Avocado. Harvest Gold. Almond. If you were living in an American household at any time from the '60s through the '80s, you're probably familiar with these colors as they applied to kitchen appliances. And if you lived in an American house during the 1950s, perhaps you were even lucky enough to experience a pink kitchen -- just like the one discovered in this Chicago house that was making the Internet rounds last year.

Where did all of that color go? Today -- unless you order from a specialty company that makes vintage style kitchen appliances -- it's virtually impossible to purchase a brand new, groovy fridge or dishwasher in avocado green. Nearly every manufacturer only offers them in a modern but cold-feeling stainless steel, or white. Not long ago I even read that the next trend will be BLACK in the kitchen. Perish the thought! I like my kitchens sunny a la The Brady Bunch, not The Addams Family.

So where did all of the color in kitchen appliances go? According to an Elle Decor article published last year, once American homes started getting bigger, entertaining guests got moved from a separate dining area to spaces that are part of the overall kitchen area, and brightly colored kitchens started to fall by the wayside. I tend to think, however, that it was a decision simply made by appliance companies to move away from offering color coordinated units that would have leftover inventory to simply selling one-shade-fits-all.

I have nothing against the stainless steel finish, but I still have memories of the green fridge and dishwasher from my parents' own home. Today, my mother's kitchen has all white appliances, including the microwave.

So for nostalgia's sake, here's a smattering of ads and photos from kitchens of the past, mostly spotted on Pinterest. Maybe someday they'll make a comeback.













Because who doesn't want their stove matching their dress?


Imagine...people really did this. Covering their fridge's front doors with printed fabric!


And of course, you need smaller kitchen appliances that match the color of the larger ones.