Antiques and vintage objects have a charm that makes them perfect for adding personality to your kitchen.
Dare to mix modern appliances and accessories with vintage pieces to transform your kitchen into a room with personality. It will cease to be a very functional space and invite you to live it. Vintage objects and antiques tend to be carefully crafted (if they have survived this long, they are made to last), but they also bring guaranteed charm and integrity. Anything goes: from furniture and lighting to retro pots or quirky seating that will create a unique, authentic, and personal atmosphere.
Lighting. Incorporating vintage lighting pieces is an excellent way to update the decor of an already assembled kitchen. Even if it's a small change, it can incredibly accentuate the space's personality. Pair it with some other touch for a more seamless look, a classic mid-century piece like this Ercol sofa pictured here, upholstered to match the cabinets on the opposite wall, which seems to have found its ideal place in this spacious warehouse-style kitchen.
Please give it a French flair. The French have a unique sensibility for vintage ornamentation, and this typically Gallic rustic touch would work just as well in a Spanish kitchen. You'll retain the same essence with a slightly cozier feel if your ceilings aren't as high. Instead of the rustic classics we're used to - the plaid cotton fabrics, wooden cabinets, cupboards, or buttery tones - choose more excellent white and neutral colors for a pale, elegant backdrop. Paint with a weathered finish helps give pieces that antique-vintage effect and helps blend the new with the old. A hydraulic tile for the floor also enhances a vintage flavor, opting for freestanding furniture pieces rather than an integrated kitchen. Complete the ensemble with secondhand seating, industrial-style lamps, an antique butcher's chopping block, copper pans, and a good assortment of cutting boards.
The kitchen table. Antique industrial workbenches or traditional cheese factory tables can become excellent pieces of kitchen furniture, especially in large open spaces or in busy homes at mealtimes. Look for them in antique shops, flea markets, or online auctions. Just remember one essential thing: measure their height. They are not usually designed to sit around you, so some dining chairs will likely be too low. In that case, you may want to cut the legs or combine them with height-adjustable stools. On the other hand, if they are tall and you don't want to modify them, they may be better suited as an additional work surface or island.
Recover and reuse. If you like to stroll through flea markets and vintage stores, you will surely enjoy rescuing unique objects that, when cleverly reconverted, can bring an essential personality to your kitchen. Always use your creativity. Consider super-recycling and give a new life to old objects. In this dining room, a piece of reclaimed wood has been transformed into an original bottle rack that is useful as a kitchen storage element and has a great appeal for its particular aesthetics.
A nod to the school years. Twist an industrial-design kitchen with vintage school furniture. These original desk chairs enhance the personality of this space, especially when complemented by a well-preserved wooden table like this one. However, they would also add warmth to a modern design. They are stackable, so they can be stored one on top of the other in a corner when not in use. You get an energetic, powerful, unconventional interior with industrial lamps, a brick wall, and an opposite subway tile wall.
Combine modernity and nostalgia. Retro refrigerators are ideal for modern, uncluttered kitchens to vibrate with a vintage feel without opting for an antique (after all, not all of us have that passion). Instead, choose the burst of brightness that a tangerine orange or bright yellow brings to evoke the 1960s, and let your color choice determine how nostalgic the space is. Complement the furnishings with contemporary graphic touches for balance.
The perfect cocktail. Today's built-in kitchens sometimes feel like a sterilized, flawless, almost showroom-like place, without personality and originality. Contrast the old with the new by adding a vintage storage element: a cupboard, a console, or a sideboard. It is a very effective way to add warmth; you have to make sure that the piece is handy, either as storage space or as another countertop. Another way to make them gain heat is by including a lamp that my style would be more typical of a living room; precisely, they make the kitchen more welcoming. Choose or adapt one that matches perfectly with the palette of colors and materials chosen for your kitchen. Its intimate and pleasant light will bring more grace to the room.
Antique utensils. Vintage kitchen utensils tend to be characterized by their sturdiness, well-made and beautiful design; they offer a sense of authenticity typical of period homes. Get your hands on utensils such as scales, enameled containers, or classic airtight glass jars to bring the charm of yesteryear to your kitchen. They may not serve their original purpose-an antique weight may not be very reliable-but find another use for them: What new service could you give them? The scale in the picture is crying out for a pile of apples. Look for old tiles, too. Even if you find only one or two decorated with different patterns, you can compose a mosaic that you can use to move the hot coffee pot away from the fire or support the wooden spoon while cooking.
Simple and elegant. Some country-style kitchens seem to exude a natural vintage charm. To give that refined and subtle atmosphere to your kitchen, use aged shades of white, neutral colors, and soft grays for the furniture instead of untreated woods, which will look newer.