Tips for Decorating a Retro Kitchen

Whether you consider yourself a professional designer (such as one of our expert interior designers/decorators) or your design skills are more “novice,” you have undoubtedly heard of the “retro” style. Anything considered old-fashioned, from yesteryear, or out of date is referred to as retro. However, because history has a habit of repeating itself, some items and styles from 20, or 30 years ago are now considered trendy; thus, anything from your parent’s old sofa to your grandparents’ fridge can be considered retro.

Although the retro style can be applied to any room, the kitchen appears to be the most popular. And, with so many vintage options available nowadays, it only makes sense to have a clear-headed guide offering you some tips and tricks on how to best give your kitchen a retro look.

So, if you’ve always wanted a retro kitchen, start by planning the following:

Retro designs
Fortunately, you don’t have to cover your entire kitchen in retro patterns. Simply choose one main space for it (such as a focal wall) and slap some geometric patterns on it with wallpaper to make your kitchen look like a stylish throwback.

Cabinet color schemes
Although we have nothing against neutral colors, your retro-style kitchen deserves more distinct tones such as pickle, sage, teal, pastels, and so on. So, consider which colors will work best with your cabinet design, or leave them colorless if you’d rather spread some color elsewhere (such as your décor, wallpaper, etc.). You could combine the colors with your elements such as a copper range hood. Keep that in mind.

Experiment with tiling
You can’t go wrong with classic black-and-white tiling in a vintage setting. This will look fantastic with any retro-style colors you decide to use in your kitchen. Remember that those white spots are great for attracting and reflecting incoming light, whether natural or artificial.

Take good care of your windows
Replace those modern-looking blinds with curtains that feature a vintage print or pattern. If you can’t find the perfect curtains for your retro kitchen, why not go to a fabric store and make your own?

Don’t overlook retro artwork
You don’t have to redo your entire kitchen; simply adding a few vintage-style prints (like those old-school Coca-Cola advertisements, for example) to the wall can give it a slightly retro vibe.

Choose colorful appliances
You can’t play with the retro vibe without incorporating some bright colors. Consider retro-style appliances such as a mint-green SMEG fridge, a classic toaster in duck-egg blue, a Big Chill retro dishwasher in warm orange, and so on to ensure those colors take up adequate space.

An abundance of light
When looking at vintage designer kitchens, you’ll notice that they’re all bathed in light. Consider increasing the light source in your kitchen (via more lighting fixtures, larger windows, or even a skylight) to bring in as much light and air as possible.

Why not, if your budget allows for a lot of little extras that can help you save time? What do you think about a filtration faucet that provides cold, filtered drinking water? Or how about a handy pot filler faucet right above your stove? Lotion- or soap dispensers are ideal for regular handwashing (and cleaner countertops).

When shopping for kitchen faucets, take the time to consider all of your options and consult with professionals to ensure that your chosen faucets will not only make your kitchen more functional and enjoyable but also more visually appealing.

When discussing modern decor, you cannot overlook the modern minimalist style and the stunning decor that can be created using it. A beautiful decor could be created by keeping the colour and style in harmony with the dining table in the kitchen or the open-plan kitchen integrated with the dining room. The decor is held together by everything being black and white. The paintings add a splash of colour to the decor, elevating its elegance. It’s ideal!