How Retro do You Go?

 

I will never, ever, and I mean NEVER EVER get sick of looking at and admiring vintage kitchens!  Even though I have personally just redecorated my kitchen into more of a farm style, I know that it won’t be too long before the vintage look makes its way back.  Anyone who loves or appreciates anything vintage will understand exactly what I mean.  But when trying to write this post, I found myself struggling to put into words just what it is about the vintage kitchen look that I so much love.  Upon thinking, I have found that it contains both physical and mental attributes.  The idea of family, homey-ness, and just good old fashioned cooking makes up the mental appeal. But to describe the physical, I had to find some examples…..

First off,  take a look at this kitchen below:

 

Ahhhhhhh!   It looks so appealing, clean, sunny, and fresh!  From the striped cushions, the plate rack above the sink, to the geranium in the windowsill, everything oozes welcome and home.  But what is stopping me from creating a kitchen just like this?  Well besides the fact that I would have to do some major reconstruction, the idea of a tiled wall just seems a little out of date.

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Historical Housekeeping: Creating a Country/Vintage Inspired Kitchen

Fresh and clean describe the condition of my ideal kitchen – maybe with a slight lemon scent in the air.  Colorful, cheery, and old-fashioned describe the feel of my ideal kitchen.  While organizing and purging my kitchen cabinets a few weeks ago, I was delighted to find several pieces that I had purchased over the years.  One of my newly discovered favorites was a cream colored, milk pitcher.  It now holds a continuous bouquet of fresh wildflowers on my counter.

Although we may all have modern kitchens, that doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to keep that old, vintage, farmhouse look alive.  While my dream kitchen features a 1920’s range, my real kitchen features a Whirlpool gas oven.  Not quite the same thing – but it helps to have an old tin canister resting on top holding my cooking utensils!

Since I live my life on a budget (like so many of us) I find that well purchased decorations can make a large impact on the overall feel and mood of a room.  Here are a few of my favorite ways to decorate one’s kitchen:

april kitchen decorations

That wooden Breakfast sign I purchased for $30 at a local antique store…best spent $30 ever! 🙂

While decorations add to the look of a room, fabric adds to it’s comfort and warmth.  From tea towels, curtains, placemats, or table cloths, the tone and texture of fabric shows not only one’s personality, but that warm country feeling.

Here are a few unique types of fabric you could include in your kitchen.  Adjust the color, pattern, and weight to suit your own style!

april kitchen fabrics

 

Remember, creativity, not money, should be our guide as we find ways to bring the past into out modern lives…one tin canister at a time!

~ Aimee

Free Resources for creating your dream kitchen:

Free Retro Themed Kitchen Embroidery Patterns

Free Vintage Themed Kitchen Decals

Free Kitchen Cafe Curtain Pattern

 Steps to Create Wild Flower Arrangements

Free 1920’s Apron Tutorial…from me! :-0