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malthaussen

(18,644 posts)

116. About those appliance colors...

Thu Oct 5, 2023, 11:08 AM

Oct 2023

... the makers of large appliances used to coordinate every "season" with one another and the companies that created wallpaper, paint, rugs, etc, to make sure that the latest season's offerings all matched harmoniously. At first, it was hoped that the appliance colors would change often, providing some built-in planned obsolescence. But as it turned out, people didn't go for buying a new refrigerator every three years like they did for cars.

Anyway, the companies did focus-group their color decisions, and for decades (literally), the colors that won out were the three we are familiar with from the era: Avocado, Harvest Gold, and "Country Copper," which was really just a glossy brown. Appliances were literally made in no other colors (except white, which remained available for those who didn't want to "personalize" their decor).

-- Mal

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What would you find in a house of the 60s or 70s. Mine are shag carpets, crochet dolls to cover TP [View all] debm55 Oct 2023 OP

Diabolical dust and dirt devils EYESORE 9001 Oct 2023 #1

Me too debm55 Oct 2023 #3

A fondue pot and utensils. N/t livetohike Oct 2023 #2

I still have one. debm55 Oct 2023 #4

Me too. I haven't used it in a really long time though. I livetohike Oct 2023 #10

Garrett Morris skit from SNL. Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #79

funny debm55 Oct 2023 #81

I think I remember this. Haven't heard it in a long time. livetohike Oct 2023 #85

Morris was very funny and Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #87

Avocado appliances liberal N proud Oct 2023 #5

HAHAHAH. Yes, they were the rage. debm55 Oct 2023 #9

Or "Harvest Gold"... regnaD kciN Oct 2023 #26

The early push-button phones lacked the * and # keys... malthaussen Oct 2023 #115

About those appliance colors... malthaussen Oct 2023 #116

Thank you for that information. It was very helpful. debm55 Oct 2023 #118

Also Pumpkin and Turquoise n/t sarge43 Oct 2023 #129

Phones, yeah, but not major appliances... malthaussen Oct 2023 #139

A living room pit. The Unmitigated Gall Oct 2023 #6

And the macrame owls and flower pot hangers. debm55 Oct 2023 #14

I thought KT2000 Oct 2023 #7

There was a bright red shag carpet in the room that is now my WFH office MANative Oct 2023 #8

Olive Green and Harvest Gold appliances. DURHAM D Oct 2023 #11

We had the Harvest Gold appliances, my aunt had the olive green. debm55 Oct 2023 #16

We had green. DURHAM D Oct 2023 #17

true. And I don't remember any whole house air conditioner. Window fans. debm55 Oct 2023 #27

We had a swamp cooler in the window. DURHAM D Oct 2023 #28

at one point in my misspent youth... mike_c Oct 2023 #25

That's funny. debm55 Oct 2023 #32

I had green shag carpet in my first apartment! Diamond_Dog Oct 2023 #12

I found toe nails in my shag carpet in college. YUK And it was green shag too. debm55 Oct 2023 #29

Oh gross! Diamond_Dog Oct 2023 #30

Stereo cabinet FalloutShelter Oct 2023 #13

we had a combination TV and stereo. It was very long. Yes, a type of burlap hid the speakers. debm55 Oct 2023 #19

Of course! LunaSea Oct 2023 #20

Used to have?? WestMichRad Oct 2023 #82

Wow, that's neat. debm55 Oct 2023 #83

My dad's side hustle was radio & TV repair WestMichRad Oct 2023 #88

That's so cool. FalloutShelter Oct 2023 #90

We had one of those, part of a big tv-entertainment console. Ocelot II Oct 2023 #95

Cabinet full of Corningware. DURHAM D Oct 2023 #15

the store we shopped in, had a different piece of corningware--white with blue flowers, offered each debm55 Oct 2023 #22

I still have several Corningware baking dishes. Ocelot II Oct 2023 #96

our house was built in 1963 mike_c Oct 2023 #18

Ours had regular plywood. debm55 Oct 2023 #23

A Lava Lamp. Harker Oct 2023 #21

Yep. debm55 Oct 2023 #24

I've Got A Lava Lamp ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #70

How fun! Harker Oct 2023 #78

This Is Big One ProfessorGAC Oct 2023 #89

A giant phone bolted to the wall and a table with phone books. n/t FSogol Oct 2023 #31

we had the telephone chair, phone on top, shelf for telephone books. debm55 Oct 2023 #33

We had a semi-private line. We had to pick up the phone and make sure the other family wasn't using FSogol Oct 2023 #35

FSogol............. Upthevibe Oct 2023 #102

With a 20 ft cord. nt Hotler Oct 2023 #112

I had an aunt that had a phone cord so long she would drag it anywhere in her house. FSogol Oct 2023 #114

I remember those long cords. People mostly only had one phone and no I phones to walk around with. debm55 Oct 2023 #119

An AM radio that didn't blare filthy hate all day and night. Harker Oct 2023 #34

We go our encyclopedia from the A &P . First book was 99 cents. Each week the next book was offered. debm55 Oct 2023 #43

That brings back some fun memories. Harker Oct 2023 #48

Yes, the Golden Book Encyclopedia Trailrider1951 Oct 2023 #64

Me too debm55 Oct 2023 #65

In the 1960s my mother bought the 100th anniversary Encyclopedia Britannica csziggy Oct 2023 #57

That's beautiful... Harker Oct 2023 #61

We moved into our new house in 1976 Mollyann Oct 2023 #36

Did you have radiators? in the rooms. We did. debm55 Oct 2023 #40

I have radiators; my house was built in 1885. I like the radiators. Ocelot II Oct 2023 #97

We used to dry our socks and gloves on them after playing in the snow. debm55 Oct 2023 #100

Did anyone have the towels in your bathroom that came from detergent boxes or the jelly glasses that debm55 Oct 2023 #37

yes! the ones we got were kitchen towels. We had a few pressed glass yellowdogintexas Oct 2023 #42

dark faux wood paneling on the living area walls. yellowdogintexas Oct 2023 #38

Popcorn ceilings Kaleva Oct 2023 #39

They were a bear to clean. debm55 Oct 2023 #41

one of the prior owners covered the attic ceiling with popcorn sheetrock yellowdogintexas Oct 2023 #46

Pyrex bowls. Though the pattern I have wasn't made till 1981. highplainsdem Oct 2023 #44

I have a set of Pyrex nesting mixing bowls from 1969 yellowdogintexas Oct 2023 #47

They're incredibly handy, and so sturdy. I use at least one of my Pyrex highplainsdem Oct 2023 #130

Parents bough a house in 1958. multigraincracker Oct 2023 #45

Did you have the matching end tables and the coffee table that would match the wood? debm55 Oct 2023 #50

Yes and table and floor multigraincracker Oct 2023 #55

Decorative hammered brass wall plates highplainsdem Oct 2023 #49

We had those! Each one one showed a scene from a different season. They are still there. debm55 Oct 2023 #52

Multi color toilet paper. I kinda liked it. jimfields33 Oct 2023 #51

Did you have the carpet you put on the toilet lid and tank and around bottom of toilet? debm55 Oct 2023 #53

Personally no, but I do know some who did. Lol. jimfields33 Oct 2023 #71

those pastel and scented toilet papers were not good for us ladies yellowdogintexas Oct 2023 #74

For that reason, I'm glad they ditched it. jimfields33 Oct 2023 #75

They stopped making it when concerns arose that the dyes Ocelot II Oct 2023 #101

Coffee Percolator Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #54

I remember the percolator. Don't remember the round beds. I do remember bunk beds and my quad debm55 Oct 2023 #56

I still sleep on my waterbed, purchased in 1982 nt yellowdogintexas Oct 2023 #72

I had several of them, from '72 to '96. Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #76

A bean bag chair in my sisters room Alpeduez21 Oct 2023 #58

I remember the bean bag chair. If you got a hole in it the beads were all over the place. The square debm55 Oct 2023 #63

Kodak Instamatic Ptah Oct 2023 #59

Yes, and the Swinger.....took photographers and would develop them outside the camera. debm55 Oct 2023 #68

Polaroid Swinger Camera Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #80

So did I debm55 Oct 2023 #84

I'm not too on-the-ball tonight. Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #86

That;s okay Mr.Bill debm55 Oct 2023 #91

I shall go forth and sin no more. Mr.Bill Oct 2023 #92

Typewriter exboyfil Oct 2023 #60

Royal Typewriter. Had to tap, tap, tap. debm55 Oct 2023 #66

Mulit-colored tiles in the showers. Chainfire Oct 2023 #62

Yes, and a roll of linoleum for the floors--kitchen, bathroom debm55 Oct 2023 #67

... also in the shower (or bathtub): surrealAmerican Oct 2023 #69

I remember those. debm55 Oct 2023 #73

Shag carpeting was the worst! ailsagirl Oct 2023 #77

While house-shopping in the mid-80s, we looked at one home with pale blue... 3catwoman3 Oct 2023 #94

Shag, especially the long, is the worst. debm55 Oct 2023 #99

My family never had it but whenever I saw it... ailsagirl Oct 2023 #104

Anyone remember when one wall was paneled or had stone and a fireplace? This was in the 70s debm55 Oct 2023 #93

We bought a home in 1986 that was 20+ yrs old. The kitchen... 3catwoman3 Oct 2023 #98

I remember the 18% mortgage: my sis & her husband got stuck with one. They got out of it when... Hekate Oct 2023 #108

We bought our current house back then--18% mortgage rate. Everytime it drop, we refinanced the house debm55 Oct 2023 #117

debm55......... Upthevibe Oct 2023 #103

include with that the harvest gold appliances debm55 Oct 2023 #105

Glad to see you back UTUSN Oct 2023 #106

Thank you debm55 Oct 2023 #107

ugly wallpaper. we moved to a dif house + 1 bedroom wall brown plaid. 1st tryed puting a bigger pansypoo53219 Oct 2023 #109

Black light and glow in the dark posters. Emile Oct 2023 #110

I remember those. debm55 Oct 2023 #120

Someone else named the pastel toilet paper this round. Niagara Oct 2023 #111

I had the hexagon table. We bought our first set back in the late 70's where you got the sofa, chair debm55 Oct 2023 #121

Here are my current old new hexagon side tables. Niagara Oct 2023 #123

Did you refinish them? They look nice. debm55 Oct 2023 #124

No, I purchased them like that. I tried to walk away; the tables kept calling my name. Niagara Oct 2023 #126

One gas furnance in the floor for the whole house. We used to stand over it in the mornings. nt Hotler Oct 2023 #113

That would be tough. debm55 Oct 2023 #122

Sounds like my grandfather's farmhouse. Which was built well before highplainsdem Oct 2023 #132

Console television jmowreader Oct 2023 #125

Same brand, same style. Though I couldn't wait to play with the box. debm55 Oct 2023 #127

This message was self-deleted by its author sarge43 Oct 2023 #128

Milk Chute JoseBalow Oct 2023 #131

We didn't have milk chutes, but we did have coal chutes for the furnaces. debm55 Oct 2023 #137

Popcorn Ceilings. n/t GP6971 Oct 2023 #133

We used to have a coal chute that went to the space under the front porch. This was at my debm55 Oct 2023 #134

Same here. GP6971 Oct 2023 #135

During the 60s many people lived in insubrick homes. The material was made of asbestos. debm55 Oct 2023 #136

Plants in macrame hangers vanamonde Oct 2023 #138