Contemporary Decorating with Retro Wallpaper My Kitchen Makeover
My retro wallpaper kitchen makeover...
Ideas for contemporary decorating with retro style wallpaper... Find out how I got the look for my own fun and funky kitchen makeover on a budget. Interior design tips and tricks you can try...
We've been very busy making over our kitchen in a contemporary decorating style inspired by some beautiful retro wallpaper we found...
We picked up this gorgeous wallpaper for just £1 GBP a roll - so snapped up the bargain immediately, thinking it would work fantastically for a change of style in our kitchen.
The wallpaper is so bold and striking, it proved to be the perfect inspiration point for our ideas for decorating kitchens - and fitted perfectly with the nostalgic and retro decorating style we loved...
Mindful of finances, but still wanting to do a proper job of our makeover, we planned carefully, and kept a look out for bargains wherever we went...
We looked at what we could easily keep from our current kitchen - see that, here.. - in order to save time and money...
Our smart, dark cabinets were still in good condition, were real wood, and only a couple of years old (a previous bargain) so we decided to keep these. Our retro wallpaper had some patterns with a matching dark brown in it, so this would match well... we decided to keep the cabinets.
Changing the Countertops
Our worksurfaces / countertops were not so fortunate - these had been in the house when we moved in, and we had never really liked them - although because they were neutral and fairly inoffensive we had left them.
The problem was, as they were a dirty beige color - the color of dirt - they always just looked a bit dirty and old. Instead we sourced some fantastic laminate countertops in shiny white with flecks of metal.
These looked clean, contemporary and smart - and what with the pale (bright white) color and flecks of shiny metal they immediately reflected a lot of light around the room and made it feel brighter and lighter - a perfect contrast to those dark cupboards!
To keep the clean, white lines of our smart new countertop, and to stay with the contemporary decorating feel, we 'splashed' out on a smart new circular stainless steel sink, and a white ceramic hob - these really give us a modern feel to our retro decorating style!
Changing the Tiles
We definitely wanted to change our kitchen tiles, as we found the yellow and green chequerboard effect was too 'country' in style for our proposed theme of contemporary decorating with retro wallpaper...
We wanted something with a bit of 'wow factor', so searched online until we found something we really loved - just 'liking' definitely wasn't going to be enough!
We eventually found these gorgeous, lime green glitter tiles, which are certainly just that little bit special! Lime green and brown are a stunning combination, and right on trend in interior design at the moment - a hot look!
Immediately we saw the samples we were hooked - and best of all the retro wallpaper we'd chosen had just the same lime green as part of the pattern - what a result!
We tiled right over the top of our old tiles, and Ian was able to make a neat job doing the work himself, with the convenient mosaic tile sheets. Look at our tips on how to tile, here...
We also took the opportunity of renewing all our electrical sockets at the same time, to give a fresh and new feel to the whole kitchen.
Retro Wallpaper - Finishing Touches
The factor that brought our whole retro decorating scheme together was certainly our gorgeous retro wallpaper.
The wallpaper is strongly patterned and with bright colors, in a retro decorating style (the patterns remind us of spirograph - a classic retro kids' game). But the wallpaper also has a lot of white in it, so the overall effect is a bright one, and it's not too overwhelming.
We put shelving up on the main wallpapered wall, for extra storage and to add a little depth to the room on this side. We were able to use this to display some retro crockery we had already aquired, and which now seemed to fit perfectly with our new look!
We compensated for the shelving, by moving the table and chairs further out into the room - inspite of what you might think, this did actually help the room feel more spacious, as subconsciously the brain tells you that a table (or any furniture) pushed up tight against a wall, must mean that the room is too small - furniture with plenty of space around (even in the centre of the room) gives a feeling of more space!
A hanging pendant light in a warm, bright orange and a funky retro style, was positioned right over the table. This gives us a more intimate lighting for dining, and helps differentiate the dining area of the kitchen from the food preparation and food clearing areas.
For additional lighting we have light bouncing off the countertops (increasing the feeling of light and space) from directional spotlights, and undercupboard lighting (battery powered LED lights - suprisingly long lasting!).
Happily we were able to keep the current blinds, but fitted a new, pale blue door curtain to pick up a further color from the wallpaper, and keep the feeling of light and space.
We were also able to reuse our pretty green and yellow table cloth, to add a really personal touch...
I know it perhaps wouldn't be to everyone's tastes, as it is such a strong style statement, but we love our contemporary decorating kitchen with retro wallpaper, and find it suits us just perfectly...
It's bright and cheerful in the day, and welcoming and cosy at night - I don't think we'll ever get bored of looking at the patterns, or admiring the glitter and sparkle in the features!
After all, that's what the art of interior design is all about - finding your perfect design and style that suits your needs and tastes, and allows you to feel comfortable, relaxed and happy in your own home...
Get your own retro wallpaper inspiration with a bargain off eBay...
Start your own retro decorating makeover with a look at some fun and funky retro style wallpapers to inspire you...
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