I’m not sure how it started but I became obsessed with having a vintage kitchen cupboard. You know the kind, with lots of drawers and cupboards and a lead lined box to store your milk in. Somehow I ended up with two, greedy I know.
Vintage kitchen cupboards
The first I found in one of my favourite vintage shops in Exeter. The shop was stuffed full of antiques but they had a couple of kitchen cabinets and the decorated glass panels really caught my eye. It was made by Blue Gate Products Ltd. A ‘Pride o Home’ Unit, made in Harold Hill, London.
Pretty much the same week my father in law offered me the kitchen cabinet he had in his shed. It belonged to his mother in law and was home to many spiders and his screw collection. I accepted and we arranged to get both transported to London.
before after
When they arrived I washed them both with sugar soap and they sat, either side of the chimney breast in our dining room for a couple of years. When we finally got round to decorating the dining room we decided we only had room for one so sold the lovely retro red one with the playing cards. We kept the one which had been in the family and one Bank Holiday weekend took it out into the garden and got started.
We haven’t restored many pieces of furniture but it wasn’t too difficult. We took the doors, hinges and handles off and removed the sticky old oilcloth which lined the shelves. Then we stripped, sanded and primed before painting it with a lovely bone grey paint from The Little Greene Company. The finished cupboard looks fantastic, has plenty of extra kitchen storage and is practical too. I will be definitely looking out for another when we move so I can store my sewing supplies in it!
FANTASTIC!!! love love love!!
Smiles,
the Joyful Thrifter
I’m really jealous, I would LOVE one of these. All I’ve seen cost an arm and a leg though.
Love these and now on a total nostalgia trip as me and my friend Louise used to play in my cellar as children and pretend to play house with one of these in a yellow colour there full of tonic water as I recall which we once tried to get drunk on
So jealous! I am always on the look out for “things with drawers”!
Amazing! I think we had a cupboard just like the one on the first picture in my home when I was a child. I have been looking for furniture from that time in vintage shops lately. That old stuff does not come cheap, though.
I even considered buying retro furniture made to look old-fashioned instead, as that can sometimes turn out to be the better deal. Or just wait to inherit all of it from my parents someday.
Hi there,
I was sooo happy to see your blog about your cabinets. I just bought one last month at a St Vincent DePaul store out here in America, which is a second hand store. It definitely needs to be sanded and painted again, but it is so lovely. Thanks to you I now know what it is. I had no idea I just knew it was sooo cute I had to have it. I would love to send a pic but I don’t see a place for one. It’s cream and the doors and cabinets are teal colored. Made by the same company as yours. Can you give me any information on where I can find out what they’re worth or how much I can sell it for if I need to? I can’t find a single thing on them other than your blog. Thanks so much!
We have just rehomed one from a neighbour, its out of place in our house and will be looking for a new home. Needs sanded down and painted, all original features, including decorated glass panels, doors, handles etc sold as seen. We are located in South London and would be available for collection only. Blue Gate Products Ltd London ‘Pride O Home’ range. email the above address if interested. Many thanks
Hi All
I have a Pride o Home cabinet made by Blue Gate Products Limited and will shortly be offering it for sale on Ebay unless anyone makes me a reasonable offer beforehand. It is located in Cheshire. I can tell you more and issue photos for anyone interested, or watch Ebay.
Hi Jenny, I tried to send you an email from the link above
but it says not recognized. I have a similar cupboard and had some
questions for you. I just subscribed to your blog can you tell me
the right email to send it to? Thanks Kathy
Hi Kathy, the email listed on my homepage should work fine jenny{at}the-gingerbread-house.co.uk – just replace the brackets {at} for an @ 🙂
Hi, Just found this as I was looking at old vintage cabinets…I am just buying the exact same cupboard with the playing cards on it from Cornwall…AND…I grew up in Harold Hill (it is actually in Romford, Essex, although it is in the London Borough of Havering too)…it was meant to be mine 🙂
I sold mine as my house wasn’t big enough for two vintage cabinets (so my husband said). I adore them though, much better than furniture from Ikea!
Aww, what a shame 🙁
Mine needs lots of refurbishment, but got a great company to do it for me and it should be with me in a few weeks.
P.S. Love the blog 🙂
Hi
I have one of these for sale in vgc if anyone is interested. Let me know and I can send pics. It’s in North Wales but I can probably deliver.
Regards
John
Hi John, I know someone who may be interested. Don’t want to leave my details on here though, so don’t know how you’re going to get the pictures/details to me?
Thanks
Thanks Donna
Yes I can appreciate that. I wonder if we can do it by facebook? My name is John Holden-Ross (not many of them around – in fact I’m the only one in the world!). I live in Conwy. If you send me a friend request I’m sure that will work. Let me know if it works. If it doesn’t I don’t really mind putting my mobile number on here and I can sms photos to you?
Regards
John
Hi John,
I left you a reply ages ago but it seems not to have shown up for whatever reason,.. Probably something I did wrong 😉 I messaged a John H-R on FB but got nothing back, I could only find one on there. Check your “other inbox” on your messages.
Hope to hear back soon.
And sorry Jenny, I hope you don’t mind us leaving these messages? xx
You’re half correct. Harold Hill is in the London Borough of Havering, as is Romford. This means that neither of them are in Essex. Essex is run by Essex County Council, not by any London Borough. The London Boroughs are what make up London.
Some people mistakenly think Romford, & by extension Harold Hill, are postally in Essex. This is incorrect. Check any Romford postal address on Royal Mail’s address or postcode finder, not one will have the word Essex in the finished article.
Thanks for the reply but I think you’ll find that all addresses in Romford, Hornchurch and Upminster have the postal address of Essex at the end….I should know as I have lived in Romford and other parts of the London Borough of Havering for over 40 years and my postal address has been Romford, Essex etc all that time.
Like i said, check the postal addresses in Romford, Hornchurch, & Upminster on Royal Mail’s (you know, the people who actually deliver the mail) address or postcode finder (online) & you will find that you are mistaken.
hi donna I have the same cupboard in my beach hut in devon have been trying to find some
detail about it was there a factory in Harold hill this firm made lots or cupboards hope you
may be able to help marilyn