Colors in appliances from 1953 to 1990

I have done some research on colors in kitchen appliances from 1953 to 1990 and this is what I have come up with, If anyone has any admissions or deletions please feel free
PATRICK COFFEY

Late 1953-1954
Frigidaire introduces the first appliances in colors. You had a choice of Stratford Yellow or Sherwood Green in addition to plain white.

January 1955
GE introduces 5 new colors for their appliances, Woodtone Brown (the color of light chocolate milk),Turquoise Green, Cadet Blue, Petal Pink, and Canary Yellow. Woodtone Brown and Cadet Blue are not very popular colors and are gone by the late 50's

1955-1956
Frigidaire adds Mayfair Pink to its color palette for the 1956 line of appliances, Maytag washers and dryers become available in Pasteltone Pink, Green, and Yellow, Kelvinator produces a plethora of colors, including a beautiful shade of blue known as Lagoon Blue, non of which are all that popular. The majority of these colors were dropped sometime around 1960 and replaced with the standard pink, turquoise, brown,and yellow colors.. It is also around this time that stainless steel appliances start to make their debut...ecspecially in the new field of built in appliances range, oven fridge etc.).

1957
Frigidaire introduces Charcoal Gray to its new Sheer Look line of appliances. This color is not at all popular and is discontinued after 1960

1959
Frigidaire introduces Aztec Copper to its line of appliances and this color will eventually become know as Coppertone or Copper Brown and be offered by the industry all the way into the early 1980's.

1963-1964
The number of companies offering pink, mint green, and yellow appliances have dwindled while the hot colors of the early 1960s are copper brown and turquoise

1966
GE introduces the first new appliance color since 1959.... Just in time to go with the Danish modern look of the late 1960s.....Avocado. Maytag offers turquoise for the last time on its redesigned Washpower automatics.

1967
GE introduces a second new color ....Harvest (never officially know as harvest gold). This color along with Avacado catches on like wild fire and is offered by the industry until circa 1984. Also about this time Whirlpool offers a very rare version of GE's Woodtone Brown and Cadet Blue on their washers and dryers (that is my guess as I have seen a Woodtone Brown dryer and a Cadet Blue washer)

Circa 1970
Frigidaire introduces the color poppy on its appliances

1971-1976
No major changes are made in colors during this period

1977
GE gets rid of all its shaded colors and introduces a new line of colors called the New Naturals. These colors are named, Onyx, Coffee, Harvest Wheat, Fresh Avocado, and a brand new color called Almond (the way you can tell the difference between the New Natural colors and the their old shaded versions is this, the New Natural colors are uniform through out while the old colors were deep and vibarant around the edges and more faded in the middle).

Early to late 1980's
Copper Brown and Avacado start to fall by the wayside as the favorite colors of the early 80s seems to be Almond and what is now known as Harvest Gold (which is gone by 1986). During this time Whirlpool experiments with a light brown/beige color the call toast. Kenmore offers toast as well as a light gray color called platinum starting around 1987. Both of these colors prove not to be to popular and they are dropped after a few years.

That brings us up to 1990. Does anyonelse have anything to add?
If so I can't wait to hear from you guys so I can learn even more.


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Post# 79330 8/20/2005 at 03:27 (6,818 days old) by appliguy (Oakton Va.)
Checkrate/Likes I have done some research on colors in kitchen appliances from 1953 to 1990 and this is what I have come up with, If anyone has any admissions or deletions please feel free PATRICK COFFEY Late 1953-1954 Frigidaire introduces the first appliances in colors. You had a choice of Stratford Yellow or Sherwood Green in addition to plain white. January 1955 GE introduces 5 new colors for their appliances, Woodtone Brown (the color of light chocolate milk),Turquoise Green, Cadet Blue, Petal Pink, and Canary Yellow. Woodtone Brown and Cadet Blue are not very popular colors and are gone by the late 50's 1955-1956 Frigidaire adds Mayfair Pink to its color palette for the 1956 line of appliances, Maytag washers and dryers become available in Pasteltone Pink, Green, and Yellow, Kelvinator produces a plethora of colors, including a beautiful shade of blue known as Lagoon Blue, non of which are all that popular. The majority of these colors were dropped sometime around 1960 and replaced with the standard pink, turquoise, brown,and yellow colors.. It is also around this time that stainless steel appliances start to make their debut...ecspecially in the new field of built in appliances range, oven fridge etc.). 1957 Frigidaire introduces Charcoal Gray to its new Sheer Look line of appliances. This color is not at all popular and is discontinued after 1960 1959 Frigidaire introduces Aztec Copper to its line of appliances and this color will eventually become know as Coppertone or Copper Brown and be offered by the industry all the way into the early 1980's. 1963-1964 The number of companies offering pink, mint green, and yellow appliances have dwindled while the hot colors of the early 1960s are copper brown and turquoise 1966 GE introduces the first new appliance color since 1959.... Just in time to go with the Danish modern look of the late 1960s.....Avocado. Maytag offers turquoise for the last time on its redesigned Washpower automatics. 1967 GE introduces a second new color ....Harvest (never officially know as harvest gold). This color along with Avacado catches on like wild fire and is offered by the industry until circa 1984. Also about this time Whirlpool offers a very rare version of GE's Woodtone Brown and Cadet Blue on their washers and dryers (that is my guess as I have seen a Woodtone Brown dryer and a Cadet Blue washer) Circa 1970 Frigidaire introduces the color poppy on its appliances 1971-1976 No major changes are made in colors during this period 1977 GE gets rid of all its shaded colors and introduces a new line of colors called the New Naturals. These colors are named, Onyx, Coffee, Harvest Wheat, Fresh Avocado, and a brand new color called Almond (the way you can tell the difference between the New Natural colors and the their old shaded versions is this, the New Natural colors are uniform through out while the old colors were deep and vibarant around the edges and more faded in the middle). Early to late 1980's Copper Brown and Avacado start to fall by the wayside as the favorite colors of the early 80s seems to be Almond and what is now known as Harvest Gold (which is gone by 1986). During this time Whirlpool experiments with a light brown/beige color the call toast. Kenmore offers toast as well as a light gray color called platinum starting around 1987. Both of these colors prove not to be to popular and they are dropped after a few years. That brings us up to 1990. Does anyonelse have anything to add? If so I can't wait to hear from you guys so I can learn even more.

Post# 79333 , Reply# 1 8/20/2005 at 04:42 (6,818 days old) by Washinsheen ()
Checkrate/Likes Fascinating, Patrick! A friend and I were just wondering, recently, what colors were available, esp. in the 50's. I can report, from personal experience, a different color name for Frigidaire. My parents bought a washer in 1980 or 1981, and the color was called "wheat." I was disappointed when they told me about it, as all our other appliances were harvest gold. But when the washer was finally delivered, it was the same color as our harvest gold appliances! (A rose is a rose, I guess....) David

Post# 79348 , Reply# 2 8/20/2005 at 07:25 (6,817 days old) by Mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)
Checkrate/Likes *That is really a good post!* A lot of time and effort went into that. Very good! Is perfect. Steve

Post# 79365 , Reply# 3 8/20/2005 at 12:16 (6,817 days old) by Calypso Bruce ()
Checkrate/Likes Let's not forget "Honey Beige" introduced on the 66' line of Frigidaire appliances. I have a 66' Custom Imperial washer and dryer in this very rare color.

Post# 79367 , Reply# 4 8/20/2005 at 12:19 (6,817 days old) by Goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)
Checkrate/Likes Was black considered Onyx? I think Frigidaires last turquoise was also 1966,haven't seen any newer than that.Great info! kennyGF

Post# 79373 , Reply# 5 8/20/2005 at 12:49 (6,817 days old) by westie2 ()
Checkrate/Likes *Turquoise Frigidaires* While visiting a sister and her family in 1968 in Ft. Worth had to go to laundrymat to wash diapers all Frigidaire's in turquoise had been there a couple of years she said and always used it was quicker than the speed queen laundry near her. It was quick less than 20 minutes and about 20 in the dryer and ready to fold and go. They lived in apartment at the time had the round slant front Westinghouse coinops but were not kept up so nasty looking to use.

Post# 79386 , Reply# 6 8/20/2005 at 15:55 (6,817 days old) by FilterFlo (Chicago Area)
Checkrate/Likes Hey Bruce! Having seen that Frigidaire washer set of yours I fell in love with both the set and the color! I know you are taking good care of it, but if it ever needs a foster home..........!

Post# 79406 , Reply# 7 8/20/2005 at 19:52 (6,817 days old) by super32 (Blackstone Massachusetts)
Checkrate/Likes GE Does anyone remember GE's desert sand?

Post# 79411 , Reply# 8 8/20/2005 at 20:18 (6,817 days old) by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes Scotty, I don't remember it at all. When was desert sand around? Was it something like Toast?

Post# 79420 , Reply# 10 8/20/2005 at 23:07 (6,817 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )
Checkrate/Likes What was that sort of dark red color, darker round the edges and more reddish towards the middle. I can't remember.. never liked it though.

Post# 79470 , Reply# 11 8/21/2005 at 13:10 (6,816 days old) by super32 (Blackstone Massachusetts)
Checkrate/Likes *desert sand* GE introduced this color briefly back in the mid-late 80's (someone jump in on dates) I was told it to be a tribute to soldiers in operation desert sheild, hence the name desert sand. It was a color very simular to whirlpool/kenmore's toast. This was during my high school years so dates and events will sometimes pass me by. Scott

Post# 79474 , Reply# 12 8/21/2005 at 14:08 (6,816 days old) by zzzzz ()
Checkrate/Likes I vaguely recall "tawny gold". Was that harvest gold by another name?

Post# 79475 , Reply# 13 8/21/2005 at 14:20 (6,816 days old) by westytoploader ()
Checkrate/Likes Wasn't that Sears who had Tawny Gold for a short time?

Post# 79413 , Reply# 9 8/20/2005 at 21:39 (6,817 days old) by DADoES (TX,�U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes Whirlpool had Doeskin (a light tan) sometime in the 1960s, I think it was.

Post# 79498 , Reply# 14 8/21/2005 at 21:25 (6,816 days old) by DADoES (TX,�U.S. of A.)
Checkrate/Likes My mother always refers to any 'gold' colored appliance as tawny gold.

Post# 79516 , Reply# 15 8/22/2005 at 03:04 (6,816 days old) by kenmore1978 ()
Checkrate/Likes *Colors* So who started the trend to Black appliances?

Post# 79531 , Reply# 16 8/22/2005 at 08:49 (6,815 days old) by veg-o-matic (Baltimore, Hon!)
Checkrate/Likes Matador Red! Biscayne Blue! Tahitian Green! Just some of the Frigidaire colors available in 1966. There was a much wider selection than I realized. veg

Post# 79535 , Reply# 17 8/22/2005 at 08:58 (6,815 days old) by Barry3333 ()
Checkrate/Likes In 1959 the Lady Kenmore washer and dryer could be ordered in Candy pink and Harmony House Sunshine yellow

Post# 79539 , Reply# 18 8/22/2005 at 09:09 (6,815 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes To Add to the listing above, 1957 Frigidaire continued to offered Sea-Foam Green and Stradford Yellow (first introduced late in 1954). In 1958 Sea-Foam was replaced with "Turquoise" and Stradford Yellow was replaced with a more pastel "Sunny Yellow".

Post# 79634 , Reply# 19 8/22/2005 at 18:37 (6,815 days old) by Pulltostart (Mobile, AL)
Checkrate/Likes *Cadet Blue* I realize this forum is for washers, dryers, dishwashers - but the "color" topic covers the whole gamut of appliances. With that in mind - here's an example of GE's "Cadet Blue". Admitedly, not a particularly cheerful color. Lawrence CLICK HERE TO GO TO Pulltostart's LINK on eBay

Post# 79762 , Reply# 20 8/23/2005 at 11:56 (6,814 days old) by Hometechdoc ()
Checkrate/Likes *Europa Thermadors Grey* My first job out of college was managing a kitchen sales and design showroom in Richmond, VA (1986). We had one of first display of Thermadors original Europa series which was a very pale grey. It was later replaced with Europa II, a black glass series. One of the sales and design issues of the day was that the colors from brand to brand were not consisten. The sand and the toast did not match. The GE onyx color was used for appliances that had some black glass and other black accents. Often time the majority of the appliance was white. This was before the popularity of white on white.