Retro, in simple words, refers to anything that is outdated, vintage, or old-styled. However, there are obviously times when such retro things become the trend in the modern times, and surprisingly, become as popular as ever. Usually, anything that is older than 15 to 20 years can be termed as retro. So, for example, chairs that were built in the 1980s or 1990s would be called as retro chairs as of today.
via: housetohome
The same is true with retro kitchens. Again, to put simply, retro kitchens can be referred to as old-styled kitchens or those that come with a rather vintage look. These kitchen designs have become quite popular once again, and as they now can boost of a rather vintage appeal, they’ve probably become the ideal choice for many over the modern designs.
via:decoist
A short overview of what a retro kitchen is all about
A retro kitchen means designing your kitchen the traditional way. This includes going for traditional and vintage looking home décor and other accessories. Such kitchens offer a rather vintage and elegant look, not to mention they simply stand out from the lot.
Let us now take a look at how to go a
head with designing a retro kitchen
via: hendersonandredfearn
Deciding on a color palette
Deciding on a color palette is probably one of the most important things involved while going for retro kitchens. After all, they tend to differ from their modern counterparts considerably, so deciding on a color can be quite important in order to restore that vintage look.
The most popular color options for a retro kitchen seem to browns, blues, as well as oranges. These seem to be the rather typical colors used for designing retro kitchens. Now, you need to get paint cards of the colors that will match well with the colors you’ve chosen to design your kitchen. This can too be quite an important thing to keep in mind, as there are a lot of colors which may not go well with such colors used for designing a retro kitchen. Hence, this will ensure that you buy accessories of only those colors which go well with the colors you’ve chosen.
via: general butor
Windows and walls
You need to plan about how you’d go about designing your kitchen’s windows and walls before going shopping for the kitchen décor and other accessories that’ll be needed. The first thing you’re supposed to consider is how they’ll look with the retro colors you’re going with. Furthermore, you can probably even consider giving your kitchen a more retro look by going for the different window treatments. One of the easiest things you can do to achieve this is get vintage curtains for your windows. This’ll probably give your kitchen a more vintage and classy look.
via: decoist
Lighting
Well, this is an area where quite a few people seem to be getting mistaken at. A retro kitchen may usually demand lighting that comes with a rather vintage and funky look. However, some people, in order to go for such type of lightings, compromise on the practicality front. They simply overlook whether those lightings are turning out to be very effective for their kitchen or not. Making this mistake might land you in a situation where the lighting may look vintage and cool as well as go well with the retro theme of your kitchen, but may not light your kitchen enough.
via: decoist
Décor, accessories, and other things
Thanks to retro kitchens being quite popular nowadays, you can find almost everything they need, including the décor, accessories, furniture, and so on, without compromising on the retro theme of your kitchen in any way. In fact, you may find quite a lot of options that will actually add an even more retro look to your kitchen.
To start with, pottery and dish towels are something worth considering for retro kitchens. A lot of people like to compliment the retro look of their kitchen by getting a retro table, a retro fridge, a retro chair, even a retro oven, and so on. Retro chairs, too, can be a great option to go for as well. After all, they’re something that highlights the look of your kitchen, and if they reflect a retro and vintage look, the overall look will be very eye-catching.
via: decoist
As far as the furniture is concerned, it’s usually recommended to go for chrome furniture or the type which was considered modern in the late 1960s. They tend to go pretty well with retro kitchens. Also, as furniture is something that covers a considerable portion of the place, it’s not something one can compromise on, especially while going for a retro kitchen.
Finally, it seems that sometimes there can be a lot of confusion while choosing the best accessories, furniture, and décor for a retro kitchen. This may sometimes lead to having to buy all of them all over again, which can be tremendously expensive. Hence, it’s always recommended to choose them wisely, maybe do put in some research if needed, but don’t settle for something in a hurry only to discover that it doesn’t go well with the retro look of your kitchen.
Vintage stuff can be the way to go
It’s probably a bit obvious, but still seems worth mentioning. One of the easiest things one can consider doing for ensuring that perfect retro look is to fill the kitchen with vintage items. This doesn’t mean buying tons of things you don’t even need. However, it simply means that when you’re buying all the stuff for your retro kitchen, try going for as much vintage stuff as possible. This is probably the best thing you can do to ensure a natural retro look, rather than trying to give one.
via: housetohome
Such vintage items can be found at quite a lot of places. These include the garage sales, thrift shops, and even attics. Furthermore, if you know the right places to search for them, you may as well manage to find quite a few of them online as well.
Supplementing the retro look
There’s probably a basic retro look, and then there’s a deep or advanced retro look. The first one is obviously making your kitchen look like a bit different from the modern designs, while the second one aims at making it stand out completely. If you’re looking to go for the second one, you might as well consider getting artwork and atomic clocks. You can consider hanging them wherever possible in your kitchen. Placing salt and pepper shakers wherever they can be placed seems like an idea as well.
via: housetohome
The final touches
Though a lot of people may not take the final touches very seriously while designing a retro kitchen, they tend to be quite important. In fact, sometimes, the overall retro look of your kitchen may well depend on how successfully you’ve given the final decorative touches. This is actually something that demands a bit of creativity from you. You’ll need to think of some unique ways that’ll help enhance the overall retro look of your kitchen.
via: room decor ideas
A final word
A retro kitchen may well stand out from all the modern designs they come up with nowadays. Also, depending on how well you’ve managed to achieve that retro look, your kitchen may look amazing overall, as the vintage feel is something very rare, and usually not achievable in kitchens designed in a modern way.
As a final advice, it’s worth mentioning that overdoing your décor and accessories for giving a retro look isn’t recommended as well, including your retro chair, retro table, retro fridge, retro oven, and so on. This may make things look weird. Hence, you can consider putting a limit on how extreme you plan to go with getting that retro feel.
via: room decor ideas
