Reader Deb and her husband are in the final stages of their DIY vintage style kitchen remodel. It’s coming together just beautifully — but now, they are stuck on a final design decision: Shoudld they add adorable 1940s style Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper to the backsplash? Or will it be too much? They want to hear from the ever-helpful tribe of Retro Renovation readers. To wallpaper or not to wallpaper, that is the question. Read on to hear Deb’s story and to weigh in. Pam and I will hold back and post our photoshopped ideas at noon.
Deb writes:
Hi Pam,
We’re in the final stages of our kitchen redo (having done all the work ourselves except for the sheetrocking) and we can’t agree on whether to use this wallpaper from Bradbury as our backsplash or not.
I love it but my husband thinks it is too busy and takes away from the nickel outlet covers (which he has some strange attachment to lol). Behind the stove will be new/old fan with a sunburst stainless steel panel. Is this all too much? The wallpaper would be vinyl coated for protection and used only under the cabinets.
Also, I want to let you know that your explanation and pics of doing the metal edging on your counter tops helped immensely when it came time to do ours.
The floor is Armstrong Linoleum Tidal Wave and the counter top is Forbo Bleeker Street Lino.
The original kitchen had the washer and dryer under the counter and a “Diana” Youngstown sink unit. It was too far gone to save but I did manage to pry off the the Diana emblem and will be putting it on my new sink cabinet. I know I said that we did it all by ourselves but that isn’t entirely true. We had the floor installed and we bought the RTA cabinets from Barker Cabinets in Oregon. Barker also has slab front cabinets and they are a joy to do business with. Shipping took seven days from Oregon to upstate New York.
The walls are a very light blue. We have a Big Chill fridge in Buttercup yellow (ebay) that hasn’t been put in yet. The woman I bought it from in New Jersey, had won it in a raffle and could not fit it in her kitchen.
If anyone wants to know the particulars of putting in linoleum counter tops and stainless steel edging, my husband is willing to share what he did. It’s taken 1 year and 3 months of no vacations, working every single weekend and a lot of evenings to get to this point. And best of all my DH and I are still talking to each other.
Pam asks: What are you doing over the stove?
A Nutone exhaust fan (new old stock) and a stainless steel panel with a sunburst design.
So readers — now we need your thoughtful opinions — what should Deb do with her kitchen back splash?
Through the magic of Photoshop, Kate made some mock-ups of Deb’s kitchen to help her visualize how it would look with the three variations wallpaper and the sunburst stainless steel backsplash:
1. Sunny Day Combo:
For the first mock-up, we put the stainless steel sunburst backsplash over the stove and Bradbury & Bradbury Apple Betty wallpaper between the cabinets and counter top. This looks pretty nice… but we feel like the drama of the stainless steel backsplash might be overwhelming the rest of the kitchen design, which is so lovely. Hmmmm….
2. All wallpaper:
For the second mock-up, we extended the wallpaper all the way behind the stove and up to the ceiling. Deb wasn’t planning on having the wallpaper extend this far up, but if the stainless steel backsplash is not used, it would be a more finished look to have the wallpaper extend all the way to the ceiling, instead of being cut off at under cabinet height. We’re kind of digging the vintage charm starting to come together once this wallpaper is added…
3. Add a shelf to the combo:
Deb could also add a shelf for knick knacks — made using the same red linoleum and metal edging from the countertops — an idea that is similar to the shelf in Pam’s kitchen:
4. Shelf plus stainless steel backsplash
If Deb’s husband still isn’t sold on the wallpaper, this option is for him. Combining the sunburst stainless steel backsplash with the shelf provides a more toned down look, while still allowing space for Deb to display vintage knick-knacks. Maybe paint the backsplash the same yellow as the refrigerator coming in… or tone the yellow paint down a bit… or, a shade similar to that of the floor might work, too.
Pam and I both agree on this one — the Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper that Deb chose is just perfect for the space. The pattern picks up the red from the counter tops, the blue from the floor and the buttery yellow from her Big Chill refrigerator. The space above the stove and fan is just calling out for a shelf to fill it — one that Deb could use to display some cute vintage knick-knacks. If it were our kitchen, Kate and I both are loving mood board number three.
Lynne says
Go for the wallpaper! It’s perfect! Absolutely perfect! I have Bradbury paper (Atomic Doodle, I think) on my backsplash and I’ve had no problems. I will admit, the paper is hard to work with. But the end result is worth the hassle. Do it!
AK says
The walpaper is super cute, however I agree with Mary Elizabeth, you will want something that ties in the yellow fridge. I like the wallpaper idea though and don’t think it is too busy. Either look for different wallpaper or do curtains.
Chris says
I love the wallpaper and think it would be wonderful with your color scheme and definitely not overpowering. Until very recently, my kitchen still had the original wallpaper backsplash from 1956 and still looked pretty good, so I don’t think the wall paper will be an issue there.
However, I don’t think the style of the wallpaper works with the sunburst panel. I think its maybe a little too floral/cutesy to go with the streamline panel. Maybe something more angular like the Sunnyside pattern from Bradbury.
Lauryn says
YES!!! I have wallpaper from that same series (mine is the Sunnyside) in my breakfast nook and was a little afraid of it at first but I ADORE it now. (FYI to other readers: B&B wallpapers are true papers so they are NOT vinyl.) My kitchen has pale yellow cabinets similar to the Big Chill color and a red Marmoleum floor, similar to your GORGEOUS counters. I don’t think it will detract from the outlet covers at all. (And my husband adores our paper too.) GO FOR IT!!
P.S. Insanely jealous of your stove. It’s beautiful.
Dale says
Yes, it looks great. And how often do people scrub backsplashes? I don’t think grease from the stove will settle there. I’d just get an roll extra in case you have to redo the pieces that flank the stove. People have wallpapered kitchens for years.
How about some nickle pulls if hubby wants his nickle fix?
Brian T says
I vote for the wallpaper. WIthout it, there is no pattern, no humanity, and the room looks like it wants to be sterile but hasn’t figured out how to clamp down on color. It looks more like “We have a clean kitchen but can’t afford anything that is just for decor, not for function.” With the wallpaper, however, the look changes to “We are comfortable enough to indulge in this prettiness that is there only to delight us.” And the outlet covers will still be shiny and visible. A kitchen is not an outlet cover showcase.
Suzanne says
The wallpaper is totally fitting with the theme; you couldn’t have picked a more perfect one. If you can’t agree on it, put it in one small area (like above the stove) and live with it for a while. Because once it’s put up, you know how that goes. I think you need something harmonious to tie the countertop and cabinets together.
Julie says
Your kitchen is beautiful. I totally understand giving up every weekend for a kitchen remodel. Been there. I had the exact dilemma. Same spot behind the stove up to the wall with an original exhaust fan hole. We loved and kept the fan with a new cover and I actually bought wallpaper to put there then after thinking about how much we cook, I decided to shell out the extra $ and bring the vintage 60s backsplash tile all the way up to the ceiling there. I’m glad I did because the grease from cooking and using the fan is already coating the fan (its chrome, so everything shows) so I know the same is on the tile now. I wouldn’t want to wash down wallpaper year after year. I love the tile. But I agree with the other comments that vintage wallpaper is great and we shouldn’t be shy about using it!
Julie says
Ok, I just reread the article and realized that the sunburst panel will probably be occupying the whole space behind your stove = Awesome! That will take care of any grease cleaning issues.
I agree with the other comments that say to wait and see how your fridge looks (sooo jealous you found an after market Big Chill!!!) before deciding on the wallpaper color/pattern, but wallpaper will look great as the backsplash above the counters, or anywhere else you can fit it in!
Annie B. says
I would’ve been in wholehearted agreement with the wallpaper backsplash idea until I viewed the stainless starburst panel. I love both designs, but used separately. Together, they seem a little contradictory to me. The stainless panel looks more “streamlined moderne”; the adorable wallpaper seems to say “geraniums in the window with cotton curtains”.
I’d go for “as is” with the stainless panel behind the stove and colorful accessories for accents. Is the floor covering a blue color? If so, you have your primaries to play with. Also, would love to know the style of your kitchen light fixture. This is one terrific space. A job well done.
Amy says
No wallpaper even though I love it. It will take away from the beautiful job you did on the counters and fight against any element behind the stove. If you love the wallpaper – which of course you should ( 😉 ) I would consider papering one wall of the kitchen with it. It will help to balance out the power of the red counters in a part of the kitchen with no counters. Trust me – I’m a Realtor and see thousands of homes!!! Less is ALWAYS more!