If you are fascinated by vintage and every occasion is a good one to buy a unique piece from another era at antique markets, then you are in the right place!
The vintage kitchen has an irresistible charm for everyone and brings to mind long-gone eras or simply grandmother’s kitchen.
Vintage is not just a trend, today it is much more.
Furnishing in vintage style means searching for objects that have fallen into oblivion, often stored and forgotten in the attic, giving a second life to retro appliances and furniture and recovering objects and furniture that resist time, underlining the preciousness of the material with which they are made.
How to furnish a vintage style kitchen
The first advice we want to give you is to follow a logical path in composing your vintage style kitchen, but above all be careful not to mix different eras thus obtaining a chaotic effect.
Generally, those who furnish a kitchen in vintage style hark back to the years of the economic boom, i.e. the ’50s and ’60s , the era in which kitchens became an increasingly pleasant and functional place to live with the family.
Try to furnish the kitchen in a balanced and tidy way by carefully choosing the vintage pieces to insert, combining them with modern technologies.
Collect ideas, inspirations, vintage photos to design your vintage kitchen from scratch.
Vintage 1950s kitchen
The fifties: the birth of design and rock’n roll music, the economic boom. The desire for redemption and innovation is evident in all fields, even in interior design.
We are witnessing the introduction of new materials and original and particular furnishing elements.
Among the various domestic environments, the kitchen is the one that undergoes the main changes: the 1950s kitchens are a great retro classic, with a timeless charm.
Pastel colors, such as baby blue, mint green or baby pink, are perfect, in pure American vintage style.
Open shelving, shiny surfaces, vintage appliances: these are the fundamental elements of 1950s kitchens.
The furniture that cannot be missing in a retro-inspired kitchen is undoubtedly the Formica table which can be combined with padded plastic seats, also in different shapes and shades.
A very important object in post-war kitchen design is certainly the refrigerator, strictly in lacquered metal, with a rounded shape.
Vintage 60s kitchen
If the ’50s wanted simple and harmonious shapes, the ’60s are a riot of sinuous and whimsical shapes with a slightly futuristic taste.
Put aside pastel colors and focus everything on color contrasts , patterns, fluorescent colors, floral motifs and psychedelic shapes.
Choose an eccentric wallpaper, perhaps striped, with polka dots in shades of light blue, white, red and blue or with an optical or pop art motif that recalls the taste of the time.
Illuminate your kitchen with a colored and/or alternatively shaped pendant lamp, which recalls the design revolution that characterized those years.
Let us breathe an air of freedom and creativity at the highest levels, therefore free rein to colors, patterns and shapes.
Vintage 70s kitchen
Simple and linear, almost minimalist shapes describe the vintage 70s style kitchen. The furniture is minimal and simple, elegant and beautiful, rather than functional.
The creativity of the time gave rise to whimsical but at the same time basic and essential furniture ; wood in its darker shades dominates in the furniture.
For the first time since the Second World War, the house becomes a source of pride to show to guests and thanks to the figure of the interior designer, more work is done on the design and the final effect rather than on the materials.
Retro colors and materials
To marry the vintage 50s style , choose pastel shades such as forest green, denim blue, corn yellow and beige.
Recreate a 60s style kitchen by choosing classic colors such as cream, brown and black but also strong shades and fluorescent contrasts.
Play with the contrasts between black and white in the geometric and psychedelic designs typical of the “hippie” era. Mix materials such as plastic and wood with bright colors and rounded, sensual shapes.
Wood with dark shades and a more rustic effect for the 70s kitchen . Strong color tones, graphic and floral plays on fabrics and wallpaper; the furniture and furnishing accessories are shiny, made of glass or very colored plastic.
A gallery to inspire you
Walls and floors
To give a bold touch to your vintage-style kitchen, start from the walls and floors.
While on the walls we have already provided you with some important ideas such as the use of wallpaper or specific colors depending on the era, on the floors we have not yet delighted you with our advice.
Choose a floor with original period tiles , a black and white checkered floor for a truly incredible optical effect or in grit typical of the 60s and 70s.
Dare with a 60s-style flowered floor but pay attention to the spaces you have available and the colors you intend to choose.
Use tiles as a covering for a built-in kitchen or as a backsplash in a classic kitchen.
Must have for a vintage style kitchen
For a cover-worthy vintage style kitchen, here are some pieces of furniture you can’t do without.
- Exposed shelves : a vintage style kitchen is beautiful because it is a lived-in kitchen that should be admired. Choose metal shelves and bars to display your furnishing accessories and appliances.
- Colorful sideboards or wooden cupboards : the touch of class in the kitchen is a “sweet sixties” style cupboard or a wooden cupboard where you can store crockery and food supplies.
- Vintage appliances : don’t give up on colorful appliances with a streamline aesthetic. For a unique and inimitable retro touch, don’t give up on the rounded refrigerator that recalls the flavor of the 1950s. Whether you choose it in a soft color or a bright color, to give that touch of color to the entire kitchen, the refrigerator is a unique piece that combines design and functionality.
- Vintage chairs and table : if you look in the cellar or in the second-hand markets, you will find the right chairs for your vintage kitchen. The classic structure with colored seat and backrest bring a note of cheerfulness and are a must in the kitchen. Combine them with a wooden table with marble top.
- Wooden plate rack : for that vintage touch that can never be missing, the wooden plate rack is a must have that you can’t say no to. Choose it in wood or in shades that contrast with the rest of the kitchen: use it to display dishes or hang beautiful copper pots.
- Display cabinet : the ideal place to store glasses, plates and serving sets.
- Wall decorations : enrich the walls with vintage prints, posters and images that take you back to old French bistros and patisseries or advertisements of the past.
