Wayne Grubb and the Midcentury Pink Kitchen Near Fort Worth

For months now, I've been meaning to write about a Craigslist experience I had in June, one that cost me nothing but was extremely cool. It started with this ad:

"We recently remodeled our parents home in Hurst. We have a very unique Westinghouse Refrigerator/Freezer, circa 1957 that we would like to GIVE AWAY, rather than see it hauled to the dump. It is a side by side, built in the wall unit. I have been told that there were only 15 of these ever made and that one is in the Smithsonian. I have only seen one like it and it was in Frank Sinatra's home in Beverly Hills. ... It has the original mid 1950's pink enamel paint and is in really good condition. We have the matching pink built in oven, which still works, also."

OK, what MCM freak WOULDN'T sit up and take notice? With nowhere to store it and a vintage turquoise double-oven already hooked up and working in my kitchen -- and it's not what I would sell at RetroMania -- of course I answered the ad to claim it! (I was under the influence of some powerful appliance porn, people!) Just look at these pictures and tell me you wouldn't have done the same. You'd have to be made of stone.


A woman named Revis Grubb Plemmons answered my e-mail and told me that the appliances are from the house of her late father, Wayne Grubb, a designer/builder/philosopher/inventor who worked as a general contractor on large custom homes in North Texas until his death, in 1997. He designed and built the home, which is on Brown Trail in Hurst, in 1957. Apparently, it was so unusual that it became known as "the Brown Trail House." Now, the fourth generation of the family lives there.


I'll delve into some detail about what made the house so awesome and what made Wayne even awesomer, in a separate post, with pics and news clippings, courtesy of Revis. The good news: The family did major remodeling to the house but adhered to MCM style, I'm told. To which I offer a huge PHEW! and a heartfelt "BLESS YOU, FAMILY."

Back to the appliances: I thought better of accepting Revis' generous offer after she told me that someone from Dallas who had answered the ad after I did was crestfallen to learn that he had been scooped, because he was actually redoing his kitchen retro-style, with pink enamel appliances. What kind of monster would stand in the way of a mission so pure? Incidentally, that's the fridge interior (above).

More to come on this talented local visionary, the late Wayne Grubb, as well as some of his projects.

Appliance Porn

Is their anything tastier than a Frigidaire Flair? We stumbled on this one while browsing Craigslist and are sorely tempted to buy it. It's $100 and in the TCU area of Fort Worth.

Appliance Porn for Thursday

Looks a little worn and over-priced, but here it is. 1949 Chambers model 90C, bought new and still in use. One owner and used in only 2 locations. Good condition and easily restorable. Color: white. Asking $900.00, OBO. Stove is in Waco, TX. See the DMN for details.

Great MCM Estate Sale in Lancaster

And they have a Frigidaire Flair! Lots of tiki/bamboo style furniture. Looks like a treasure trove of kitsch! 508 S. Dallas Avenue, Lancaster, TX 75146. Runs Thursday through Saturday, 9a-5p. See thee DMN for more details.

Appliance Porn for Friday

This is killing me! This 1961 Frigidaire would be perfect in my kitchen, but one G is too steep for me!

Appliance Porn for Friday

I don't get down to DeSoto much, but maybe I ought try to go to theB& B Estate Sales at 211 N Lyndalyn Ave to see this kick-ass O'Keefe and Merritt gas stove. Righteous!

UPDATE, 6.15.07: I wonder if this is the same stove?

Today’s Appliance Porn

Vent A Hood, $300:An original "Vent A Hood." This was in our house that was built in the 20's. The dimensions are 42" wide, 24" tall and 46" for the back splash. The motors and lights still work. It has been partially painted to look like cast iron.

Pink Frigidaire Electric range:This is a vintage (1960's) pink Fridgidare electric stove with two ovens. Includes all original paperwork and it is in almost 'like new' condition.

A 1941 Chambers gas range, $525:Any Chambers Rangers out there?

This Week's Appliance Porn

I have found a whole treasure trove of appliance porn: VintageStoves.com. The guy behind this site is Stevan Thomas and he's located in Hutchinson, Kansas. Their work isn't cheap -- this 1952 Magic Chef is $15,000. But the results are breathtaking. They take old stoves and completely re-do them. The chrome gleams, the lights light, the insides glistens. My personal favorite is this copper Chambers. Yum.

Pictured above is a 1952 O'Keefe & Merritt "Aristocrat" - Model 5850-R. I'd take that over a new Viking any day of the week.

Appliance Porn for Monday

My wife and I love old appliances -- ovens, ranges, fridges -- anything from a Mid-Century kitchen. We affectionately call this “Appliance Porn” because it makes you feel all tingly looking at it. (Oh, yeah). Here are today’s entries from Dallas Craigslist. Completely safe for work BTW:

Frigidaire Custom Flair Imperial range (pictured), $400 in Fort Worth: In the world of appliance porn, this is Bettie Page.

1950s Wedgewood Gas Stove, $500: In Grapevine. Working, appears to be in good shape.

Vintage GE 27” Avocado Green Double Oven, $100: The perfect appliance for your Brady Bunch kitchen.