A Dozen Ways to Add Vintage Nostalgia to Your Kitchen
Colourful plates and a retro fridge are just a couple of decorative devices you can use to bring vintage charm into your kitchen
Laura Gaskill
21 August 2015
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
From the slam and squeak of a screen door to the scent of berry pie wafting from its windowsill cooling spot, summer in the kitchen can stir up cravings for times gone by (or at least their style). Whether you pine for the kitchen of your childhood home or want to help your period home look its best, these 12 additions – from big changes to minor tweaks – can help achieve the look you want.
1. Screened pantry door
Replacing a solid pantry door with a screened version is a relatively simple change that can boost your kitchen’s vintage style. And, of course, if you have a door leading outside from your kitchen, adding a screen door for the summer months is always a welcome touch.
Is your kitchen a good candidate for a vintage-style makeover? If you have a cottage, or any home built from the 1920s to the 1950s, most of the vintage-style additions mentioned here should work well; a home that is much older or newer might not take as well to vintage style. Still, if it’s a look you love, don’t be afraid to sneak in a few fun accessories, no matter the age or style of your home.
Replacing a solid pantry door with a screened version is a relatively simple change that can boost your kitchen’s vintage style. And, of course, if you have a door leading outside from your kitchen, adding a screen door for the summer months is always a welcome touch.
Is your kitchen a good candidate for a vintage-style makeover? If you have a cottage, or any home built from the 1920s to the 1950s, most of the vintage-style additions mentioned here should work well; a home that is much older or newer might not take as well to vintage style. Still, if it’s a look you love, don’t be afraid to sneak in a few fun accessories, no matter the age or style of your home.
2. Period lighting and details
It’s easier than ever to find period-accurate lighting and hardware and these details can make a big difference in the look and feel of your kitchen. If you know the year your home was built, track down lighting and cabinet handles in the style that would have been used at that time (1920s or 1930s, for instance) for a vintage makeover.
3. Refurbished vintage range
Some cooks swear by the heft and power of vintage stoves – and with companies refurbishing them to work in modern kitchens, you can have a vintage range that doesn’t just look the part but works well, too.
It’s easier than ever to find period-accurate lighting and hardware and these details can make a big difference in the look and feel of your kitchen. If you know the year your home was built, track down lighting and cabinet handles in the style that would have been used at that time (1920s or 1930s, for instance) for a vintage makeover.
3. Refurbished vintage range
Some cooks swear by the heft and power of vintage stoves – and with companies refurbishing them to work in modern kitchens, you can have a vintage range that doesn’t just look the part but works well, too.
4. Retro appliances
Another option is to go with new appliances designed with a vintage look. Many kitchen appliance companies turn out refrigerators, stoves and more that fit with a retro aesthetic and come with Energy Star ratings.
Retro or vintage: What’s the difference? These terms tend to be used interchangeably, but more often retro refers to 1940s and 1950s style, while vintage can stretch back to the 1920s.
Another option is to go with new appliances designed with a vintage look. Many kitchen appliance companies turn out refrigerators, stoves and more that fit with a retro aesthetic and come with Energy Star ratings.
Retro or vintage: What’s the difference? These terms tend to be used interchangeably, but more often retro refers to 1940s and 1950s style, while vintage can stretch back to the 1920s.
5. Timber panelling
For a kitchen that channels vintage country or cottage style, panelling is a great way to instantly boost charm. Use it as a splashback, on the base of an island or to cover entire walls. Painted crisp white, buttercream or mint green, timber panelling can bring some soul to even the plainest white box of a kitchen.
6. Country-style sink
A fireclay or porcelain apron-front country-style sink with a gooseneck tap works in any vintage-style kitchen, but it’s more at home in older houses and country homes rather than in mid-century ranches.
For a kitchen that channels vintage country or cottage style, panelling is a great way to instantly boost charm. Use it as a splashback, on the base of an island or to cover entire walls. Painted crisp white, buttercream or mint green, timber panelling can bring some soul to even the plainest white box of a kitchen.
6. Country-style sink
A fireclay or porcelain apron-front country-style sink with a gooseneck tap works in any vintage-style kitchen, but it’s more at home in older houses and country homes rather than in mid-century ranches.
7. Pie safe
This one-time fixture in kitchens is a wooden cabinet fitted with a screen or punched-tin fronts to let the air flow in but keep the bugs out. It still makes a respectable place to cool a pie, but it can also be put to work housing stacks of dishes or pantry goods.
This one-time fixture in kitchens is a wooden cabinet fitted with a screen or punched-tin fronts to let the air flow in but keep the bugs out. It still makes a respectable place to cool a pie, but it can also be put to work housing stacks of dishes or pantry goods.
8. Vintage linens
Whether used as a skirt for a sink or used as intended – for wiping up spills and drying dishes – vintage linens can always find a place in the kitchen. A stack of colourful vintage tea towels is a great way to add a hint of vintage style if the rest of your kitchen is modern and sleek.
Whether used as a skirt for a sink or used as intended – for wiping up spills and drying dishes – vintage linens can always find a place in the kitchen. A stack of colourful vintage tea towels is a great way to add a hint of vintage style if the rest of your kitchen is modern and sleek.
9. Plate rack
A plate rack – either the shelf type shown here or the sort where plates are stored in vertical slots – is both decorative and handy. Keep your best dishes on display or your everyday favourites within easy reach of the table.
A plate rack – either the shelf type shown here or the sort where plates are stored in vertical slots – is both decorative and handy. Keep your best dishes on display or your everyday favourites within easy reach of the table.
10. Diner-style benches and floors
Budget-friendly and hard-wearing, laminate benches with curvy aluminium edging were a staple in 1950s diners and home kitchens alike. These benches – along with checkerboard linoleum floors – were most common from the 1930s to 1950s.
11. Colourful ceramics
The vibrant colours of ceramic dishware look cheerful and bright behind the doors of glass-front cabinets or lined up on open shelves. Bright coloured dinner sets, peaked in popularity mid-century, but are still being produced today.
Budget-friendly and hard-wearing, laminate benches with curvy aluminium edging were a staple in 1950s diners and home kitchens alike. These benches – along with checkerboard linoleum floors – were most common from the 1930s to 1950s.
11. Colourful ceramics
The vibrant colours of ceramic dishware look cheerful and bright behind the doors of glass-front cabinets or lined up on open shelves. Bright coloured dinner sets, peaked in popularity mid-century, but are still being produced today.
12. Jadeite dishes
Milky green jadeite glass, while highly collectible today, was once a budget-friendly and hard-working part of the kitchen, popular during the 1930s and 1940s. The beautiful hue and sturdy construction of the pieces make Jadeite a welcome addition to a vintage-style kitchen today. And even if your space is all clean lines and modern appliances, you can still drink your morning coffee from a jadeite mug.
TELL US
How do you work vintage style into your kitchen? Share a photo in the Comments section.
MORE
Shopping for Vintage Finds … at Grandma’s House
15 Indie Kitchens That Proudly Stand Out From the Crowd
Plan a Modern Bathroom With Plenty of Vintage Glamour
Milky green jadeite glass, while highly collectible today, was once a budget-friendly and hard-working part of the kitchen, popular during the 1930s and 1940s. The beautiful hue and sturdy construction of the pieces make Jadeite a welcome addition to a vintage-style kitchen today. And even if your space is all clean lines and modern appliances, you can still drink your morning coffee from a jadeite mug.
TELL US
How do you work vintage style into your kitchen? Share a photo in the Comments section.
MORE
Shopping for Vintage Finds … at Grandma’s House
15 Indie Kitchens That Proudly Stand Out From the Crowd
Plan a Modern Bathroom With Plenty of Vintage Glamour
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I used black rustoleum paint then took white, light gray, dark gray and black craft paint and sponged it on (I used several different sponges to get the look I wanted) then while paint was still wet I sprinkled on silver paint glitter. Topped it with 3 coats of poly acrylic.
Think outside of Carbonara and Bolognese – get excellent pasta recipes for different pasta types! Cook your pasta Italian-style, enjoy it with sumptuous sauces or light dressings!
@jackiemikkelsen - Love that 70s double oven - we lost ours when we rehabbed our original 70s kitchen - I do love my new kitchen, but I miss that double oven. Does the clock in your oven display make a kind of r-r-r-r-r noise? Ours did - it drove my husband crazy, but I was quite fond of it. :-)
Great job on the countertops, btw.