After purchasing her 1960s split-level house, Jessica wanted to dial up the retro in the relatively plain kitchen. Owner of J. Paris Designs, a furniture refinishing and repurposing business, she used her refinishing skills and design know-how, the resources on Retro Renovation, and some help from her husband Dan and dog Harlow to enliven the space.
Our home is an average 1960s split level. It had been stripped down and painted white when we bought it at the beginning of this past summer, with very little original character left.
The kitchen was worn and grimy and none of the (original) appliances worked.
We replaced everything except the cabinets, which I painted with a mixture of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and water with a spray gun. I finished them with Polycrylic. The finish has held up wonderfully!
We built and laminated the countertops ourselves with the Formica Charcoal Boomerang laminate purchased from Home Depot. I had ordered a few samples of the Wilsonart styles you have advertised, but none of the colors were right. The charcoal is just enough retro without being overpowering.
The cabinet knobs, hinges, and porcelain on steel sink (complete with Hudee ring) all came from HD Supply (thanks, Kate, for the affordable knob recommendation!) As you know, finding a white sink with a hudee ring is kind of difficult. I couldn’t accept the high cost of the Kohler ones you had written about, but the HD Supply one was very affordable! I will say, it is much shallower than most sinks, which is why we went with the high goose neck industrial style faucet.
The countertop trim molding (both front piece and cove base in back) came from Eagle Mouldings. They were very helpful answering any of my questions. I did realize after I purchased the trim that I had bought aluminum, not stainless like Pam’s kitchen. Aluminum can’t be bent at a 90 degree angle around corners like stainless can. We ended up having to cut and miter the edges ourselves, which was incredibly challenging. The new stove ended up being six full inches wider than the original built-in one (something you don’t always think about) so we had to adjust that area accordingly.
I reused the existing NuTone range hood by taping off the chrome and painting it with a can of Rust-Oleum Appliance Paint from Home Depot. It looks spectacular and brand new!
I researched different flooring patterns for the VCT and ended up using the basketweave pattern with three different colors. The brand is Vinylasa, and the colors are Ebony (VT569), Steel Works (VT522), and Shooting Star (VT557). I purchased the flooring from a local independent flooring store because they had more color options than Home Depot or the like. I was worried it would be too busy, but once it was done, I was in love!
The funky Sputnik style light was purchased at Menard’s for around $170 – which I thought was an awesome price! The teardrop shaped pendant was the only cool part of the original kitchen, and I was happy to keep it.
I made the pendant over the sink using an inexpensive pendant kit and a collander from Home Goods. The backsplash is just simple white subway tile with grey grout.
Jessica, your kitchen looks fantastic! It’s interesting to see someone use Annie Sloan Chalk Pain to finish cabinets. This paint can sand down to such a smooth finish, we can see why it could be great for cabinetry, assuming the adhesion holds. Can you give us your opinion on how you think it will hold up long term, given that you that you work with this paint professionally?
Thanks so much for sharing your project with us — way to go, DIY squad!
I think Harlow likes it too!
lynda murray says
Wow .I just love everything you did. I especially like that you saved the hood over the stove. Thanks for taking the time to share this kitchen. You and your husband have great taste, and talent.
Lauryn says
The combination of that fantastically gorgeous blue with the charcoal boomerang is PERFECT. And the range hood looks amazing. Oh, and the colander light fixture…adorable! Really beautiful job on the whole thing!
Joe Felice says
The floor is so intricate. I thought for sure it was a sheet. That took a lot of planning. The knobs are hot. It’s difficult to find back plates today. I had to explain to the gals at The Home Depot what they are, only to find out it doesn’t carry them any more.
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
I can’t take credit for the knobs.
..that was the lovely ladies at Retro Renovation who provided the inspiration and info!
Kathy says
Looks great!
I’ve been debating about whether to use chalk paint on my circa 1952 plywood cabinets since I’ve read about using it with polyacrylic for outdoor furniture., but with a brush, not a sprayer.
My bathroom cabinets in particular are in dreadful shape due to 50 years without adequate ventilation. The new high-powered bath fan/heater is going in next week, so it is time to think about repainting. The kitchen and powder room need some TLC too.
Rosie Henik says
WOW! What talent. The floor pattern (what does VCT refer to?) really takes a too-open space and makes it so intimate. I have never seen that basketweave pattern used before. Super job on such a great design and colors!
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks, Rosie! VCT stands for vinyl composite tile. Typically found in schools, hospitals, commercial places. Inexpensive yet durable. Pam and Kate have several posts explaining it in further detail!
pam kueber says
Yes Rosie, see all our Flooring research under Kitchen Help / Flooring subcategory — https://retrorenovation.com/category/kitchen/flooring/
Jamie says
Love love love the kitchen – you did a fantastic job!
Kim says
I love everything about this, but I especially love the redo of the range hood. Fantastic re-use!
Mag says
Love what you and your hubby did! Do you have more photos you can share? Is there a closeup of the teardrop light that you kept, perhaps not turned on? I love seeing folks reusing as much as possible, so to see the cabinets and range hood freshened up is a great thing. Do you have plans for other parts of your house, and if so, are you sticking with a similar retro theme?
Thank you for sharing!
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks, Mag! I have a ton of pics…and yes, we are working on other rooms in the house while maintaining a retro theme as much as possible. Feel free to shoot me an email jessica@jparisdesigns.com and can share more with you 🙂
Mary Elizabeth says
Jessica and Dan, what a beautiful job you did rescuing this kitchen from the Doldrums! I think the reason the floor doesn’t look too busy is that it is gray, black and white, echoing the same colors in the boomerang countertop laminate. These neutrals allow the cabinet colors to shine through. I love your little metal-topped farm table as well.
I wonder what the little nook under the counter was originally for. Did they have stools or something there? All I could think of when I saw it was, “Where are Harlow’s food bowls? That space is a perfect place for them.”
Also, I’m wondering about the brand of your stove. It looks a lot like my Crosley gas range, except in white instead of black and white.
Jessica@JParisDesigns says
Thanks, Mary Elizabeth! We, too, would love to know the original purpose of that part of the countertop. It was actually skinnier than the rest of the counter, if you look at the before photos. We built it to be the same size and more practical. The only thing we can think, is it made it easier to fit a full size kitchen table in that space? We bought the house empty and never saw furniture there, so who knows! But yes, now it is where dear Harlow’s food bowls go! 😉 as far as the stove goes, it was one of the least expensive white gas models that Menards offered…not sure of the brand name, but I know it wasn’t Crowley.
KennyT123 says
I have a GE Artistry stove I got at Home Depot–looks very retro and I love it. There’s only a clock on the upper panel with the controls on the front which I prefer. It is very inexpensive as it doesn’t self-clean. You can get it in Gas or Electric and it only comes in Black or White. It fits into my retro style kitchen beautifully. I bought the whole suite (Ref, Range, DW) and since my kitchen is circa 1945 it looks pretty nice.
Thana Fauteux says
I absolutely LOVE what you did with this kitchen. You managed to make it both retro and modern at the same time, simply amazing!