Re-purposing Vintage GE kitchen cabinets

[gearhead1960]

While my garage isn't fancy or nearly as spacious as I would like ideally, it does the job. What especially love is the vintage GE kitchen cabinets I bought at an Estate Sale years ago that were repurposed in the garage and the basement workshop space. Paid $300 for the entire kitchen, including an electric stove which I promptly sold for $200. Orginally, the family was going to clean them and reuse them in the kitchen, but found them to be too greasy. I ended up cleaning them but you can see the effect of years of use. Just means I don't have to worry if they get slimed. They are incredibly sturdy and well built. Sorry about the mess on the workbench. For the workbench, I used 2 of the cabinets together and got a nice piece of birch plywood for a top that I polyurethaned. Enjoy....

 

[Higgins]

WoW. Those are a wonderfull find!!!! There were a lot of metal cabinet manufactures back in the 50's.

I lived in IL at the time, and found metal cabinets that were made by St Charles Kitchens, and Geneva Cabinets. One set was white, the other blue. Anytime I can find cabinets from the 50's I'll buy them at a heart beat!!!!

Hope to paint them once I build a garage down in TN. One kitchen set was free for the taking, the larger set cost me $700 and was enough cabinets to do two garages at the time! I could use more, so have my eyes open.

Cost of the cabinets were around $35 a cabinet. They are so well built, you couldn't afford to purchase them today. As they were kitchen cabinets, the insides are basically in NEW condition.... So you only have to contend with th condition of the exterior of the cabinets....

You could contact people that install kitchen cabinets and tell them your looking for metal cabinets from the 50's. I even put a $500 bounty should they find a set!!

Cheers !!!

 

[gearhead1960]

WoW. Those are a wonderfull find!!!! There were a lot of metal cabinet manufactures back in the 50's.

They are so well built, you couldn't afford to purchase them today. As they were kitchen cabinets, the insides are basically in NEW condition.... So you only have to contend with th condition of the exterior of the cabinets....

It was really a lucky find. Originally they were asking $500, but had no takers. It was on a lark that I offered $300 to the Estate Sale company after I heard they had no takers. It was immediately accepted! I did have to rent a truck to get them home, but small price to pay for this deal!

One of the nicer parts of this deal was it also came with a butcher block section of countertop. I sanded it down and oiled it up for a nice working area in my laundry room.

 

[wirt]

Great find! I bought all the cabinets in my garage from a guy that was gutting a house for $100, another $100 in paint and done. Mine aren't metal like yours (wish they were) but I like them just the same and the price couldn't be beat.

 

[gearhead1960]

Great find! I bought all the cabinets in my garage from a guy that was gutting a house for $100, another $100 in paint and done. Mine aren't metal like yours (wish they were) but I like them just the same and the price couldn't be beat.

Nice find! It's always great to find these types of deals. It drives me crazy watching these "home improvement" shows that just destroy old kitchens with cabinets that could be easily re-used. I guess that's why places like Restore now exist. Someone saw this and encouraged this repurposing/recycling of old building materials. Sadly, these places are now way overpriced....

 

[pancho400cid]

Very cool!

 

[b-boy]

It's getting harder to find used cabinets for reasonable money. you used to be able to buy an entire kitchen for $100-$200. Sometimes, they were free. People were just happy to get rid of the old cabinets. Now, they want close to what a new set would cost.

I've been stalking CL for several years, but have pretty much given up on getting a deal.

 

[gearhead1960]

It's getting harder to find used cabinets for reasonable money. you used to be able to buy an entire kitchen for $100-$200. Sometimes, they were free. People were just happy to get rid of the old cabinets. Now, they want close to what a new set would cost.

I've been stalking CL for several years, but have pretty much given up on getting a deal.

I would agree it's getting harder to find. Either you have to know someone in the remodel trade or luck into them like I did.

 

[exmaxima1]

My parents' home was built around 1952 and came with those metal cabinets. They upgraded their kitchen in the 80's and I've kept the old cabinets for all these year (I didn't keep all of them). Very durable and great for paints and car chemicals. They are currently in my garage and painted gray.

 

[gearhead1960]

My parents' home was built around 1952 and came with those metal cabinets. They upgraded their kitchen in the 80's and I've kept the old cabinets for all these year (I didn't keep all of them). Very durable and great for paints and car chemicals. They are currently in my garage and painted gray.

 

[moedank]

That butcher block looks nice!

 

[gearhead1960]

That butcher block looks nice!

Thanks @moedank. Too bad its covered up with **** right now...

 

[Higgins]

Yup! On the re-purpose................

We just removed ALL our kitchen cabinets, and they are sitting in the family room waiting for Reuse it to pick them up!