Now that the holiday frenzy is kinda sorta dying down, I’m getting back in the groove with features about reader homes. Did I say “groove”? Veronica — who is closing on her first house — a 1976 contemporary — today, is already chomping at the bit to get her retro nesting under way. And, she wants our help with paint colors for this 1976 kitchen. Interestingly, this is really typical of how readers find my site: They make an offer on a new/old house… immediately begin online research on how to renovate and update it … and land right here among us, sucked into our “back-dating” retro vortex. Veronica writes:
I have recently bought my first home- a 1976 contemporary. I want my first project to be the kitchen, but on a tight budget my only option is to paint… I am having a hard time picking out paint colors. They are currently black and white but it feels too stark and cold. I want to keep a mid century mod motif- I was thinking grays and browns to match the brick red colored tiles on the floor, but I would love some ideas.
My husband and I are first time home buyers in the Albany, NY area. Relatively speaking, it did not take us too long to find our dream house- a 1970’s contemporary. I knew before we even began looking for a house that I would not buy a “cookie cutter” house. When we walked in to this house, we fell in love with the spiral staircase and the retro feel of the house.The layout is a bit awkward- the main living space (kitchen, dining, and family room) are in the walkout “basement”. The main floor is a wide open living room- the third floor holds the bedrooms and there is even a fourth floor loft area (accessible via ladder). I am very excited to add even more midcentury mod touches to this house!
thanks pam!~Veronica
BungalowBILL says
I’m in the “leave it for a while” camp. It may look stark while it is empty but will be a nice clean backdrop for some awesome housewarming accessories in yellow, orange, red or gold ( a BIG 70’s color) and will complement the red floor.
Congratulations on your new home and I hope you have many happy yeas living the retro life there.
Of course greige is always nice ..runs from Pam with hands covering my head.
pam kueber says
are you writing this just to check that i am reading? bad bungalow bill!
BungalowBILL says
Hehe you caught me 😉
Mark G says
Mine is also a vintage 70’s kitchen – I went with a silver/gray on the walls and did the faux brick backsplash with a burnt orange. Very authentic 70’s colors, but lets you know you’re in the 21st century – I toyed with lime green (or acid green) for the “pop” color, but went a bit tamer. Either would work well – would love to see the completed look – it’s already got a good foundation.
Mel says
I’m not usually a blue-hued person when it comes to kitchen/dinette areas but that’s exactly what this kitchen “screamed” to me when I saw it! With the black trim, the blue might soften it a bit – and it wouldn’t clash with the floor.
Best of luck in your new home! 😀
Mel says
I should specify the blue to a nice, calming light blue – not cobalt! 😀
Elaine Musick says
I recall all the tupperware colors from that era: lemon yellow , avocado green, bright orange. I think for a kitchen, bright and cheery colors , definitely yellow, with a splash of red!! I love the house however, it shines on its own!!! Elaine
johnny dollar says
i would agree with the overall consensus, do not rush into changing the counters or laminate casework. is the backsplash the same finish as the wall? i can’t see if there is tile there or not. i would advise that if something absolutely has to change, to just invest in some paint in an appropriate color and paint the walls and backsplash area. that way the cabinets will pop and be warmed up at the same time. populating the counters with period appropriate appliances will jazz it up too.
johnny dollar says
or if you leave it all white and add some clear domes and a wall-mounted computer, it could look like aunt beru’s kitchen: http://massassi.hobby-site.com/massassi/pictures/episode_4/img/lars_moisture_farm18.jpg
midmod ms says
I agree with this, and most everyone else. Live with the kitchen as-is for a while, do your research meanwhile and see what speaks to you.
I rather like the idea of keeping the black and while cabinets and painting the walls. Is there anything you have been collecting that have colors you like? If so, start with that. Colors for a room can be taken from a favorite dish, or dish towel, painting, curtain fabric, anything.
Wendy says
Oooooh! The spiral staircase! Oooooh! The kitchen floor! (That’s all I got.)
Urbanitra says
I must say I concur with Deb.
Veronica, you are signing a 30 year mortgage. There is plenty of time to renovate. I am working on my 2nd house and believe me, it is a really good idea to live with what you bought for awhile. Think things through carefully. Renovations take time and money and it sucks to waste either. And “rushing in” is a major contributor to waste!
Do more research. Have you ever painted kitchen cabinets before? Are you aware of the prep work (removing all the doors, sanding, scraping, priming and sometimes filling with wood putty)? What paint finish are you considering? If you are not replacing the floor now what will it be in the future? What will the appliances be in the future? Lighting? Countertops?
If you do a renovation a piece at a time to accomadate a moderate budget, it helps to have this all planned out. Otherwise, you end up with just that…a renovation that looks like it was done a piece at a time.
Go in before the moving van shows up and clean the hell out of it and then live with it. Get your stuff in there and figure out what works and what doesn’t. You may decide you like the cabinets the way they are. Who knows?
Gavin Hastings says
Agreed!!!
I could not have written this better…esp since I am prone to a.m. spelling errors!!!!
LBC says
The 1970’s are so not my decade, but those drawer-pulls are awesome!
I always think you can’t really go wrong with yellow in the kitchen, but if it were mine, I’d be thinking orangey-red. I think there’s enough white cabinet and window there that a strong color wouldn’t be overpowering.
jj says
I agree about the wait and getting to know the feel of the home. The hardware is marvelous and the pics look as though the the cabinets are laminate. You may experiment with a different counter and or flooring but try and tie it in with the surrounding spaces.
I also have a mid century contemporary Mediterranean style home. I eventually opened up the wall leading to the family room and painted the lower cabinets a fire engine red. I have touches of red in the family room, living room, and dining areas and it all ties in as I’ve chosen items that I love over the years.
Deb says
I actually like the black and white and really like the door handles and drawer pulls. I think I’d live with it for a while, accessorize the countertops with colorful canisters, mixer, utensil holder, rug or two on the floor and “feel” the place before I did anything. Great looking house!!
Sarah W. in Oregon says
I totally agree. I think it is best to use a kitchen for at least a year before doing anything more than painting walls. I think the cabinets and pulls are awesome, not to mention painting laminate sounds like a nightmare.
Someone mentioned orange. I agree with this as well. My first place had the original ’79 burnt orange countertops and that color might look great on these walls.
So excited for these first time homebuyers. Congrats!