Continuing the kitchen theme ideas, this week it's Retro Kitchens! I just love retro kitchens -- 1950's to be exact. It was a new era in decorating. Housewives were out of the factories now and back home. They proclaimed the kitchen as their domain and it showed in the decor of the times (pink, anyone?). Plastics, chrome, Formica, gadgets and color were all incorporated into kitchen design in the 1950's. Let's take a look back...
Space Age Materials for a Retro Kitchen
In the 1950's designers were incorporating new and different elements in the kitchen. Plastic was a space age substance that every housewife embraced. From plastic gadgets to dishes to furniture -- it was all making its way to the kitchen. Another space age material became standard -- Formica. This was all the rage for countertops and table tops. Chrome was new to the kitchen in the amounts that were incorporated into appliances and tables and chairs.
A retro kitchen look is easy to achieve even on a small budget.
Atomic, diner, pastels, bold colors -- all these elements were now popular to use in your kitchen. Lots of new homes were being built incorporating these new materials. Even major appliance manufacturers were getting in on it -- manufacturing refrigerators and stoves in colors other than white. Yes, it was an era that embraced the home and it showed in their decor and designs.
An easy way to get inspiration for a Retro Kitchen is to look at old advertisements or 1950's design books. They are full of what was actually popular back then and would be great when coming up with your own ideas to infuse a bit of retro into your kitchen.
Retro Color Schemes
There were basically two schools of thought on retro kitchen color schemes -- Pastels and Bolds. Below are some of the options you could use to come up with your own color scheme with a retro feel:
via HGTV.com
Inexpensive Ways to Add the Retro Feel to Your Kitchen
If your kitchen has white cabinets already, then you can add a retro feel pretty easily. Change or add hardware in a retro design, paint the walls in a color combination reminiscent of a 1950's kitchen, add retro style appliances
Using just a few (or even all) of the above touches will come together to give a retro feel to your existing kitchen without breaking the bank.
If your budget is a bit more, consider laying a black and white checked vinyl floor, add a vintage or retro style dinette set of bar stools or purchase retro style appliances.
Creating a kitchen with a retro feel is fun! Give your kitchen a much needed face lift on any budget that you set! Have fun!
Featured Image Credit: SportSuburban on flickr
Sylvestermouse
BuckHawk
myfavorite
Retro is such a fun look for current decorating. For those of us who enjoy a colorful kitchen, retro is a great way to go.