Then & Now: Retro Kitchens Today
March 4, 2008
Remember this aqua-blue kitchen I showed you in the post about Retro Kitchens? It was a page out of a vintage Better Homes and Gardens decorating book from 1956, and I thought it actually looked like something you might find in a magazine today, especially with the stainless-steel appliances.
Well, imagine my surprise when I opened a recent issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine to discover a photo of a contemporary kitchen that looks remarkably similar.
I wish it had scanned a little better than this–I spent an hour trying to track the photo down on the BHG website with no luck (hey, BHG, you need to make it easier to search for homes featured in your issues!)–but I think you can see the similarities. All it’s missing is the graphic wallpaper and the linoleum floor. This couple replaced theirs with a light-toned wood that warms it up a bit. They also replaced their original laminate countertops that had been edged in chrome with stainless-steel ones.
Interestingly, the house was built in 1936, despite its distinctly ’50s vibe. The owners say it was “ahead of its time” with its modernist design.
Pick up the February ‘08 issue of Better Homes & Gardens to read about the couple who restored this kitchen to its former glory.
If You’re Hooked on Retro Rooms:
- I Can’t Get Enough of 1950s Kitchens
- A 1950s Kitchen with a Portable Stereo Cart
- Retro Living Rooms from 1956
If You’re New Here: Hooked on Houses features decorating inspiration, celebrity house tours, fabulous before and afters, real estate news, fantasy open houses and more fun stuff. I love hearing from my readers, so I hope you’ll leave a comment and join the conversation! To see what we’re talking about today, click the “Home” button at the top of the page.
Entry Filed under: Appliance Trends, Retro Rooms. Tags: 1950s, appliances, Before & After, Better Homes and Gardens, blue, cabinets, Decorating, Flooring, kitchen, modern, retro, stainless-steel.
14 Comments Add your own
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed
1.
maya | March 4, 2008 at 6:59 pm
it’s so pretty (both of them). i’m not sure i’d want all that blue, though. but it does look really clean.
2.
hookedonhouses | March 4, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Yeah, I think it would be a little cold for me. But I think it’s interesting how easily they made an old kitchen look new (those are the original blue cabinets). And I love the windowed corner (they added this).
3.
Amy | March 5, 2008 at 9:45 am
I have that issue of BHG and really liked the kitchen. It looks better than my current kitchen
I don’t think it’s a style I’d do though. I appreciate retro much more in someone else’s space.
4.
Wanderluster | March 5, 2008 at 10:57 am
I like the colour and brightness of the kitchen…though like other ‘retro’ styles, I think it will be out of style again at some point (and more quickly than other more classic styles).
5.
Melody from ~Pennies In M&hellip | March 5, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I need your help….totally has nothing to do with this post at all, but I’m going to ask anyway since you know oh-so-much about houses!
I’m looking for some good websites with bathroom decor. We’re building a custom home and I need to get some ideas for tile, tubs and sinks for the bathrooms. I’m usually pretty creative, but I’m drawing blanks. I have a few ideas, but can’t find a ‘good’ website with inspiration. Any ideas? I’ve googled every combination of wording and haven’t been able to find much.
THANKS!
~melody~
6.
hookedonhouses | March 5, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hi, Melody! Always great to see you here.
I’ll see what I can come up with for you as soon as I have a chance (I’m working on a killer book deadline right now that is sapping all of my time and brain cells), but let’s throw it out there and see if anyone has any good resources they know of for you.
I know they have those specialty mags devoted entirely to bathrooms, but I don’t have any websites on my list of faves that is just on that topic.
Any thoughts from anyone else? We’d love to hear them! Maybe I’ll start compiling a gallery of bathroom pics as soon as I get this project turned in. That could be fun!
-Julia
7.
maya | March 5, 2008 at 5:27 pm
you should start an “ask hooked on houses” column. weekly? bi-weekly? i’m sure you get emails all the time.
8.
Aubrey | March 7, 2008 at 2:20 am
How funny, when I saw your post about the kitchen, I thought about the BHG article. I love how the kitchens look so fresh and bright and I think there’s something about that color that’s reviving. Is there a way to email you? I got an email about a local (well, Utah) house that I want to send you–I think you might like to see the pictures.
9.
Kimberly Ann | March 12, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I’ve been contemplating a kitchen redo in aqua and red. I think these photos have convinced me to give it a try.
10.
Melissa @ The Inspired Ro&hellip | March 12, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Cracking up, that first picture looks exactly like a kitchen in a house I owned about 12 years ago. Same layout and everything.
11.
hookedonhouses | March 13, 2008 at 10:14 am
Kimberly Ann–I say go for it. And send us photos when you get it done!
12.
André Shapps | May 28, 2008 at 4:39 am
I LOVE the coIour of that kitchen!
In case it’s of any interest, my wife and I are in the process of renovating our kitchen, using original 50s aluminium English Rose Kitchen units which we are sourcing and restoring. We are actually thinking of coating the floor run something like that colour, or maybe a bit more towards turquoise.
I’m blogging the whole thing at http://www.englishrosekitchen.co.uk so you can follow the highs and lows of the process.
13. The Big Chill: Cool Retro&hellip | July 22, 2008 at 9:30 am
[...] Stainless-Steel Appliances in a 1950s Kitchen [...]
14.
Janice | August 24, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I love the retro stuff! I have an old farmhouse that was built in the 1920’s and I’m trying to find a way to decorate in keeping with the old ways. Its hard to find just the right look. Thanks for the pictures!