We continue our 1961 Hotpoint kitchen mini-series starting with the calendar couple for May. I think it is rare to see an older couple in a kitchen ad. No one seems to want to market to oldies, and I now am having to get used to putting myself in that category. Gramma and Gramps have one bitchin’ kitchen, though. I really love the acrylic panels above the wall cabinets. I also find the wall cabinets themselves interestingly done: They are not 30″ high like most kitchens, they appear to be only 15″ high. If you can afford to give up the space, this arrangement certainly opens up the kitchen more. Finally, if you go over to the 1960s gallery and look at this image enlarged, notice the 4″ tiles. They are all kind of “marbelized”, like with a Roman feel, which we’ve talked about before. I am not sure how I feel about this particular look, but the designers get credit for pushing the envelope.
Here are Gramma and Gramps’ son and daughter-in-law. This seems to be a tiki kitchen. Those are seashell cabinet pulls, and there is an aquarium built into the kitchen island. Yowza. Today, with the prevalance of bamboo cabinets, you could go even further down this tiki path, haha. These vintage images provide great ideas that we might not otherwise be exposed to today via mainstream design media. Like: Yellow + lime + light wood cabinetry. I like it. Precautionary Pam warns, however, that in addition to ensuring you learn about all the safety and environmental issues related to your vintage house: Don’t waterski while smoking a pipe.
This is a Retro Renovation classique image. Is there a party going on elsewhere in the house, or just here? Lovely lovely color combo: Pink and orange against ivory with black. This kitchen has a two-color Mondrian feel… I love the repetition of the orange above the sink… Again, very high wall cabinet placement. A key consideration in the use of color in any room is to use it to keep your eye “dancing around” in an entertained yet not overwhelmed way. Kind of: lively but balanced. This room has it, although that couple, I’m not so sure of.