How to Plan a Retro Kitchen Remodel

Creating a retro kitchen with vintage charm is not as hard as you may think.

Many homeowners remember the warmth and coziness of Grandma's kitchen. With bread baking in the oven, pies cooling in an open window and pots of coffee brewing on the stove, memories of this time in our lives are special. Designing a retro kitchen that reminds us of a vintage space is a wonderful way to recreate Grandma's kitchen in our own homes. With the mixing of a retro color palette, white cabinetry, vintage-looking appliances, old linens and accessories in mid-century motifs, a vintage kitchen is attainable for most homeowners who desire a room that reflects a simpler time.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Interior paint
• Paint brushes
• Paint rollers
• Paint roller pans
• White or cream kitchen cabinetry
• Clear or green glass kitchen cabinetry knobs and hardware
• Vintage-looking appliances
• Checkered or linoleum flooring
• Old linens
• Accessories in vintage motifs

1. Research the particular design elements of the era you'd like to recreate in your kichen, such as the 1940s or 1950s, for clues on color palette, flooring surfaces and vintage accessories. Use this information as a basis of your kitchen design.

2. Paint the walls a retro color. As a visual backdrop for your retro kitchen, choose an appropriate vintage-inspired color for your walls in shades of jadeite green, cream, red or any other hue that hallmarks your vintage style of choice.

3. Include painted cabinets. A common retro kitchen element is painted cabinetry. Choose a white or cream hue as a neutral background for the more colorful elements in your retro kitchen. Adding white cabinets makes the room feel larger and brighter, and it also creates an instant feeling of vintage appeal.

4. Use vintage cabinet hardware. As an accessory to your cabinets, the addition of clear or green glass knobs completes the look of your retro kitchen cupboards and is a stylish accent for your vintage space.

5. Incorporate vintage-looking appliances. Many companies manufacture vintage-inspired appliances, such as refrigerators and stoves. Adding a gorgeous, retro-appearing appliance gives you the functionality of a new appliance and the visual appeal of a vintage piece.

6. Choose appropriate flooring materials. Floors are an important design element in any room, especially in a kitchen space. Select period flooring in red-and-white or black-and-white checkered vinyl designs or linoleum surfaces for a vintage look and feel to your room.

7. Add old linens. Vintage tablecloths, place mats, tea towels, embroidered table runners, small appliance covers and old aprons further enhance the retro kitchen design of your room and give your kitchen an authentic vintage appearance.

8. Include items with vintage motifs. When selecting curtains, wallpapers, kitchen canisters and other accessories for your retro kitchen, choose ones with quintessential retro motifs, such as cherries, fruit and flower designs, which are particularly appropriate in a vintage space to beautifully finish your room with maximum vintage charm.

Tips & Warnings

• Design your retro kitchen color scheme around three colors only, such as a wall color, cabinet color and a flooring hue. Bring in pattern in terms of vintage accessories, curtains and accent rugs. This type of design provides a cohesive look without too much visual clutter.

References

• Best Interior Designs: How to Create a Retro Kitchen
• Home House Design: Retro Kitchen Design for Unique Home Appliances
• Cynthias Cottage Design: Vintage Kitchen Love

Resources

• Bob Vila: Retro Kitchens
• This Old House: Create A Colorful Vintage-Style Kitchen
• Old House Web: Creating a Vintage Kitchen