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 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!
AND: Pam 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.
puddletowncheryl says
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. 🙂
Kate says
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!
Anna S. Bannana says
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.
Kate says
Great idea Anna S. Bannana!
Perhaps a light sagey green would work…?
Debra says
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.
wendy says
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!
wendy says
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!
Morgen says
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.
Kate says
A light pink tile backsplash would be super cute!
Victoria says
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!
lynda says
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.
Kate says
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!
Janet says
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.
Chris Faye says
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!
Morag says
Off-topic, but I would so love a peninsula like that one.
Vince says
I love those maple cabinets!
Ally Cat says
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!
hannah says
PS: I *heart* her kitchen, with the rounded corner and shelving. Wish my kitchen had that touch.
Kate says
I agree hannah, I too am in love with the rounded shelving and metal edge countertop trim!
hannah says
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?