Ahh—the amazing and 1960’s classic Frigidaire Flair! If there is one kitchen appliance from the “space age” midcentury era that I wish would be redesigned for today’s kitchen it would hands down be the Flair. Electrolux absorbed the Frigidaire company some time ago—wouldn’t it be amazing if they brought it back? With its streamlined style and user-friendly features, this appliance was AWESOME. (Photos from ClickAmericana)
Back in the day, Frigidaire was a subsidiary of General Motors. Introduced in 1962 and designed by The Flair was designed by Betty Darrin, one of the “Damsels of Design” in the automotive division. The Flair was marketed as a “space age” range, and it was featured in a number of television commercials and magazine ads. Check out the YouTube video of Samantha and Endora from “Bewitched” in a Ken-L-Ration dog food commercial and featuring the Flair in all it’s glory. (Please disregard the the ingredients of the dog food they are selling! 😨)
The burners were housed in a drawer that could be rolled in and out, and the double ovens were located at counter height, making it easier on shorter folks. The oven doors lifted up instead of swinging out (also acting as heat shields). This made it easier to reach the food inside the oven, and it also allowed for more ventilation (less face burning!) The Flair had two ovens, one full-size and one smaller oven. The smaller oven was perfect for cooking smaller items, such as casseroles or pizzas. The range many other innovative features, such as a self-cleaning oven and a built-in timer that would shut the oven off automatically.
The Frigidaire Flair was a commercial success, and it was one of the most popular ranges of the 1960s. However, the range was also controversial, and some critics accused it of being too gimmicky. It is a bit of a cult classic as far as ranges from the mid-century era go, and collectors can snap them up from Ebay or Facebook Marketplace. Our home was built in 1969— and I wonder if they had a Flair. (We don’t have any old photos of the home predating 2018). We are planning to do a full kitchen remodel in a few years (none of the original kitchen is left since the previous owners remodeled in the 1990s)—and I’ll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed that a new version is in the works!!
You can check out some more Flairs here.
Thinking of doing big remodeling jobs before you sell your home? Contact your real estate agent first! They should be able to offer insight into what jobs would give you the highest rate of return and advise you on what buyers in the current market are seeking. If you are looking for real estate agents in the Oro Valley- North Tucson area, feel free to contact us anytime! We would love to meet you and your property!
