Here’s a timeless question: Readers Kate and Tom ask how to approach a Retro Renovation of their 1960s kitchen — which was updated by previous owners in another decade’s style — but, with an eye toward being thrifty and toward resale some day. What is your advice? Note: I’ll let readers comment for a while, then, I will follow up with my thoughts and what I learn from you!
Update: My followup story with my ideas is here.
Kate and Tom write (edited from two emails for flow):
Hiya,
This truly is a great resource! I’m pondering ways to re-vintage our 1960s house, which we bought a couple years ago from a couple who had done painstaking renovations of their own (not the original owners) in the 1990s. The house has their flesh-toned fingerprints all over it, and he was a master woodworker, so it’s a very professional 1990s vibe that we have to contend.
We have both lived in older homes that looked more true to their era, and we long for that midcentury look which seems to match the house’s soul. Here is a photo of the kitchen. We just added paint color but dislike hardware, granite, backsplash.
I’m still just in the visioning stages of trying to picture some remodeling, and need some input about our granite countertops/stainless steel/wood cabinets (cherry? oak) with their wrought iron pulls….Worried about resale value, and expenses just to create an aesthetic when what we’ve got functions well and is “up to date.”
What are your thoughts? How can we accentuate more of that 1960s vibe in a way that won’t detract from potential resale value?
–Kate and Tom in Minneapolis
Readers, what do you think?
How should Kate and Tom approach a Retro Renovation — also with an eye toward resale and unnecessary expenditures?
Kristie P says
I can’t be sure, but it appears that the cabinet cases may be original- it looks like your 1990’s carpenter may have just put on new doors. If you have never gone prospecting in the attic (or any other out-of-the-way nook) you might even get lucky and find the originals all neatly stacked! A girl can dream, right? So, in my opinion, I think undoing that (and getting new hardware) would be a great first step. If you can’t remove the countertops, I would at least look into removing the backsplash. New-old appliances could be a non-permanent way to make the space read more vintage, too. I love the blue color, so perhaps bring more of that down under the cabinets with some cute vintage accessories.
Joy says
Homeowners state: dislike the hardware, granite, backsplash. My suggestions are to start small and see if they can get it to place they love. Or at least like a lot.
1) Hardware: replace the wrought iron hardware. IMMEDIATELY. It’s a low cost project, easily reversible. Try a few different 60’s style to see what goes with the cabinets. BTW, the cabinets should definitely be kept as is (right color, scalloped arch, and most of all REAL wood). Note if you paint Shaker style cabinets white or color, they just look more beachy or transitional classic – not 60s.
2) Backsplash: try some 60s style removable wallpaper. Google it. there are some companies that will create an original design or pattern. Try to incorporate or draw out some of the tones of the granite. It’s hard to tell from photo but use paint strips to see if colors will start to pop from the granite (like an acid green or olive? A version of orange?). Then add black, silver (aka chrome), white, ZZ and XX. Suddenly the vibe may be there.
3) Granite: Wait on the countertops. Seriously they may be fine once the other pieces are done. And so expensive to replace, not to mention environmental cost plus possible damage to cabinets (pointed out in comments above).
Oddly enough, the most jarring piece in this kitchen for me is the flooring. The light oak is not 60s at all. If it’s “real” wood, consider painting it if it too cost-prohibitive to replace. Topped with a good old shellac-ing for durability. Or something similar (they paint boats after all..) Otherwise, I concur with linoleum or cork ideas. In color, of course 😉
With some design interest behind the stove and beneath it on the floor, I think that the stove will read as atomic (cool swoops! mixed metals!!) and the stainless will be fine. Context is key.
Good luck and have fun!
Nancy says
Well, one could get a different countertop, but this one would go so with with black/white/gray mixed floor tiles, that you could run with it, in a ‘whoa, who knew the original owners could afford the real stuff!’ sort of way. (Granite/marble being the inspiration of many a laminate pattern in the first place.)
Allison says
Yes! A streaky gaspe type floor, like Azrock’s VCT Tex Tiles would go beautifully with the granite and look drop-dead retro.
A good white paint job on the existing cabinet fronts and eye-catching chrome or copper hardware would absolutely send this kitchen back to mid century.
Tara says
If resale is your concern I would leave the floor and cabinets as is. I’d look at retro kitchen images for color inspiration or sometimes a vintage/vintage inspired fabric can help with color choice for countertop/wall color. I would replace the granite countertops as they aren’t really in style and are looked at as dated now so they aren’t helping resale value. You can give your cabinets a retro feel by changing the knobs/pull. At some vintage kitchen items/art work to help give it some vintage charm. If you aren’t concerned with resale value and want an authentic vintage kitchen look then I would definitely change the cabinet fronts and flooring. It sounds to me that you would like a vintage inspired kitchen rather than a complete remodel which I think is completely doable! Don’t forget to have fun with it.
Vic says
There is a lot of good advice in the comments.
The first thing the owners have to do is really define their goals. If they are planning on selling in a few years they should keep the granite and stainless steel in place. Buyers expect to see them and many times take these as indicators that the house has been well cared for and maintained. Even if people plan to redo everything they will expect the house to be updated.
If they plan on staying in the house for years, they can change things out more. Styles change, renovating today for a possible sale 10 years down the doesn’t make sense. Saying that, doing a very personal renovation like inlaid floors and tiles in your school colors will limit the pool of buyers when it comes time to sell.
Marie Gamalski says
Hate to disagree, however, everything I’ve read says that even in contemporary houses granite is “out”, I wouldn’t keep it in a period space where it so obviously doesn’t belong….
GlenEllyn says
Without knowing what their budget is it’s hard to decide what to do first, but like others have said, I’d start with replacing the cabinet hardware and faucet with something more in keeping with the vibe they want. In my opinion, the cabinets are fine, including the scallop trim.
Next I’d do something with the (laminate?) floor – it looks out of place even now (to me, anyway) so switching it out for a nice linoleum pattern, something that ties in with the turquoise (love it!) above the cabinets would be my choice to help transition to a more mid-century look.
I’d also replace the counter accessories (canisters, towels, etc.) with ones that have a more retro vibe.
If budget permits, I’d sell the stainless appliances and replace them with white ones. The biggest issue remaining would be the granite countertops. I’m no fan of granite but I couldn’t justify ripping out a perfectly fine one unless it could be “re-homed” by someone, which is why I wouldn’t tackle the undermount sink either unless I were changing the countertops.
As for the backsplash, I can’t tell from the picture what’s there now but what gets done with it would depend on what happens with the countertop.
As for resale concerns, unless they’re moving in just a couple of years, I say forget about it. Why worry about the “ghost of buyers-yet-to-come?” Too many people get trapped by “resale” and end up living in a house that isn’t theirs. ????
Rachel says
If you can, find some vintage solid steel cabinets someone else pulled out of their house. Our house, built in 1963, still has the original St. Charles cabinets, which are staying right where they are.
Marie Gamalski says
Oh my…. LUCKY YOU, so many have been relegated to the dump… would give a baby toe for original metal cabs……????
Karin says
I think you should keep your cabinets for now. They look well made, and would probably cost a fortune today. I concur with the readers who suggested painting them white or vanilla. I’d paint the rest of the kitchen the same vanilla color as the cabinets, and hire a good spray painting service to really do a perfect finish on the cabinets. It’ll be worth it when you see them. They would look incredible with (as suggested earlier), some rounded concave chrome or nickel 1940s style pulls. Add some beautiful bright turquoise tile for the backsplash. The contrast will really make the white cabinets look incredible. The granite countertop will not be so noticeable then. Throw in some turquoise canisters and accessories, and viola! I have seen this done in a few kitchens, and while it’s not period perfect retro, I think the result will be gorgeous- retro modern with an eye to resale.
Aimee says
I think the biggest impact would come from replacing the counter. There’s just nothing more 2001 bougie than green granite. As for laminate on the floor and the counters, I would think really hard about your market before following the laminate advice on here if resale really is a big concern. I’m in a supposedly more adventurous market, but when we sold our midcentury house, I did not get the impression that people preferred the vintage charm at the expense of supposedly higher end materials. It’s stupid, because houses with big box cabinets and granite were considered more updated than our real wood site built cabinets…but I suppose this is the tension we all feel on here.
Linda Taylor says
Here is what I would do:
– paint the cabinets white
– retro fun cabinet knobs, maybe brass or copper. Something really fun!
– tile backsplash, maybe a penny tile in a minty green or white
– keep the counter tops (I think they are not bad and with white cabinets and lighter backsplash they will look less “90’s granite”
– move microwave
– most of your bugets on retro stove and fridge. That will really make it feel retro and for resale you can just keep them or get cheap replacements before you move
I think that would feel retro and fun but be a bit more appealing to modern eyes