Something old, something new

While we're happily keeping the original Chambers wall oven and stove top from 1950, all the rest of our appliances will be brand spankin' new. We are leaving our refrigerator, washer, and dryer for the buyers of our house, so Saturday was appliance buying day for us.

We bought everything online from Appliances Connection, and I believe, based on my experience when I built the "modernist nest" a few years ago, it's the only way to go...free shipping, great customer service, professional delivery, and, best of all, no sales tax. We checked prices, and theirs were cheaper on every single item in our cart, sometimes several hundred dollars less. Here's what we chose:

Samsung French door refrigerator
RF26J7500SR

Samsung dishwasher
DW80J7550US

Samsung top-load washer
WA48J7700AW

Samsung electric dryer
DV48U7700EW

One of the difficulties I've encountered twice when buying refrigerators for mid-century homes is limited space. Refrigerators simply weren't as big back then as they are now, and very often a 36" model won't fit into the original cut-out. Most of the narrower refrigerators were around 22 cubic feet in capacity, and we wanted something larger. After searching long and hard, we finally found one with the right exterior dimensions and a 26 cubic foot interior capacity.

Our next challenge was to find a steam dryer that has a direct water line, rather than having to be filled manually. My daughter specifically wanted a top-load washer, and after my bad experience with a Kenmore front loader, so did I. At first, the only dryers we could find with a water inlet matched front-load washers, but we finally located a pair that met both our specifications.

Choosing a dishwasher was easier. All my daughter insisted upon was that it be ultra quiet. I had no particular demands. We found that 42-44 dBA was about as quiet as they come, with most being 50 or so. We found one we both liked that was listed a <44, so it was added to the cart without as much gnashing of teeth as the other items caused.

Now, with any luck, they'll be here by tomorrow...move-in day...or at least within a few days.

Kitchen bonus

The house we're buying was built in 1950. When I met the inspector there, he said, "I don't know how you're going to feel about these appliances. They look like they came off the ark."

I had to laugh. He clearly knew nothing about the appeal of a mid-century house with its original kitchen appliances intact. I explained to him that there are people who would gladly pay more for these appliances than they would for the latest models in stores today. By the time he finished the inspection, he was starting to understand. "These things are amazing. They work like they're brand new...and they're so clean. I mean, really, really clean."

The original Chambers wall oven, with warming tray and its matching stove top with a huge griddle that lifts to reveal a broiler, all in their copper and stainless steel glory. Yeah, baby!

(The attached note told the inspector how to turn it on.)

I promise better photos when I show you the finished kitchen. These were taken on the fly so we would remember details...like cabinet placement and shapes of knobs and levers. I didn't plan to use them here, but I couldn't wait to show you. The fuzzy spots that look like damage are just my poor photography.