Although ultra-modern kitchen spaces, with their sleek lines and high gloss finishes may look fabulous, they sometimes lack that warm and cosy feel. If you’d like something vintage that harkens back to a time when the family sat around the dinner table, then why not give your kitchen a 1950’s makeover?

How to Use Vintage Kitchen Design Ideas in your Home

Kitchen Paint Colors

You wouldn’t think it now but the 1950s ushered in modern kitchen design. Where previously kitchen colors tended to be dull browns and beiges, the fifties saw kitchen units in a range of pastel colors and even some bolder blues, pinks and greens. By comparison to farmhouse-style, the new kitchens were positively space age. It was the post-war era and the fresh designs were in stark contrast to the austere times and rationing. You can paint the walls magnolia to make your units pop or be brave and go for a contrasting shade.

Retro kitchens from the 50’s and 60’s are coming back into style!

Image via: Kitchen Kaboodle

Kitchen Flooring & Windows

To get a truly authentic vintage feel, the floor should be linoleum, either black and white tiles or a bright solid, with a subtle pattern. And regardless of health and safety, these floors were wax polished so often, you could have used them as an ice rink. Café curtains are perfectly in style for the 1950s kitchen and are easy and inexpensive to make yourself. The beauty of café curtains is that they let in plenty of light through the top half of the window, while still offering privacy.

Kitchen Cabinets & Kitchen Units

Kitchen cabinets or vintage kitchen units are both scarce and expensive. Having a bespoke fifties kitchen built will also require a big budget. A more affordable option is to buy some standard kitchen doors in a suitable color and simply fit them to your existing kitchen units. Formica was all the rage back then, so make sure the replacement kitchen doors have a high gloss finish to mimic the look. Handles are an important part of authenticity, so avoid long bars and choose ‘D’, cup or letterbox styles instead. Sliding, concertina and roll top doors were typical of the period, so try to incorporate these into your design.

This Smeg retro refrigerator keeps the 50’s feel along with modern touches mixed in

Image via: Smeg Appliances

Dining Room Sets

The iconic dinette tables of this vintage era aren’t difficult to make. All you need is some MDF, laminate in a bright color, metal trim for the edges and some thin, metal legs. You can also get MDF discs, upholster them with foam and vinyl, and then attach matching legs for your dinette stools. Using counter tops for informal dining also became popular in the 1950s, especially for dividing the kitchen from the dining room. Simply put a row of units at right angles to the wall and extend the counter top by 45-60cm, to allow for stools and legroom.

Kitchen Table & Kitchen Appliances, Accessories

Smeg creates a wonderful range of appliances in a 50s retro style. You can also check out auctions for typical kitchenalia, such as a Pyrex coffee percolator, vintage Tupperware or a starburst wall clock. If you have the space, why not display some original packets and tins from the period? And of course it’s essential that you have at least one frilly apron, as the fifties housewife would never think of entering the kitchen without wearing one!

With a little ingenuity and elbow grease, you can give your kitchen a comforting ambiance of yesteryear, even on a limited budget.

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