Create a 1940s or early 1950s design kitchen — my second mood board

There are many ways to retro [<- I just love it when I used that as a verb], including 1940s style. Lots of readers seem to be totally nuts over 1940s kitchen style, so here’s my second mood board including resources to create a 1940s or early 1950s style homey comfy sweetheart kitchen.

• Here’s my first mood board, complete with resource links, to recreate a 1940s kitchen design.

Note, I call this 1940s style — but 1940s style endured until roughly 1953. That’s when, design-wise, we saw a switch to a new generation of kitchen designs — less deco, more atomic.

• Read my story 7 aspects of 1940s decorating style

 Resources to create this 1940s kitchen look:

1. Birch cabinetry — These birch cabinets were built new — to look old — by Watersong Furniture. I had a lovely conversation with the owner of Watersong. He can build and ship anywhere.
2. Antiqued pot metal colonial cabinet pulls — https://retrorenovation.com/2011/05/17/inexpensive-hardware-for-1950s-and-1960s-kitchen-cabinets/
3. Vintage wallpaper — A hallmark of 1940s and early 1950s kitchens: They need sweetheart wallpaper — like this design from Hannah’s Treasures.
4. Kit Kat clock – here.
5. Countertop, backsplash and if you like, wall tile — I know that readers are gaga for jadeite. Put tile like this on your countertop — available from Clay Square [made by B&W} — use black tile for countertop edging and bullnose. If you want, you can take this tile all around the wall.
6. See above — Put tile like this on your countertop — available from Clay Square [made by B&W} — use black tile for countertop edging and bullnose. If you want, you can take this tile all around the wall.
7. Reproduction drainboard sink from NBI Drainboards.
8. Accessorize with a secondary or tertiary color from the wallpaper. Red Kitchenaid makes these mixers in a veritable rainbow of colors
9. I like this studio-sized refrigerator from Big Chill. The fridges back in the 40s and 50s were smaller. There are other retro refrigerator options as well — read my comprehensive guide here.
10. Dishwasher — also from Big Chill. (Or, you can just buy the dishwasher panel… or custom make one in wood to match your birch cabinets.)
11. 36″ retro range from Big Chill.  
12. Dinette designs varied. The vintage dinette shown here, which was uploaded by Uncle Atom, has deco lines, very historically appropriate for the pre-war period.
13. For the floor, choose linoleum. The color we chose: Parchment beige from Armstrong. Note how the wallpaper pulls together up all the colors of the kitchen, including this flooring.

Other stories to look for 1940s kitchen ideas:

• My mood board #1, anchored by white cabinets
• Lauryn and Dennis’ sunny 1940s kitchen makeover
• Dave and Frances’ 1938 kitchen
• See how the tile is done on the wall in Kristen’s original 1940s kitchen.
• Maile displays her dishware beautifully in glass-front wall cabinets in her 1940s style kitchen.
• Vintage metal cabinets are appropriate too — and lookie the best cafe curtains ever in David’s kitchen.

See all of our 1940s kitchen design boards here