Retro Appliance - Chambers Copper Range
A blogging friend, Dean, from Calfinder, a free service connecting homeowners to contractors in the San Francisco bay area, sent me an image of this amazing range, which resides in his parents' home in Newport Beach, Caleefornia. Isn't it wild? Surrounded by the soft grays and whites, really makes this range the focal point, the star, the diva of the kitchen!
More about Calfinder. Calfinder is a very unusual type of contractor referral service. The people at Calfinder, well, here's a short description, which says it better than I can:
"Before we certify a contractor we perform a variety of checks. Below are just a few of those checks:
- In-depth check of current license and insurance coverage
- Personal interview with at least 10 previous clients ensuring customer satisfaction and business reliability
- Ongoing monitoring and customer satisfaction surveys
- Follow up with each homeowner we work with to ensure that our contractors are providing a great service"
They also have a blog, which is a GOOD blog on home improvement, lots of information on green remodeling, and an easy form to fill out for the services that you are looking for. I can't imagine how much more confidence one can get, beyond having someone personally check ten references before they will refer a contractor. Quite impressive. I've spoken with several people from Calfinder, and I can tell you that they are nice, and smart people to deal wtih. If I didn't feel that way, I would not write this. My previous thought was that these types of services are nameless, faceless, beauracracies. This one is not. I'd love to know what some of the questions are that they ask. Maybe Dean will stop by and share a bit more information.
Take a look here for more images of the diva copper range.
Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 07:40AM
Reader Comments (15)
Thank you so much Susan for the nice introduction and sorry for the late response :)
First let me give you a background on the stove. My parents took a leap of faith and bought it from eBay, from a seller in New York, in its original condition. For 2 1/2 years it was restored in Kansas City and then transported to Newport Beach, where it made its home. During the period the gentleman restoring it was, let's just say, "hard to get a hold of." It was at the point where "I wonder if this is going to be an eBay purchase gone wrong," which happens far too often I could imagine. The house was remodeled and the deadline loomed but thankfully, he came through. So my parents, for the first time, were able to see their stove in its pristine state. It was a long time to wait, but well worth it. My parents’ lives revolve around the kitchen and it's found a good home. It's even more-diva in person.
On to CalFinder. We're trying to bridge the gap between homeowners and remodeling contractors. We do things much differently than services such as ServiceMagic/HomeConnections/ImproveNet, who are the biggest players in our industry. We address homeowners personally as well as refer only contractors that we feel completely comfortable referring. You will not get that anywhere else, which is unfortunate for homeowners. Let me explain.
From a homeowner’s perspective of having their home remodeled, it's a scary, costly process, right? How's a homeowner to know all the remodeling jargon, how much it will cost, what they need to get done exactly, and how it’s all going to turn out? This, I feel, is one of our strongest attributes. When a homeowner wants their kitchen remodeled and they send us details via our website, we call them almost instantly, depending on the time of day. Our goal is to help the homeowner through the process, help them decide what exactly needs to be done, explain what goes into it and make sure they are completely comfortable with getting the job done. From that point we refer them to contractors who provide them with free estimates.
On the contractor side of things, we will only work with contractors that we would refer to our own families. We form relationships with contractors, check their most recent work, as well as check up on work they have recently done with CalFinder, assuring that they are reliable, clean, respectable and their craftsmanship is up-to-par. A referable contractor is one that past homeowner clients will refer. Bring that all together and you have the CalFinder service.
Sorry about the speel but I believe strongly in our company and am fortunate to work for such a rewarding alternative. If you have any questions whatsoever please ask them here whether they are about the stove or CalFinder.
Any recommendations for the Westchester County area of New York?.... I bought an old home and found a "1950's Chambers Oven" ... burried and very dirty in the basement. After a good gentle cleaning, I knew I had a gem. It's white and stainless steel and in perfect working condition. I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen and want my GEM to be the focal point but I have to find someone to update it and do some minor adjustmet to it... Please help!
Thanks, Gigi
GiGi - you MUST go to http://www.vintagechambers.org/ which has all the info to get you started. Make sure you join the forum. I just got my own Chambers & can't wait to get started. Sounds like your new princess is in much better shape than mine.
Evie from Texas
Thanks Evie...and sorry I didn't get to this before! I hope this works out for you. Otherwise, follow the link to "diva copper range" and perhaps that appliance company can help you find a company, even though they are from California, perhaps they have a network of other vintage appliance companies.
I was very pleased to find this wonderful website. My husband is completing a renovation on our kitchen/dining/laundry in our 1930's home. My pride & joy is the 1957 Chambers Copper Stove that his aunt from Sulpher Springs Texas gave us many years ago. The stove cooks & bakes wonderfully but over time the exterior is in need of cleaning, polishing & some refurbishing. I would appreciate some suggestions first on the cleaning and then referrals on the restoration. I have discovered the website www.vintagestoves.com and have left a message for information but maybe there is someone that will share their experiences with us. The stove is a family heirloom and it makes the kitchen. Thanks in advance for your help.
Vicky & Jerry
Did you see what Evie wrote above? Check out that forum. I wish I could advise you on your question, but I do not dare. I am not an expert on restoration. It sounds like it is a focal point in your kitchen. I'm so glad to hear how much you enjoy it. And, that it is now a family heirloom makes it important to learn all that you can. Thanks so much for writing. Perhaps www.thisoldhouse.com can help as well. Or, just google refurbish retro appliances and I'll bet you'll get some good information.
I live in Kansas City and I have a Chamber Stove that needs to be refurbished.
In Dean's post, it was mentioned that the refurbishing was done in Kansas City.
Can anyone give me a location for the site that it was restored
Thanks Rama in KC
click on Dean's name in the above post and send along an email to him. I know he'd be very happy to answer you.
gigi, any luck finding a restorer in your Westchester area, I live in Rockland County and I too am looking for a local restorer???
Maybe this one? I don't know of their work.
http://www.mojopages.com/tag/antique-gas-stove-repair--amp--restoration/new-york/ny
anyone has any ideas as to what kind of kitchen cabinets would look appropriate with a 1950 merritt okeefe stove. pictures ??
Wow that's awsomely beautful!
Thought it might be of interest to mention that my wife and I are in the process of renovating our kitchen using original aluminium English Rose Kitchen units, which we're refurbishing ourselves. We've been collecting pieces from all over the UK and I'm blogging the whole story at http://www.englishrosekitchen.co.uk/. Please visit, comment, advise etc.
I'll admit that it strays beyond just kitchen renovation into my life as a musician occasionally, but hey ho!
Andre, yes, it is of interest, thank you for mentioning these interesting pieces. Can you provide a link to an image of it? I'd love to see it! And, best of luck with your renovation, and I'll check on your blog to keep informed!
Hi Susan,
I just want to get the word out about our company, Fixthehome,com. We offer very similar services to Calfinder. We are online since 2001, but we did a complete revamp of our business back in 2007.
We see ourselves as a stepping stone for homeowner's looking to do their next home improvement project. Our site offers informative articles about all aspects of home improvement and we also offer DIY tips on our blog. We also help consumers connect with their area's best contractors. Our visitors can easily obtain no-obligation and free project estimates online in our site.
Like Calfinder, we believe our services ultimately benefit the end consumers. They are actually our competitor, but we like to think of our relationship with them as friends who are out to make this industry better; by giving consumers and contractors alike, a better experience.
Cheers!
Saw the Chambers gas stove picture above. I have the same stove but in yellow porcelain in working condition (like the one Rachel Ray has in her show) which I'm selling if anyone is interested.