Vintage style has made a big come back, and with a few tweaks you can bring a bit of retro charm into your own kitchen! The key is to blend modern kitchen conveniences with the nostalgia of days gone by. Here are a few simple tips to get you started:
Retro Look Without Retro Wear
Looking to make a design statement with retro appliances, but worried about functionality? Skip the thrift store and buy new! Look for reproduction vintage appliances with all the modern bells and whistles for the best of both worlds. Older appliances can be difficult to restore, and may even be unsafe to use. A reproduction piece would satisfy your love for vintage in a safe and efficient way. Want a super retro vibe? Take the colorful-appliance trend one step further, and pick up the entire color-coordinated set.
Curtain Call
Make your kitchen windows pop by finding vintage style curtains to match your retro theme. Vintage prints are kitschy and unique, and can bring a touch of whimsy to your space. You could even shop around for true vintage fabric in a fun print, and make your own!
Mood Lighting
Every kitchen needs good lighting to help set the mood. Consider adding an atomic sunburst ceiling fixture, or chrome and milk glass pendant, as a way to illuminate your retro-styled space. Search local flea markets or online specialty shops to find something unique to help tie your look together.
Period Paint
Want a cheap and easy way to add to your retro kitchen vibe? Choose retro-inspired colors for your kitchen walls, based on your favorite time period.
- 1920-1930: jade green, bright sage, sunny yellow, navy blue, rose, and lavender
- 1940-1950: mint green, bubblegum pink, fire engine red, baby blue, and black and white
- 1960-1970: avocado green, dark orange, harvest gold, and warm brown
- 1980-1990: hot pink, mauve, slate gray, colonial blue, deep burgundy, hunter green and shades of purple
Cabinets and Cool Furniture
Consider adding a cool, vintage furniture piece to your retro kitchen. Some options include a 1950s diner table, 1960s bar stools, or a 1920s Hoosier cabinet. If you prefer to buy new, there are plenty of vintage-styled modern furniture pieces on trend right now. Kitchen cabinets from the 1920s through the 1940s tended to be white, while solid maple or oak was the popular style mid-century.
Fun With Accessories
One of the best parts about styling a vintage kitchen is having fun with colorful, quirky accessories. Consider items that are functional, yet also add character and charm to your space. Some examples include classic clocks, retro-styled diner signs, colorful Fiestaware plates, or vintage linens. Have fun exploring for those cool, hard-to-find items — you never know what retro treasure you might discover!
The Finishing Touches
One of the best ways to top off the look is by putting retro-styled small appliances on display, like pop-up toasters, coffee makers and colorful stand mixers. Old fashion plate racks and cup hooks not only make meal prep convenient, but also add to the retro style. Then finish with a unique set of enameled or ceramic kitchen canisters kept close as hand, ready to use for cooking, baking or making a cup of tea with sugar.
With just a little planning, searching and coordinating you can give your kitchen a fun look that’s a blast from the past!
At TheRTAStore we help make your dream kitchen a reality with RTA (Ready To Assemble) cabinets, Pre-Assembled cabinets, and accessories with the same (if not better) quality you would find at any retail store but for a fraction of the price. Stop by our website or give us a call and let one of our friendly kitchen designers help make your kitchen dreams come true!
