When you decide to remodel your kitchen, it’s your chance to choose which design to use. If you love the look of vintage kitchens, a remodel could be your chance to bring that theme into your kitchen. According to Architectural Digest, when remodeling their homes, homeowners most want to renovate their kitchens, and they dedicate the most significant portion of their remodeling budget to their kitchens. Here are some guidelines for recreating your kitchen with the vintage theme you’ve been dreaming about.
Time to Finance Your Vintage Kitchen
According to CliqStudios, the national average cost for a kitchen remodel is almost $27K. Few people have that much cash, so most remodelers need a loan. Whether you choose a personal loan or borrow against the equity in your home, be careful to keep current with your loan payments. After all, creditors can garnish one-quarter of your net pay, if you fall behind.
Time to Get Family Input
Before selecting the materials and fixtures for your kitchen, ask your family members what they might like. For example, white walls were most frequently used in vintage palettes, but accents typically featured pastel colors like mint green, baby blue, or yellow. Other choices your family can weigh in on include the selection of curtains and floor tiles.
Time to Mix Modern and Vintage
If you want to retain the efficiency of modern appliances while displaying the retro features of a vintage kitchen, rest assured it can be done. According to EnergyStar, refrigerators that earn its iconic star are at least 15% more efficient than the federal minimum standard refrigerators. Imaginative homeowners can access that extra efficiency by removing the handles of modern refrigerators and replacing them with vintage-inspired handles and hinges. Using patterned tiles or repurposed hardwood on your floor, your kitchen will look vintage despite any modern appliances.
Time to Incorporate Safety
Despite the vintage appearance of your kitchen, modern safety standards are still mandatory. If there’s any doubt about the safety of the electrical wiring or plumbing in your home, contact a professional contractor. If you’re inexperienced at connecting appliances to the local power lines or water source, get some help with the connection. Safety for you and your family should always be your primary consideration.
Time to Feature Nostalgia
If you want a vintage appearance for your kitchen, use nostalgic design elements. For example, instead of classic pictures or wall hangings, you can hang replicas of nostalgic ads on the walls. Find a vintage shadowbox or shelf, and fill it with replicas of vintage medicine bottles or old cosmetic containers. When you choose curtains or lampshades, select vintage patterns such as copies of old-fashioned postcards or book covers.
Time to Add an Aged Appearance
Even if you choose a modern appliance, you can change its appearance. Contact paper can easily be pressed over the appliance’s surface. These inexpensive adhesive surfaces can provide a solid pastel color. Alternately, these adhesives can provide an off-white color with faux edges resembling peeling paint or an age-cracked patina.
Time for an Open Workspace
You can give your vintage kitchen a more spacious appearance. Create a bump-out feature in the kitchen by removing a side wall and building an expansion on the kitchen. The elongation of the kitchen will allow a transformed workflow in the kitchen. This extended area inside the kitchen could also allow for the addition of an old-fashioned picnic table or a little corner nook where a handmade quilt or a fireplace might stand.
A vintage-style kitchen will evoke a feeling of comfort and calm. Adding white walls and pastel accents will lend an atmosphere of welcome and hospitality. By adding nostalgic pictures or decorative elements, you’ll add whimsy and joy to each time you use your kitchen. Using these guidelines, you’ll have the vintage kitchen you’ve been hoping for.
Leave a Reply