Retro delight: Designing a ’70s Kitchen with a Contemporary Twist
1970s style was bold, fun, and championed individuality, making it the perfect inspiration for homeowners wanting to inject new life into their kitchens. Woman & Home magazine recently reported that “searches for 70s-inspired interior design trends have increased 150% and the hashtags #70s decor and #70s interiors have amassed 35.8m and 2.8m views on TikTok to date”.
Colour, pattern, and bagfuls of charm were key features of a 1970s kitchen, but the best way to create a space that looks retro rather than dated is to bring in contemporary elements to keep things looking and feeling fresh. If you want to bring a ’70s twist to your kitchen, here are three ways you can do so.
1. Handleless Cabinetry
“A popular choice in the 1960s and 70s, the handleless kitchen has experienced a rapid resurgence in recent years thanks to the growing preference for smooth, sleek interiors,” explain the professional kitchen designers at Harvey Jones. This is ideal if you want a chic minimalist look with clean lines, plus removing handles offers more space as there will be no overhang from your cabinetry.
There are downsides to the handleless design, such as dust and crumbs falling into the recess you pull open, plus these cabinets can be more expensive than those with handles. However, it’s a no-brainer if you want a striking kitchen that lets the cabinetry do all the talking.
You can choose from cabinets incorporating J-shaped handles or rails into the doors and drawers, or a push-to-open mechanism. To further embrace the ’70s look, choose warm woods to evoke the organic aesthetic that was popular at the time, or yellows, oranges and greens for bright yet earthy tones.
2. Retro Appliances
Updating your kitchen is a great excuse to invest in some ’70s-style appliances. For example, slow cookers (most notably the Crock Pot) really took off in the 1970s as more women entered the workforce. “The Crock Pot arrived alongside Tupperware, microwaves and frozen dinners, all promising greater convenience for working women and their families,” writes Michelle Delgado for Smithsonian magazine. “In fact, a 1975 advertisement that ran in the Washington Post explicitly branded the Crock Pot as “perfect for working women.” Other popular gadgets included SodaStreams, water and ice dispensers, stand mixers, and toasted sandwich makers.
If you want to keep your appliances to a minimum, swap out existing ones for eye-catching retro designs. Smeg and Swan, for instance, are two brands that are well-known for their retro-style gadgets such as kettles, fridges, and coffee makers. Pair a bold color with stainless steel detailing to pepper fun ’70s twists throughout your kitchen.
3. ’70s Tile Designs
Incorporating tiles into your kitchen is a great way to include ’70s-style colors and patterns. The brighter the better, according to boutique interior store founder Devika Kanadé, who told Homes and Gardens magazine that: “It all symbolized freedom. The freedom to be creative, to break away from rigid ‘typical’ colors and shades that were used in spaces. The 70s were synonymous with laid back and relaxed living while being funky and cool at the same time.”
Floral-patterned tiles in vibrant hues are a great way to nod to the flower power movement, while abstract and geometric prints effortlessly capture the ’70s aesthetic. Splashbacks and flooring are the obvious places to add tiling and while there’s nothing wrong with combining different colors and patterns for a playful look, resist going too over the top. Ensure the overall look is clean and combines old with new to create the perfect ’70s-style contemporary kitchen.
Author Bio:
Kyle Olsan is a professional writer and blogger who uses his expertise, skills, and personal experience in digital marketing to craft content that resonates with audiences. Deep down, he believes that if you cannot do great things, then you can do small things in a great way. To learn more, you can connect with him online.
