When looking for a way to refresh your kitchen design, it can be tempting to try to find modern and advanced elements to make your kitchen look super trendy. But looking to the future is not the only way to bring your kitchen to life. Take a look at the past and take design tips from your grandmother’s kitchen for a unique look.
Specifically, let’s look at the kitchens of the 60s and 70s.
Don’t be afraid of color
You can associate the interior design of the 70s with avocado bath and bright orange infused in every small detail of the kitchen. It’s probably best if those stay in the past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with color.
The trend these days is to have kitchen cabinets in traditional colors, with appliances in just one of a handful of colors. Be brave and experiment with some colors, such as bright or soothing red pastels. Incorporate color into your cabinets, decor, backsplash and more.
Use matching kitchenware
Your kitchen cabinets are probably full of kitchen utensils. You buy pots, pans, bowls and glasses as you need them. But your grandmother’s cabinets looked very different. She probably had a large set of kitchenware and everything was matched. In addition, it all had colorful and fun designs, making mealtime seem more of a joyous occasion than a formal event.
Yes, it can be expensive to replace all your kitchenware—unless you’re getting married soon, in which case you should definitely put the entire kit and caboodle on your registry and hope for the best. But you can start small by identifying a collection you love and buying things like salt and pepper shakers or flour and sugar jars first, as they are typically displayed out in the open and can enhance the overall look of the kitchen. your immediately.
Display things in a hutch
Some things are too beautiful to use, in which case you should display them in a hutch. These cabinets come in all shapes and sizes, from basic design to large and grandiose. Often there is a central cabinet with glass doors where you can display things that are quite valuable, such as an old tea set or vintage glasses. Show everything that is meaningful to you.
At the same time, you can strategically place decorations, such as small statuettes, framed photos or even a fake bouquet of flowers, in the hutch as well, which will help tie everything together in your overall scheme.
Find vintage appliances
It is still possible to find vintage appliances that have a very unique look compared to the modern behemoths in our kitchens. They typically have a rounded or softer outline, come in a variety of colors, and have very unique configurations. For example, many vintage ovens have smaller interiors, or have interiors that are divided into two compartments for better multi-tasking cooking. They can even have storage drawers along the side and bottom.
If you want a kitchen like no other, find vintage appliances or new appliances that mimic old designs. Take things a step further by placing your devices in different areas than they are “meant” to go. If you’re going to be tearing down your old kitchen anyway, design the cabinets and fixtures in a way that makes it easy to switch things out. Many older stoves are much larger and make large pieces on their own, for example.
Add metal rims
Metal rims can be found everywhere in older kitchens. They are most typically around counters, but this design element was also commonly incorporated into tables and chairs, appliances and cabinets. If you want to really go all out in creating a vintage kitchen, metal rims are the way to go.
By invoking the style of the kitchen your grandparents had in their home, you can instantly make your own kitchen feel cozy and nostalgic, with subtle reminders of your family’s love and the idyllic days of -your childhood enjoying grandma’s cooking.
Cathy Habas is a professional freelance writer based in Louisville, KY. As a contributor to Dirtwirx.com, landscaping, landscape design, interior design and home improvement are her main areas of focus.
