12 Inspiring Real-Life Vintage Kitchens
Beautiful doesn't have to mean slick and new. See how these older kitchens make the most of their vintage style
We lived in our house for 12 years before we remodeled our kitchen. For 12 years we had original 1941 cabinets, stained Formica counters and a collection of the cheapest white appliances available. Basically, a version of what many homeowners and renters live with.
So, what to do when all you can really afford are a few cans of paint and maybe some dishes? Embrace vintage and strut your unique style.
These 12 kitchens embrace and enhance their vintage style. Many of them are way nicer than our old kitchen, but they are not decor-mag stylish. They are not new and slick and perfect. They are real, lived in and cute as all get-out.
So, what to do when all you can really afford are a few cans of paint and maybe some dishes? Embrace vintage and strut your unique style.
These 12 kitchens embrace and enhance their vintage style. Many of them are way nicer than our old kitchen, but they are not decor-mag stylish. They are not new and slick and perfect. They are real, lived in and cute as all get-out.
White makes everything look fresh and clean. And mismatched chairs, dishes and fabric say, "This is all intentional."
Many older kitchens sorely lack in storage and counter space. Use furniture meant for other things to help you out. This wooden dresser works perfectly as kitchen drawers, and it adds eclectic charm. Also, if you have a fridge that's seen better days, why not cover it with chalkboard paint?
See more about this DIY home makeover
See more about this DIY home makeover
Draw the eye away from less-than-adorable appliances with bright splashes of color. These red accessories look less like a cover-up and more like an intentional design feature.
This is a remodeled new kitchen, but the fun embrace of the chaotic is a great lesson for older kitchens too. The opposite of going all white and uncluttered is to let it all hang out. You just know the person who cooks here is fun to be around.
Here's the other side of the same kitchen, proving that mismatched can be very stylish indeed.
See more of this quirky Texas kitchen
See more of this quirky Texas kitchen
The oldest trick in the book: Paint the cabinets a vintage color and replace the hardware. The rustic island makes it all look intentionally shabby chic. Very cute.
Going monochromatic in a fun, vintage color has a similar result to going all white: It makes everything look fresh and bright.
Embrace the era. This is obviously a remodel, but it does show what enhancing things like dated tile counters by matching colors and accessories can do to an older kitchen.
Nothing about this kitchen is sleek, new or fancy. But everything about it is adorably stylish. Replace yucky lower cabinet doors with a curtain in a cute vintage fabric. Paint your backsplash a fun color. Embrace wild, mismatched, eclectic style.
Go simple, spare and elegant. Vintage pieces like this chandelier and island table are rustic and chic, but not slick or new. The muted colors keep it calm.
This open kitchen succeeds by being utterly eclectic and "matching" the decor around it. Quirkiness and color go a long way toward disguising less-than-perect bones.
See more of this kitchen