Thursday, May 6, 2010

Our Stainless Steel Swayder-Fritter

Up until this past Monday, we used this refrigerator to hold our cold and frozen foods...

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You can't see it in this photo, but it had a (permanently) red-stained water dispenser lever because of Kevin's obsession with Crystal Light fruit punch.

Let's just say he's not obsessed with cleaning up Crystal Light fruit punch spillage.

I confronted him several times about the hard-to-clean, red messes he was leaving behind each time he got his mix on.

He latest response was quite the doozy...

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How dare he make me laugh while I'm trying to lay down the law.



But it really doesn't matter how stained the lever is anymore anyway, because last week, our red/white fridge finally bit the dust.

Yep.

All our food spoiled, and the odor inside it was pretty grody by the time we noticed it wasn't working.

We weren't really planning on buying a refrigerator this month, so I thought I better at least check on Craigslist, to see if I could find anything stainless for under 50 bucks.

I'm kidding.

As the site was loading, I was thinking to myself, "Layla. Come on. You know there's never any stainless steel refrigerators on Craigslist- and whenever there is, they're way above your budget."

But I just had to check.

And guess what?

I'M SO GLAD I CHECKED!

At the top of the page, the very first listing read:

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I ran (literally) across the house and told Kevin the good news.

I'm not sure the term "counter depth" meant as much to him as it did to me, but when he heard "stainless" and "$400", he was pretty stoked.

Shortly after Freak-Out Fest 2010, we talked with the owner of the fridge, and then we hit the road to go pay for our spectacular new swayder-fritter.

(That's what I called them when I was a little girl.)



Unlike our slab of butcher block, the fridge (or "fritter") was obviously too big to fit in our little red car...

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So we went back to pick it up with Kevin's band trailer a few days later.

Well, the fritter was too tall for the trailer too.

Can you say "nightmare"?

We were forced to drive thirty five miles with it tilted backwards at an extremely severe angle, supported only by a couple of tiny straps and one of the bands road cases.

I think I held my breath the entire way home.

Except for whenever we went over a bump.

Then, I freaked out on Kevin for driving too fast quickly stressed the importance of slowing down.

Needless to say, it was a super tense situation, but thankfully, we (and our new fritter) made it home in one piece.

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Here's a photo of her, doin' her thang, in her new home...

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We plan to buy another tall cabinet (like the one on the left), and use it on the right side of the fridge. We'll also build some kind of "bridging shelf unit" to tie the two towers together, so it looks all custom-n-stuff.

(Move your cursor back and forth over the photo below to see what I mean.)



I can't tell you how happy we are to have a working fridge again.

There's just nothing cool about a styrofoam cooler in your kitchen.





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79 comments:

Mothership said...

I sympathize with you and your hauling duds. If people only knew what could be hauled in a minivan--with five kids and the driver! I have remodeled nearly our entire house and have only borrowed a truck twice (sheet rock cannot be bent or coaxed into small spaces(: ).

Way to go on your great deal!

Anonymous said...

What a coup - bit nerve-wracking driving with several feet of expensive purchase dangling over the edge (especially for the person not driving!) but it certainly looks good in situ. The Craigslist wish fairy was looking out for the only person on earth who needed a swayder-fritter! (if I can ever learn to pronounce it I might call mine that too)

Olivia said...

What a lucky duck with that fridge-- not the old one busting, but the new shiny one!

P.S. One day, could you maybe post about how to choose your kitchen hardware and appliance finishes? (ORB, stainless steel, nickel, etc?) I love the look of ORB on pulls but like stainless steel appliances. Can they coexist or is that tacky?

Woven and Spun said...

Woo hoo for the new fridge! Glad it survived the trip to your place though. I hope it keeps your food cold for many happy years : )

The Little Red Shop said...

It's purdy. : ) My fridge decided to bite the dust (and an entire carton of melted Rocky Road ice cream) a few years ago...on New Year's Eve. Now, that...was quite the party!!! Soupy nut-shmellow floor anyone?

Happy New Fridge!!!

: )

Julie M.

Linda @ Painted Whyte said...

Congrats on your new FRITTER! Very exciting... i think ours might have to misteriously stop working... i better make sure to eat all the good stuff first...

She looks so sparkly and lovely in her new home! Love the built in idea, i mean you can never have too much cupboard space right?

Mom in High Heels said...

Shut up! No, don't, cause then you couldn't answer my question. WHY were they (practically) giving away this gorgeous fridge? It wasn't used to hold a body or anything, was it?

Lesley said...

Love new kitchen appliances & Craig's List. Way to combine 2 loves in one! :)

Amber said...

Love it! I didn't think it would make that big a difference but it does! Can't wait to see how the "built-ins" go too.

A Flair for Vintage Decor said...

Funny story! We just bought a counter depth SS fridge recently too!! It has made a huge difference in our kitchen!! Congrats on your great find!

Sara said...

Ahhh gorgeous! :) There is nothing like a new fridge, and what a deal!

I love your idea for building built-ins around it. Will be gorgeous!

Cheryl said...

congrats on the new stainless fritter. It looks lovely. You scored big with craigslist.

KellyMellyBoBellyBananaFanna said...

Yay! Score!!! And I like your idea for the cabinets.

Kelly

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

What a great deal! It looks brand-spankin' new. Love the idea of building more storage around it.

Unknown said...

SCOOOOOOORE!!!

Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal said...

What a score! Craigslist is not produce marvelous things for me but he sure did for you! And counter depth!

Anonymous said...

Been there, done that with the cooler in the kitchen. Not fun! So happy you found such a great deal so quickly! Now tell Max to be neater when he's making cherry drinks!

Have a great day.

Deborah

Sawdust Girl said...

What a find and it looks great in its new home. It looks good in its virtual cabinet surround too.

Cottage Dreamers said...

That's a very cool swayder-fritter! (I can so hear a little kid calling it that!) I love the changes you've made in your kitchen, the white is so light and fresh. I loved the black too though. You're just really good at this stuff!
☺ Celeste

Heather Henderson said...

how funny - my hubby loves crystal light fruit punch, too. That powder gets ev-ry-where!!

Amber said...

Sometimes there are such gems on Craigslist! I got a matching set of stainless steel oven, fridge, and convection/microwave oven for $1000. About $1500 less than it should have cost!

Beautiful Handmade said...

Congratulations on your new fridge! You totally lucked out on the Craigslist ad - I can't believe you got to it first! Yay for "dreams" coming true.

LaurieJean said...

Oh-happy-day!! I learned ALL about "counter depth" the hard way as we moved into our new home. The third "fritter" was the charm for us.:O)

Lemonade Makin' Mama said...

Nice job! I'm having my own little Craig's list adventure... there are some very interesting peeps out there in Craig's world. :)

lizziefitz said...

don't you just love happy endings?

Cathy said...

Woohoo..congratulations on your new friderdator, LOL. I'm so glad you found it and y'all made it home with it ;o).

{{Big Hugs}}

Cathy

Anonymous said...

Yay for counter depth! I wish more people realized that such a thing existed and what a difference it makes.

http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/what-are-you-reading/

Stacey @ The Blessed Nest said...

I am soooo jealous right now of your new fritter! :) Stainless steel AND counter depth? *sigh* I dream of that kind of fridge for my kitchen! Enjoy your new, lovely, swoon-worthy kitchen addition!!

Karla@TheClassyWoman said...

I love your new fridge! :) We have all black and stainless steel and then our fridge is cream. Not very cohesive! The fridge keeps on running and from an eco-standpoint we can't part with her until she truly doesn't work anymore (or we move).

I hope to one day find such a deal on Craigslist. You never know what you'll find. Sometimes people have ot move quickly and give appliances and furniture away for next to nothing!

~Karla

Oona Johnson said...

You are sooo lucky! She's beautiful!

behind the fourth door said...

Sweet deal on the new fridge!

I just learned this the hard way (as in, learned this a month or two after it would have been useful to us)

But some states (like NJ) have a fridge recycling program where they actually haul away crappy old fridges and give you $$$ toward a new, energy efficiant one. Google and see if there is something like that around you!

chiara said...

Score!

Seriously you can find just about anything on craigslist. It's crazy!

Lara Harris said...

Don't you just LOVE Craigslist!!? My Mom just scored an awesome Hooker table & chairs that is STILL in their showroom for $3000, for only $500!! & it is in GREAT condition! It had been kept in a dining area rarely used by the swanky homeowner! I am so happy for my Mom :)

Kates said...

1. love the new fridge!
2. Love the idea of the custom build.
3. Where did you get the mine and your signs I saw in the right side of your photo. I have been looking for something just like them!
Do tell! Please!!!!

Tam said...

You are sooo funny Layla!! I love reading about your adventures!!

Gail said...

That's terrific, Layla! The fridge looks quite at home in it's new place...but I would have totally been anxious about the drive home, too. I had to deliver flowers last week for a wedding I was designing for...and the entire time over it was all I could do to keep all the vases from falling over in the car. Yikes! I feel your pain. Thankfully everything turned out great (not turned over) and the flowers were gorgeous.

-Gail

Little Charmer said...

I swear Layla we think way too much alike too bad you are so far away while me and the hubby where at Lowe's last night to buy our renters a new hot water heater I was way to busy drooling over a new stainless frig. I guess our renter having hot water was more important but that frig sure would look good in my new black kitchen...I loved your black kitchen but absolutly think the newly painted cabinets flow with the rest of your home....You are my favorite designer EVA!!!

Sheri Howard said...

I am closing my eyes trying to imagine your frig on the back of your car...all that way! YIKES! But it was SO worth it. I am so happy for you!

Cass@Happiness Lives Here said...

What a terrible but terrific event. I love your new stainless steel "fritter"; it looks great!

TheVirginiaHouse said...

Love it! Now on to that dishwasher... Craigslist is my very best friend. (Does that make me a loser?)
Looks so nice, I can't wait to see the "new/old wall" though!!

Betty Bake said...

aaah thats soo cool - enjoy the new fridge. i so want a new bigger one - as ours is really tiny and also too full of stuff so we forget about the stuff at the back of the fridge and it goes off.

Betty Bake

amy said...

Yay for your great find! It looks great. Just a stainless steel tip-glass cleaner works much better (and is much cheaper) than stainless cleaner. Enjoy!

Skye McLain said...

That is awesome! I love Craigslist - I am totally surprised I haven't been fired from my job for spending entirely too much time perusing the endless amount of items for sale on it! Speaking of styrofoam coolers - we just moved and I have three, yep THREE, stacked up in my kitchen at the moment. No bueno!

Esther said...

Hi Layla,

I think those little, Mine & Yours hooks you have next to your fridge are so cute! Can you tell me where you got them?

Thanks!

Esther

michiganhome said...

Hi Layla,

How awesome about the Craigslist score! I mean, the first listing! :) Love the cabinet next to it, too; could you please tell where you got it from?

Thanks,
Michiganhome

Unknown said...

Looks great! You guys really need to befriend a couple with a pick up truck. ;)

Cara @ Gardenview Cottage said...

Love your blog and seriously that is a GREAT deal on your fridge! It's beautiful. I just got done reading your post on how to make your home yours from hooked on houses. LOVE IT!! I have a guy that will paint my cabinets and am just waiting till summer so it's not as crazy around our house♥

Sarah said...

Congratulations on your Craigslist score! My husband and I just bought a totally stripped out foreclosure here in CA. We are on a super tight budget ie: complete kitchen gut/remodel with appliances for 5k. It took a month , but our patience paid off. We found matching GE profile stainless fridge, stove, over the stove microwave, and a kitchen aid dishwasher for $1200 total (all from different people). They were all less than 2 years old and in great condition. It saved our remodel budget!

Emily said...

Score! And counter-depth isn't always easy to come by...we are looking for one as part of the kitchen remodel we are about to undertake and it's not easy to find one that fits our needs AND looks pretty.

Anonymous said...

That gets a Woo Hoo and the price was OUT OF THIS WORLD.... so happy for the two of you.

Kim said...

Great score!

Sharon@Sharon at Home said...

and the lever and drink area are black ... so you won't see the red dye any longer. WOO HOO. Happy Kevin!

Anna said...

counter depth. SS. 400. WOW. It was meant to be!!! Nice snag!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great find!! Looks like after all the positivity you put out in the the universe for us every day, the universe was paying you back! :) I'll be interested to see how you wind up incorporating the cabinetry and shelving!

Eva said...

Layla, how lucky are you?! I'm a CL stalker and I have never seen such an *awesome* deal like that, especially on stainless! It looks lovly and fruit punch proof. My beau and I just caved and picked up a new fridge for our nest. We got a great deal, but can't compete with you two! Thanks for the inspiration, laughs, and renewing my hope in CraigsListing. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow! What a great score! Our fridge bit the dust, in the dead heat of summer last year, and it was the pits. Congrats on your awesome deal! I love your kitchen too, beautiful :)

Connie said...

Hi Kevin & Layla! Awesome score on the SST fridge! I'm probably asking a lot ~ I was wondering if you would take pitty on me and help me out with a re-stain question for my bedroom set. See with your sense of humor your 'my kind of people' and I know you'll aprreciate me latest blog post about 40 minutes to remove 2 screws from the headboard and asking for help on re-staining a detailed cherry bedframe. If you can't make it over I'll understand but would super appreciate your advice. Stainfully Challanged ~ Blarney

Unknown said...

That wasn't a deal that was a steal! Wow, you were so lucky to find that.

geri said...

Layla.
I never thought of the saying "You can learn something new everyday" until I found your lovely blog.
I LOVE the fact there is such a thing as a counter depth appliances.
What a great idea. hehe
I definately need all your help with your amazing plans and ideas when we try to improve our kitchen this summer.
I will start consult fund ASAP.
Have a wonderful Friday. geri.

Unknown said...

You little lucky ducky you! I love Craigslist- I just bought two vintage wicker side tables for $30!!! I am in love :)

Marie Anne said...

Beautiful fridge!!!! How awesome! I bet the red stain won't show up so much on that black!

Kacey said...

Oh, how I love Craigslist...

Your new fritter is lovely! Looks like it was made for the space. What a deal - and clearly worth the angst!

Kimmy Findlay said...

Layla your posts always bring a smile to my face :D The new fridge looks great!

MilkMaid said...

AW. SOME.

Kim said...

I have a dishwasher, stove and microwave/hood all in stainless steel when you want to buy the rest!! haha! I too, am about to go all black - live in the Nashville area - but we might could work something out . . . . just saying!

Miss Mustard Seed said...

Some times it's nice when old appliances die, isn't it? :) The new one looks great!

Stephenie from Decorating Addiction said...

I cannot even believe you found such a great fridge on Craig's List so cheaply! Stuff like that never happens to me. Fridges breaking . . . yes . . . finding amazing deals on Craig's List . . . never. It looks great!

Cathy M~(checkitoff) said...

happy dance!! can i just mention how funny you two are? hilarious! i think tlc should ride along with you two!!!

kanishk said...

What a lucky duck with that fridge-- not the old one busting, but the new shiny one!
indian classified site

carebear3117 said...

I love your new fridge. You are lucky to find such inexpensive things. We could never find anything that cheap here. Our 6 year old stainless steel fridge crapped out last week! We came home to our entire fridge and freezer contents had melted into a slimy mess. I was not happy considering we had just got groceries the day before and filled up the fridge. It turned out that our relay switch was burned out so thankfully we did not have to get a new fridge. As posted by another poster above. I would love to know if mixing finishes in a kitchen is tacky. My appliances and kitchen faucet is s/s but my lights and cabinet hardware is orb.
Thanks!

Sandra said...

There's more than one Sandra commenting here, but I'm the one who had no idea there were even such things as counter depth appliances (slaps palm to forhead)!

Your new fridge looks great!

Sandra

Remodelaholic said...

Counter depth? My Jealous bone just kicked in... and 400 dollars, that is awesome, Enjoy it! You should have some ice cream to celebrate... and then your freezer can do it thing!

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

I had a refrigerator die too. On Christmas eve and my landlord was out of town on the way to Florida for Christmas. Fortunately we also had plans to be out of town, so we didn't have a lot of food in the fridge to lose. We put everything in the freezer in a cooler and stuck it outside on our deck. The real problem came New Years Eve - still no fridge and a house full of party guests. We put all of the wine people brought on the deck railing. It kinda looked like Boozy House with all of the bottles people brought sitting next to each other on the railing!

lyla said...

soooo jealous.
take a look at my fridge here and it will make you laugh!

http://lillyandmamie.blogspot.com/2009/03/few-pictures.html

Country Contemporary said...

Wow! What a deal for stainless and counter-depth to boot! Well done! (I'd give my eye teeth and then some if I could have found one to fit an opening in my kitchen where one originally stood when the house was new in 1958! Honest, it was stainless and counter-depth, but literally a built-in...pretty neat for "back in the day." I just grabbed a stainless side-by-side fridge off CraigsList myself yesterday - from a local dealer with whom I've done business in the past - to replace an aging brown one from the late 60s that replaced the original built-in stainless one. Alas, my purpose was to upgrade the kitchen quickly because I'm preparing to sell the family home of 50 years (sigh), but I know it'll look as fantastic as yours does when it gets here next week. You guys continue to inspire me...thanks for sharing your swayder-fritter story!

Prior said...

LOVE it! When I first got mine, It reminded me of a space rocket everytime I went into the kitchen! Lezlee

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

Yea!! I love a good deal of a story like that! You sound like us doing crazy things to get our "deal" home. Looks great and the counter depth makes a big difference.

Rashon Carraway said...

Im always reluctant to buy electronics off craigslist. I certainly hope this turns out well for you guys. It looks soooo good.

Mr. Goodwill Hunting
http://g-w-hunting.blogspot.com

"Cottage By The Sea" said...

Your new fritter looks fab!