This is part two of the series chronicling the restoration of the 1957 Mid-Century Modern Youngstown Cabinets. If you haven't read part one, take a skim and then you can dive in to this chapter.
The cabinets have officially been sold and on May 22nd they were transported to the sandblaster/powder coater to be restored. The buyer is a historian and there is none better to undertake this process. When finished, this Youngstown set will be paired with a restored Kelvinator fridge, Youngstown Diana sink base, and O'Keefe and Merritt stove in a custom home in the Palm Desert.
The entire space will be built in the Atomic Mid-Century style, specifically the years from which these cabinets came. When completed, the home will be bold and vibrant, exhibiting a palette of saturated colors in different spaces. The kitchen will be a tickle-me-pink and white temple honoring the rectilinear geometry of the period.
Serendipitously in keeping with our mission to help homeowners tread lightly on this planet, this home will be constructed with the goal of zero net energy consumption. As much as it will be insulated from the desert, the south-facing wall of windows will invite in views of cacti and ocotillo as the landscape ascends into the mountains of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
I updated the original owner regarding the status of this adventure in restoration and she responded with the following reflection:
"I know my parents would be very happy with this news. My mom, our town's first librarian and later a librarian at UCSD, remained devoted to those yellow cabinets throughout her life. My dad, an engineer, was also keenly interested in history, and a Renaissance man....after retirement he volunteered his time to map all of the earthquake faults in San Diego County, completed a directory of native plants for the County (anticipating drought conditions & global warming more than 25 years ago), and was an avid Sierra Club hiker. There is no doubt that my mom and dad would be thrilled to hear about the buyer's Mid-Century renovation in Palm Desert."
The people who work to keep this planet our home inspire us. We look forward to sharing more of this story, including before/after photos, as it progresses.
To a life well-lived,
David
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