Retro is hip — again!
Retro kitchens were forward-thinking, clean-lined and edgy in their day, and they still give off that aura decades later.
[find-an-apartment]When you want to spruce up a generic apartment kitchen on a tight budget, going retro will give you a delightful range of colors, period items and other ideas to play with.
Before you begin, a little planning will move you a long way toward success in your decorating project.
Retro research
Using pieces of the past is a time-honored decorating tradition, and retro involves the specific use of old elements mixed with the new. Think of modern kitchens that selectively draw stylistic elements from the 1930s through the 1960s, and you’ll get a good idea of the basis for the retro style.
Retro kitchens celebrate color and chrome, the bold elements of a modern industrial world recovering from two devastating world wars. Whether buying kitchen towels, a teapot, new tile, or a breadbox, look for turquoise, apple green, bright red, and black and white colors. Bright yellow, orange and a few others also fit the retro spirit. The gleam and clean lines of chrome, whether in bar stools, drawer handles, countertop edgings or other elements, highlight the modernity of the style.
Survey online retro kitchen photos for ideas that spark appeal. Decide whether you like a particular decade’s look, like the 1950s, or if you want to grab ideas from throughout the 20th century to mix together.
Next, visit brick-and-mortar stores and start shopping in earnest. If you’re on a tight budget, vintage retail shops offer great deals on second-hand retro merchandise. Try the Salvation Army or your aunt’s attic — anywhere you think you’ll find something fun and old school to incorporate.
Find even more ideas for your apartment kitchen!
Retro renovations
For more extensive renovations, consider retro-look appliances, a glass tile backsplash and perhaps a big 1930s farmhouse sink. A black-and-white alternating pattern of floor tile (sometimes called subway tile) is another bold statement that goes well with splashes of bright red and turquoise elsewhere in the kitchen.
What’s important to remember about creating a retro kitchen is to make it inviting and cheerful. Don't forget to let the light in with semi-sheer curtains. A few houseplants on the windowsill may be the perfect finishing touch for your thoughtfully-arranged and energetic retro kitchen. Remember that retro decorating celebrates the past in ways that highlight a connection to the energy, vitality and cheerfulness of today.