A meticulously restored 1950s OKeefe & Merritt, among the most sought-after vintage brands. The stoves have a retro style and, some cooks say, provide a steadier heat than todays models. (Don Kelsen / LAT)
John and Deborah Jakubek of Newport Beach built their kitchen around a restored OKeefe & Merritt stove. Says Deborah, I grew up with a 1950s OKeefe & Merritt. … It was the stove my mother taught me to cook on. (Lori Shepler / LAT)
The clock and dials have been restored on this Western-Holly stove. (Anne Cusack / LAT)
A restored OKeefe & Merritt with a clock, cooking chart and salt and pepper shakers. (Anne Cusack / LAT)
Old stoves often languish in salvage yards or are abandoned on curbsides before they get the high-gloss treatment. Restorer Stevan Thomas of San Bernardino keeps his works in progress in several garages. (Anne Cusack / LAT)
Landlord Philip Atwell installs 1950s stoves in his apartments such as this renovated OKeefe & Merritt in a Hancock Park unit. The old stoves, he says, are as reliable as they are handsome. (Iris Schneider / LAT)
