied to the range by relation to the color (black, dark green, or pastels?) so that the range doesn't stand out - the whole kitchen does.

The last one would look great but I wouldn't be that daring..

Just readjust your mindset. You're not doing period, and the range is new to you, so it's just a cool, new range. Do it the same way you would with a Bluestar, or Lacanche. Consider the color and the styling. Rounded corners, stainless top, levers rather than knobs.

Choose a color palette. An easy way to do it is find something--anything--colorful that you really like with the stove. It could be a flowering plant, a painting, a rock, a shirt. It doesn't matter. If you think it looks great with the stove you can pull out all the colors as inspirations for your kitchen design. With a color palette, it's easier to start finding finishes. (You can change your palette if you fall in love with something else.)

Do you know what kind of countertop surface you want? Tile? Stone? Metal? Wood? Formica? If not, think about function first: Do you want to be able to set hot pots on it? Cut directly on it? Roll out dough directly on it? After that, how do the colors available in your choice fit your palette? Etc.

Do you have a cabinet style, or maker, that you want?

Are you interested in making a big statement?

If yes to the last, and if your budget allows, you could get Italian lacquer style cabinets with curved doors. They're usually shown in very stark colors, but can be made in pastels, and even patterns. I can just imagine the Chambers range with curvy, shiny, apricot-cream cabinets and a creamy white floor. Lots of green plants, and a couple of little merlot colored flowerpots among the terra cotta.

We have an O'Keefe and Merritt, but not a period kitchen. The style is more English country farmhouse, with cream colored cabinets; similar, sort of, to the photo in mondragon's post, but more blues and yellows vs. red. We're planning a new house and new kitchen for next year, and the kitchen will be similar to what it is now, but bigger and with an improved layout.

In my bookmarks, I have the kitchen below, which I think is from the Chambers website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chambers kitchen

I'm not sure how period our last kitchen was, we tried to make it fit in with the house. We had our house on the Homes Tour one year, everyone who came into the kitchen hugged the stove, people would stand there caressing it, it was hilarious. I don't have room for an old stove in my new house. :(

By "not vintage," do you mean "modern," or just "not Fifties?" Because a '50s stove fit into appliance design trends that lasted from the very late '20s until almost the '70s. Lots of people use stoves from the '40s or '50s in 1911-era kitchens, for instance, just because they are distinctly not modern, and are unique. Plus, I think stoves of that era are kind of iconic of home cooking, and so fit into a wide range of design styl es. And yellow us just plain fun.

Put it this way: What kind of kitche n would you like if the stove weren't even in the picture?

The stove sounds gorgeous! I've seen beautiful kitchens with vintage-looking cream/yellow ranges. I certainly don't think you're locked into a fifties-themed kitchen!

Here's one from Plain English with a cream-colored range:

And circuspeanut has a gorgeous vintage range with yellow knobs and handles that she has surrounded with yellow subways, copper counters, and wood cabinets...an eclectic, beautiful combo.

Here is a link that might be useful: circuspeanut's kitchen a few posts down

There are probably some combinations that wouldn't work -- sleek and shiny granite and maple maybe -- but not many. I agree that the color is the key, and there's no need to think of it as demanding a bust of Elvis on a shelf.
And I'm jealous!

Thanks for the ideas and especially the pictures. I have books that have vintage ranges and they tend to look either very kitsch or country vintage with lots of vintage collectables. I like to see kitchens where the vintage range is a major element and a focal point. I'm still on the fence as to whether I should blend the cabinets with the range or make it contrast.

You're right about the Chambers not looking specifically 50's. I agree that it can work in a variety of kitchen styles. Someone asked what I would do if I didn't get a Chambers. If I had a the money, I'd get a Lacanche or an Aga Legacy in a color. Since that's not happening, my real life second choice is a 30" slide-in range. I was actually considering buying a black range and spray painting the black metal part of the door in a burgandy red - with engine spray paint (good to 500 degrees). Or having the door professionally powder coated. I've got a local place that'll do it for a reasonable price. I've had SS in the past and hate the upkeep. Plain black looks like a big black hole (to me) and white is always so stark. In my north facing kitchen, white tends to look blue. The red would be a concession to my husband. He wants red and modern in the kitchen, I want simple, a bit traditional with a nod to coastal casual. We live in the land locked plains of Texas, but I grew up in So Cal. DH is willing to concede his red for the yellow, or any color Chambers. Maybe it's all that shiny chrome and it's big beefy size. He would have been in 7th heaven if it were red to boot. There's one available locally, but they're asking way over my budget.

I have an extremely tight budget, but still want something that looks high end and well thought out. I got a floor model kitchen, including granite off CL for an unreal price. The place went out of business and the landlord needed the kitchens out. It's a traditional cabinet door style. It's a little more detailed than I would have chosen if I'd had that luxury. I'm a shaker door person. The cabinets are antique white with a brown glaze. I'm not a fan of the glazing, so I'm planning to re-paint the cabinets in solid color. I'm going to have 2 islands, the one on the perimeter will likely match the main kitchen, the center work island will be another color TBD with a butcher block top. The main kitchen will be granite in baltic brown, so it's dark with greens and browns. The floor is also staying in place, it's a recently placed beige 13x13 tile.

The main elements seem as though they can go with anything and any color. I'm trying to finalize the last of the decisions and keep wondering if the next picture I see is going to be IT. You know, that one picture.

I read an article in BHG the other day about a lady who had had her kitchen demo'd and was frantically looking through magazines trying to eek out any last minute ideas. I'm so there...

Here's some color & fabric possiblilities along with a cabinet door.

(Thanks for the compliment Pickle, that's very kind of you.)

Kathe -- I'm really liking your color palette ideas! Your Chambers is absolutely drool-worthy; I wanted a vintage yellow range so badly and wound up with a white range with yellow knobs, the next best thing.

For my 1949 O'Keefe & Merritt in my 1923 bungalow, I went with a very 1920's color palette of yellow, white and darker red. So red isn't entirely out of the question, if you'd still like to compromise with your man. (Although I'm also very much enjoying the blues and grays you've put in with the yellow.)

You wouldn't have to go all-out über-vintage cherries and songbirds, either. I combined a number of elements that simply pleased me, and my kitchen is a blend of old and new. Painted cabs would probably suit the look better, but I used recycled cabinets I got for a song at Habitat for Humanity and they're such nice cherry I didn't have the heart to paint them.

My kitchen is small and I don't have any very good wide-angle shots, but here are the red/yellow tile colors with the range:

More palette ideas:

(this could be yellows instead of greens):

vintage tablecloths at rickrack.com:

country living house tours:


google images:



Amy Butler's modern take:

Keep us posted. And we demand more pictures, of course! :-)

kathec- I think the one thought that jumps out at me from perusing this thread is that fabric would be a great way to use splashes of color to help balance with a strong stove. I would think about doing tall glass doors with fabric behind the glass. It's kind of period, but the fabric could be something great like the stripes or birds you showed above or the Amy Butler stuff (which my wife is constantly raving about how much she loves her fabrics). And of course an antique roughed up hutch wouldn't hurt, but that's because I would have one in every room of my house if possible.

Oh I'm so green with envy as I grew up (in the '80's) with a 1940's pastel yellow Chambers! I miss making "pizzas" under the broiler and pancakes on the griddle. If I can dig up some pictures later on, I'll post them.

Those are such beautiful ranges. Just perfect. Another alternative to ''pro-style'' ranges.

circuspeanut,
I love the cherry and colors in your kitchen. DH and I tried to make an offer on a foreclosure that had great cherry cabs, but we were beaten to the punch by a day. Since I don't know much about what kind of wood is under my painted doors, we're staying with a painted finish. From weight and feel, it seems like maple, but ya never know.

I can't wait to start cooking on gas again. I just love the daisy cone burners, so innovative. And the thermowell... Can you tell I'm excited? It will beat my radiant downdraft from hell any day.

brickton, I'll definitely look up Amy Butler fabrics. I like to sew, but haven't done any in a long while. Mainly due to kiddos ages 8, 6 & 5. The fabrics I pictured are from my "stash". I DO like the idea of keeping to a neutral pallette so I can make changes easily.

Thanks again everyone for the fantastic inspiration!

kathec, your samples are lovely! The bird f abric and your mention of red made me think of Lenox's "Chirp" line -- very modern, with a hit of red, and some of what looks like the turquoises in your f abric samples. I put the link below. And I think Macy's has matching table linens and a shower curtain, too.

I've always wanted an Aga, and my vintage range gives me some of that feel, and a definite kitchen focal point, at a fraction of the price.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lenox's Chirp

Everyone is so wonderfully creative on GW.

I think you will have so much fun with your chambers
yellow range. Kathec I love birds. The fabric is lovely.
Here are some vintage ranges...

VintagePontChartraincs

Aga Stove

Retro Remodel

Copper Retro Range in a update kitchen

ArbourHillCa

Aga Stove Vintage

I have been working forever on a remodel around a yellow Chambers. We have a Ventahood excaliber that we have considered getting painted at an auto body shop to match but since we will be having a white subway tile with dark grout backsplash I don't think we need to. Ventahood does do custom colors, but I could not find a good match. Viking does have a more modern hood in the right yellow. We are going to do Ikea Tidaholm cabs in black/brown and eventually marble counters and hex tile floor in black & white. Until we can afford the marble, we will have Ikea's white countertop with the stainless (look) edging to accent the chrome cooktop. We will have open shelving with Fiestaware and vintage kitchenware. Our walk in pantry is painted in Benjamin Moore's Jasper Yellow (same as the chambers) and the rest of the room is a 50% mix of stem green and white (we custom mix...don't ask...)

Here is a link that might be useful: Rexem's kitchen with a yellow Chambers stove

Rexem,
Thanks for posting your pictures. It's so great to see how you used the color in your space. I'm definitely getting more ideas...

I went to see my range this week. It's in overall good condition and should be usable after a good cleaning. I even get the bonus of double kettles for the thermowell and possibly the thermo eye. There were some extra burner parts in a box, I think that's what it is. I've ordered up re-prints of the manuals, so this should shed some light on this. I'm going to need to find the 2nd hand from the left, and the handle on the service cabinet. I'm heading on vacation today, so I couldn't bring her home, but when we get back we're picking her up.

Our vacation is taking us back home, to CA. I know there are several antique stove places there, so I'm trying to see if I can make a jaunt to one of them.

Thanks for the help on the colors. I'm still on the fence with colors and the "decor". I'm glad that you found a color that matches. Even if I don't use that paint, I can use the color swatch when coordinating other elements.

I was on the fence about the range hood. I was seriously considering the slightly smaller Ventahood classic as the size would have been better suited to my space, but in the end I opted for a SS hood from Overstock. Price was my single motivating factor. It was less than half the price of the classic in white, not even counting the upcharge for the custom paint. I've spoken to a place locally and am going to see if I can have my hood powder coated to match. If not, I'll probably live with it for a while and see about upgrading down the road.

I envy your pantry. I really love your herb and spice bottles. Where did you find those?

BeckySharp,
Thanks for the heads up on the Chirp china. Very cute. I'll definitley consider it if I decide to go with the bird fabric.

Kathe

Rexem,
You have wonderful taste and creative style.
Love your pictures.
Thanks,
~boxer

Kathe If you are looking for the starburst knobs with the white, then you will have a hard time and I suggest you locate a replacement before you actually buy the stove (if that is possible). I had damaged knobs and looked for years for replacements with no luck. If you find one, snatch it up whatever the price. I Finally got my restored by a friend that is a fine art restorer but even though this guy works on million $ sculptures, his restoration was only mediocre. The chrome knobs are easier to find.

My spice jars are candle jars I bought online with labels I bought through Martha Stewart and labeled myself.

Boxer - thank you for the compliment. Made my day!