Reader Laurie waited more than two years to close on the house of her dreams — which was stuck in what seemed like endless foreclosure. Now that it’s a done deal, Laurie is trying to spiff up the house before moving in and unpacking all her long-collected retro goodies. Amidst all her excitement, Laurie emailed us for help with her Retro Design Dilemma: Choosing the wall color for her mostly original retro kitchen is making her lose sleep. Read on for her story, and our kitchen color ideas…
Laurie decided to keep the original laminate counter tops (#5 on Pam’s Most Endangered List.) She also told us would be keeping the original red-and-beige checkerboard resilient floors.***See Pam’s boxed comment at the end of this article about making sure you know what materials are in your old floors.
So here’s what Laurie had to say about her Design Dilemma:
I guess my biggest question is, if I have a pink topped table with flecks of grey (chrome legs) with pink and grey chairs, and the counters are like a beige or tan color WHAT DO I PAINT MY WALLS ? My valances are going to be pretty busy, the aqua and pink ‘Whats cookin’ fabric…. We purchased white appliances from Sears. The shiny white not the ones with a texture. These are the questions I am losing sleep over! ANY advice/help is MUCH needed and appreciated. Thank you.
Kate responds to Laurie’s Design Dilemma:
Fear not Laurie! The answer to your retro design dilemma is as easy as doodling… atomic doodling that is. Upon seeing Laurie’s kitchen, Pam immediately suggested this wallpaper from Bradbury & Bradbury called Atomic Doodle.
The colors in this wallpaper coordinate perfectly with Laurie’s kitchen. The metallic copper on the wallpaper (which reads almost as a yellow) echos the original, warm wood cabinets and tan laminate counter tops. And, the pink blends with her checkerboard floor and dinette set (which incidently was featured on Retro Renovation before — in the story about reupholstering retro dinette chairs affordably).
While Atomic Doodle does fit the color scheme of Laurie’s kitchen, I fear covering all the walls with it might be overkill — initially Laurie had worried about having too much going on in her kitchen — so instead I took a color cue from the wallpaper itself and “painted” Laurie’s kitchen with the magic of Photoshop:
I also “moved in” Laurie’s pink and chrome dinette set so that she could get a sense of how everything would come together. I picked the light pink and the golden yellow right off of the wallpaper pattern. To add some interest, Laurie could order one roll of Atomic Doodle wallpaper and use it sparingly in small areas in her kitchen — namely as a backdrop for her small rounded shelves on either side of the window (which would be great to display vintage glassware, small dishes or even a retro salt and pepper shaker collection). Laurie mentioned having a set of chrome canisters, possibly similar to these, which will work nicely in her space.
Keep in mind that Laurie has purchased white appliances — which will help to break up all the color and pattern that is going on in the room. Adding a new or vintage chrome rimmed clock on one of the soffits would echo all of the chrome accents in her table, counter edging and cabinet pulls.
As far as window treatments go, I’m a big fan of cafe curtains. If Laurie opts to add the little bits of Atomic Doodle wallpaper near the window, I’d keep the curtains a solid color — probably white or a coordinating yellow. Cafe curtains are relatively easy to make and install with little to no sewing involved. Heck, I made the cafe curtains for my kitchen windows without sewing at all! Pam has covered cafe curtains before — in her post 15 cafe curtain designs and ideas – which is both full of ideas and information on how to make your own cafe curtains.
So there you have it Laurie, hopefully you can rest easy — well once all your moving and unpacking is done!
Do you have a room that causes you to lose sleep?
See our instructions for submitting your retro design dilemma.
Pam and I are here to help!
Renovate SafePam takes over for Kate here: In our email exchanges, I reminded Laurie that her that vintage floors may contain nastiness such as asbestos, and that she should consult with properly licensed professionals to determine what is in her floors and how to handle. I do not give this kind of advice on the blog… and I edit out any reader comments suggesting what others should do. Again, homeowners: Consult with properly licensed pros to determine what’s in the original materials in your particular old house and how to handle safely. |
I LOVE the Atomic Doodle wallpaper touch – as you say – just a smidge here and there to accent. I’m impressed how it made the window area so much warmer, and added some dimension.
I’m not interior decorator so don’t have much to offer. My house is a mish-mash of retro style, so I’ll let the others pipe in and just sit back and watch the show. Popcorn anyone?
PS: I *heart* her kitchen, with the rounded corner and shelving. Wish my kitchen had that touch.
I agree hannah, I too am in love with the rounded shelving and metal edge countertop trim!
I love those maple cabinets!
Vince, you are so right! Those cab doors are Maple, it may be that the frames are birch and stained to match, but those doors with their satin-y lovely grain on the uppers are absolutely Maple….good call!
Off-topic, but I would so love a peninsula like that one.
Looks great to me as shown! I too love those birch cabinets. They were in my first house but those are the ones that got ruined by a previous owner who “antiqued” them with dark stain. The first thing I would do is get rid of the dishwasher entirely. This house does not have one and I am glad. I actually think they spoil the looks of an older kitchen and other than the occasional dinner party, it isn’t hard to hand wash dishes for two or three people. And I think they are greatly to blame for energy use if you use the heated dry cycle. The kick panel under the cabinets could be replaced with the vinyl stuff that comes in gray, or use wood trim like I did in my last house, and paint it gray. I would love to see what the other side of the kitchen looks like. Where is the stove? I would have dropped it into that peninsula. That way you aren’t facing a wall when cooking, but of course that is a major change. I like it pretty much the way it is short of the dishwasher. One thing though – vintage clocks aren’t that hard to find and I would see if I could locate an old one. Curiously, alot of the old ranches I remember had a clock on the soffit over the sink. But the battery ones are harder to find and usually need the mechanism replaced.
Like the tip on finding an appropriate clock – if it doesn’t work – the motor etc may be removed and replaced with a battery powered one. I have old “slave” clocks from our old business done that way. Sometimes the arms have to be replaced too, but the classic faces are still there!
She mentioned she already has the fabric for the curtains. It would help if she had a link to the fabric. This is What’s Cookin, maybe this is it:
http://lisasstitchingpost.com/product_info.php?products_id=640 The Wallpaper is pretty, but, probably expensive, and might be expensive for the tiny space behind the shelves. I can’t figure out what is going on with the counter over the dishwasher. I wonder if the counter was added on when the dishwasher was added to the house? The space was originally meant for the refrigerator, I wonder where the fridge will go now? Seems like maybe the counter over the dishwasher could be replaced with stainless or with wood butcher block.
I might just leave the walls white or beige and add retro looking accessories before I added color to the walls. If she is using the fabric above for the windows, there are lots of items in the fabric that are available new.
Oster still makes the beehive blender, it comes in copper.
Typhoon makes some retro kitchen scales. I found an enamel collander on Amazon in turquoise by Calypso. There are plenty of retro toasters. My favorite would be one by Dualit in a color. A colorful KitchenAid mixer is a classic and would look nice. Nostalgia Electrics makes a nice looking retro microwave that comes in white and colors. I like the clock that Kate chose. I think there are colored ones like that too.
I think the kitchen is charming. We don’t know where the table is in the room. Maybe some wallpaper could go in that area.
Another great bit of advice Lynda! I think your suggestion could look very nice as well. I think it comes down to how much color Laurie would like in her kitchen. All of these ideas are great!
I don’t care for the wallpaper behind the shelves. Anything you place on the shelves will get lost in front of the pattern. I would take the shelves out and put a thin piece of wood behind them. I’m surprised it wasn’t there in the first place – it looks odd with wood cabinets, wood window frame, and then a patch of paint in between.
You can buy the maple in 1/4″ thickness and go to Sherwin Williams to mix the stain to match the existing cabinets. You’ll have to varnish the pieces too. It’s really not difficult, and the stains come in small pots so it’s not expensive either.
I would do a simple 4 x 4 pink backsplash, on the paler side, not bright pink. Or perhaps mix pale-ish pink tile with beige tile. Both colors in 4 x 4′s or pink 4′s with a beige liner.
I would have to see the curtain fabric to recommend a color for the soffit and walls – can a pic or a link be added?
Great kitchen by the way!
Another idea: I don’t know if 10sf is enough, but this tile might work – it has pale pink, speckled beige, and a darker color – brown or burgundy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/216-VINTAGE-RETRO-PINK-MAUVE-CERAMIC-MOSAIC-TILES-T8-FREE-SHIPPING-/270933675195?pt=Mosaic_Tiles&hash=item3f14e7ccbb
or this one – there are more than 10 available:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/64-SUPER-RETRO-PINK-CERAMIC-MOSAIC-TILES-T9-FREE-SHIPPING-/270927405430?pt=Mosaic_Tiles&hash=item3f14882176
actually I’m liking the second one better now that I look again!
Ooh, I love the tiles! Good find! I was going to say I love the idea of the pink paint, but the tile takes it up a notch. I agree too with items on the shelves getting lost with the wallpaper.
A light pink tile backsplash would be super cute!
We have a very similar looking kitchen that has a pink and grey backsplash. I’ve been toying with the idea of painting the walls pink as well but haven’t been able to convince my significant other. If you do it, please send pictures – It may help the cause!
I am so excited Laurie is going to leave her countertops & floor (excellent advice to have it assessed Pam) We bought a mid-century ranch last July & decided to only change the absolutely 90′s era tacky “updates” . We are preserving the very best of the home, saving money & disruption of our lives. It will be so great to see your kitchen when you are finished ~ congratulations on your new home.
I think a warm retro green would be another good option. Not quite “ice cream colors”, but a slightly muted shade that is the same or a similar “hue”, as the muted pink tiles of the floor.These tertiary greens always look amazing with wood.
Great idea Anna S. Bannana!
Perhaps a light sagey green would work…?
Here are my ideas. First love the cabinets, floor, table and chairs and wallpaper. Yowza!
1. How about putting the wallpaper on the soffit instead of the tan paint. That’s what my mom did.
2. If that’s to busy, painting the walls and the soffit the same color, might be less busy. I’d go with the pink personally but tan could work just as well. Just depends on whether you want to emphasize or de-emphasize the tan counter top.
3. Cover a window blind with the wallpaper. Pam went over that subject a while back. It could go with a cafe curtain or stand (hang) alone.
4. Cafe curtains would be cute trimmed in a matching or coordinating fabric if they have it.
Then later after the budget frees up…Hahaha,
5. Remove the counter top above the dishwasher and replace it with a cutting board. It would look more finished. I use to have that in one of my kitchens and it worked great.
6. To fill in the space between the upper cabinet and the fridge you could build some birch shelves. Have them be straight and then put a curve on the right front end and use a pole there for support. Then trim the edge either with matching metal edging if you can find it or birch edging and stain it all to match the cabinets.
Just my two cents.
Great Ideas Puddletowncherlyl!
The wallpaper would be great on the soffit if Laurie doesn’t think that it looks too busy for her taste…also good idea about the wallpaper on window shade!
I love doing these design dilemmas because they get so many great reader feedback ideas for the people with the dilemmas! Thanks!
Love the 8 x 8 floor tiles…..
Hi Laurie, love the kitchen and birch wood cabinets. This looks so much like my kitchen it’s scary, I suppose contractors had basic plans that they followed for many ranches in the 50′s especially if they were in a development. I have similar cabinets, similar peninsula AND the exact black and chrome molding along the edge of my counters!!!
I’m curious what state your in, I’m in Massachusettes?
John
Hi John, I am in New York actually…
Very Cool, my home and many others in the area were built by KayVee homes. Perhaps they built in NY also.
Enjoy your new home and good luck with the retrovations!!
John
While the pink is eclectic, and goes with the table, I think a nice robin’s egg blue would really set everything off. JMO
Pics soon to come, but I believe Robins egg blue IS the right choice, upon looking at MANY samples it is the one I LOVE!!!!!
So much WONDERFUL adivice! Thank you ALL!!!
Congratulations on getting your beloved home. I have some questions — will the table and chairs actually sit in the kitchen area, or in a dining area on the other side of that peninsula? If they are in a separate dining area, do you plan to give it the same color treatment as the kitchen area?
If the table and chairs will be in a separate dining area, painting both the kitchen and dining area in pink would be an awful lot of pink.
Could you let us know if there is a dining area to help with making suggestions? Thanks.
Hi, there is a seperate dining area just on other side of penninsula. I thought I sent pics of that to Kate but maybe not. The table will go there(the table in pic is superimposed there and not actually there…)
It’s too early in the morning for my mind to fire creatively yet but I just wanted to congratulate Laurie on her new home and her doggedness in seeing her dream through. The kitchen is beautiful as is the dinette. I hope that we get to see an after!
I vote for turquoise paint, no wallpaper. I think the wallpaper is too busy to be placed next to your fabric you’ve chosen for the curtains (assuming the link above is the same as your fabric) Turquoise contrasts with both the pink dinette set and the red tile floors very nicely. I think pink paint + pink walls + pink wallpaper is just too much pink, IMO.
Plus, I have similar birch cabinetry and turquoise looks really fantastic with them.
Exactly what I was thinking.
I think the idea of the turquoise paint and no wallpaper is a winner as well.
I like the idea of painting the walls but not placing wallcovering next to the windows. Any curtains that end up on the window will compete with it, minimizing its impact. Plus anything placed on the little shelves will cover it up. I sort of like the idea of putting complimentary wallcovering (something subtle with grays and pinks that’d match or blend with the curtains and dinette) on the face of the furrdown above the upper cabinets, however. Not a border – blech – but fully on the face. There doesn’t appear to be much of it and it might add a little punch. Cute kitchen overall.
My brother works for Bradbury and he brought me a sample of the Doodle paper in aqua/turqoise which I’m using for my colors, as well. I plan to put it on one wall which has no cabinets or countertop next to it. Because this is a hand-printed non-vinyl paper, I imagine it isn’t very scrubbable, so I would avoid any place where water or splashing is likely.
If you have soffets, that would be a great place for it.
The Photoshop picture is really helpful, but we should note that the pattern is smaller than shown, so the effect is going to be much more subtle.
I love the wallpaper-behind-shelves idea. People should realize your scale is off when they view the image. The print is very small and items in front will not get lost in it.
I immediately thought “grey” when I saw this kitchen, and I found the Sherwin Williams Chip It service agreed with me. You can see the chip it made on my Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601151860931/
The shade called “sawdust” has some possibilities! It also suggests a mustard color, which is an intriguing idea.
Love the kitchen. Tile for the backsplash is easiest to keep clean, but may not be in your budget. My neighbor (who had a similar layout) had red print wallpaper on her backsplash, which she then covered with a thin stiff plastic. That way when she spattered something, she could just wipe it off the plastic and it didn’t stain. It was cut so that it was just like a clear layer of wallpaper and it was fixed in place by screws. Alternatively, you might be able to use linolium as a backsplash.
However Laurie ends up doing her kitchen, I think her kitchen is wonderful!!! Window and cute shelves at the sink, the rounded counter also with shelving, the lovely cabinets and pulls, the back door window….I love it all. Oh, heck why not cover the dishwasher with either the wallpaper or a painted panel? The pink/grey dining set is beautiful, and I’m sure it will look spectacular in the finished kitchen! Please, Laurie, be sure to show us photos of the finished kitchen – and the rest of your new home!!!
I haven’t read all the comments, but I think instead of the wallpaper behind the shelves (where as one of the commenters I did read said that anything you put on the shelves would be lost in the wallpaper pattern), I would put the wallpaper between the backsplash and the bottom of the cabinets and the pain behind the shelves. I do like the wallpaper, but not behind the shelves.
My mom’s kitchen was pink and pale yellow. It was a sunny cheery kitchen on the gloomiest of winter days. Try yellow if you’re not keen on too much of the pink.
Pink would be a good complement to the maple cabinets and dining set….a lovely period kitchen you should be so happy to have! I do love the paper suggestion as well, a good choice. The horizontal window bands are marvelous, and mirrored in the door as well, it looks like. A superb floor as well, the total package! Congrats!
I would encourage you to get some rest & wait on painting until you have actually cooked a few meals and lived w/ that kitchen.Light plays a real factor when it comes to color on walls in these small homes. Do the sink window and the side door let in a nice amount of light? Is the kitchen on the north side of the house where it would not get as much light as a kitchen on the south or east side might .You might really need to get a feel for how much light is in that room when you actually in there cooking and cleaning…just so you won’t have to paint twice or more before getting it right. I didn;t catch in which state the house is located(sunny CA or cloudy northwest – how much sun makes a difference).I live in MN w/ a north facing 1958 kitchen and very little natural light so I’ve used gloss white in it to compensate and used colorful utensils or small appliances for the punch of color..My mother-in-law’s ’40′s house in Olympia , WA seemed to have a beautiful soft petal pink on the walls, but in fact was beige w/ a mere touch of rose in it.I just wonder how beige w/ a slight pink cast would pick up the reflection of the rose on your floor tiles and dinette while at the same time blend w/ the existing counter for a subtle backdrop for your what’s cookin’ fabric and a your crisp white appliances.
My vote is for pink appliances… I know I know.. she already bought white ones… That table and chairs are just begging for pink appliances though.