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Retro kitchens work best when nostalgia is a design language, not a museum rule. The 11 rooms featured by Architectural Digest’s AD PRO Directory designers mix period references—midcentury architecture, 1960s mod, prewar apartments, roadside diners, coastal cottages and old-world materials—with layouts, appliances and work zones suited to current life. Use their choices as a framework: decide which era you are evoking, choose where color and pattern will carry the memory, then spend your renovation budget on the functions you actually need. The original feature, published June 18, 2024, is “11 Retro Kitchens We Love From AD PRO Directory Designers.”
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What “retro kitchen” means in these 11 projects
There is no single retro palette or decade recipe here. “Retro” describes a set of references interpreted for a particular house and client. A midcentury home may receive stained wood, square tile and a period-plausible floor; a new Shingle-style build can borrow Palm Beach color and turned-leg furniture; a small pied-à-terre can suggest 1960s mod with stainless steel and cork. The common thread is selective evocation rather than literal reconstruction.
Color does much of the work. Designers use green, red, peach, lilac, mint, yellow and blue on cabinets, appliances, tile or upholstery. Pattern and tactility make those colors feel historical: checkerboard floors, geometric or botanical wallpaper, cement tile, zellige, beadboard, cork, stained ash and vintage rugs. Just as important, every project adapts the room to contemporary routines through opened-up plans, current appliances, durable surfaces, concealed workstations or intentionally minimal equipment.
#1 Best Overall
- IRON PAINT ART WALL CLOCK : 13" diameter/1.77" thick , industrial vintage look design, case without glass lens and no seconds style. Adopt electroplating and baking lacquer process to prevent rusting, hands made of high quality aluminum, moisture resistant and easy to clean. Has good color fastness.
- COMPLETELY SILENT : Adopted quality quartz sweep movement for keeping quiet and accurate, no more annoying ticking, it will not disturb you when installed anywhere.
- DECORATION : It can match with modern and vintage decorative styles, you can hang it in your kitchen, hallway, restaurant, bedroom, study, living room or anywhere else you want to decorate in a unique and original style. It is also perfect for Country, farmhouses, cafes, restaurants, bars, offices, etc. Enjoy the admiring glances from your guests!
- GOOD GIFT IDEAS : It is the perfect gift idea for birthday, wedding,housewarming party,anniversary,Christmas,Mother's Day,Father's Day, Valentine's Day or any other occasion.
- MORE DETAILS : Back slot design offers easy installation. Use 1 x AA battery (note: the positive terminal of the battery should be inserted first) . Please don't worry about the quality. We will provide you with 100% satisfactory after-sales service.
The 11 kitchens at a glance
| Designer and location | Primary reference | Defining move |
|---|---|---|
| Prospect Refuge Studio, Minneapolis | 1960s colors and midcentury architecture | Red and green cabinetry with a colored laminate island |
| Another Human, Pasadena | Original midcentury house | Era-plausible materials around a newly opened layout |
| Ayromloo Design, Mexico City | 1960s mod | Compact stainless-steel and cork kitchen for light use |
| Zoe Feldman Design, Washington, DC | 1990s/2000s pop culture | Neon range, peach cabinets and black-and-white tile |
| Digs Design Company, Cape Cod | Palm Beach meets Cape Cod | Airy open plan with a turned-leg island |
| Ken Fulk Inc., coastal New England | Timeworn summer cottage | Beadboard, geometric wallpaper and a hand-painted checkerboard floor |
| SCW Interiors, Austin | Spanish Colonial and organic craft | Stained ash, leathered granite, brass and a green-glass refrigerator |
| Sagrada Studio, Culver City | Collected, old-world California | Sage cabinetry and emerald zellige around reused furnishings |
| Deana Lenz Interiors, Upper East Side | Prewar apartment | Green stove and clover tile with a coffee-bar nook |
| Annie Downing Interiors, Austin Allandale | Roadside diner | Lilac banquette layered with leather, plaid and art |
| Lisa & Leroy, Washington, DC | Botanical, cheerful row-house nostalgia | Mint cabinetry, wallpaper and a hidden workstation |
How each designer translated nostalgia
1. Prospect Refuge Studio: red and “medical” green
Victoria Sass began the Minneapolis remodel with a visual cue from Gucci’s spring–summer 2020 runway show. Deep red Sherwin-Williams Flower Pot and Benjamin Moore Dunmoore Green cover the cabinets, while Benjamin Moore Cucumber Salad colors the glass backsplash. A red laminate island top under RBW pendants recalls the bright linoleum tops of Alvar Aalto’s Artek tables. Sass described the green-and-red pairing as a deliberate answer to the home’s existing 1960s browns and woods. The lesson is to let a strong two-color relationship carry the period reference while keeping the architectural shell legible.
2. Another Human: open the plan, keep the era
Leah Ring renovated a Pasadena house associated with Buff, Straub & Hensman. She changed the layout to open the kitchen and fit modern appliances, but selected stained cabinets, square backsplash tile, dark stone counters and checkerboard flooring that could plausibly belong to the original design. A banquette in Knoll fabric and vinyl, Ravenhill Studio and Servomuto pendants, and royal-blue Heath tile add midcentury specificity. This is a useful model for older homes: update circulation and equipment first, then use materials to respect the building’s vocabulary.
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Jessica Ayromloo’s Centro Histórico pied-à-terre in Mexico City was not intended for extensive cooking. The kitchen therefore needed only small, essential appliances. Stainless steel and cork provide practical, durable surfaces without pretending the room is a full family kitchen. Vintage finds, Un Rayito de Sol concrete tile elsewhere in the retreat and a shelf held by antique dragon sconces extend the 1960s-mod mood. The approach demonstrates that a retro kitchen can be intentionally limited: size the equipment to the use instead of filling a compact room with an oversized suite.
Rank #2
- 【Portable & Mini Retro Design】: The Dosmix small retro bluetooth speaker only takes a place of to 3.9× 2.2 × 2.8 inch ,super cute ,great little speaker for room,allowing you to carry it all around,makes it easy to listen to music.Take outside and listen to vintage music during cooking, party, yard work, garage, campfire, hiking, biking or beach,great for home office decoration as well as various The vintage and elegant appearance of this bluetooth speaker looks awesome in the designed studio.
- 【 Bluetooth 5.0 technology& Crystal Clear Sound】: Equipped with advanced technology, compatible for all Bluetooth iPhone iPad Tablet .With the advanced Bluetooth5.0 technology, maintain a strong connection up to 32.8ft this retro Bluetooth speaker could connect with your smart equipment in less than one second.Cute Stereo Ultra mini but super loud. Whether you listen to country music, rock music or popular music, it will let you feel at the real concert scene.
- 【Bluetooth, AUX, TF Card & USB Playback】 Enjoy music in different ways. This mini speaker supports Bluetooth wireless playback, AUX input, TF card and USB playback, making it convenient for phones, tablets, computers and other compatible audio devices.
- 【Let's Go Back To the Old Days】This vintage speaker has a retro and elegant appearance. It uses retro decor design and blends modern technology with retro classic aesthetics, combining the latest and best digital audiotech. We can feel like back into the golden age of music in the 1950s, enjoying a soothing moment in today's busy life.
- 【Compact Size, Easy to Carry Anywhere】With its small body and lightweight design, this portable speaker is easy to place on a desk, bedside table, kitchen counter or bookshelf. It also fits easily into a backpack or tote bag for picnics, travel, camping, yard work and casual outdoor use.
4. Zoe Feldman Design: make one appliance the exclamation point
In this Washington, DC, row house, a neon-yellow ILVE range and hood act as the visual anchor. Soft peach cabinetry, black-and-white Clé tile and Fajen & Brown shelving keep the high-voltage appliance from floating in the room. In Common With pendants and a Waterworks faucet supply additional crafted detail. Feldman tied the colors and pattern to the clients’ 1990s and 2000s pop-culture interests, showing that “retro” can mean a personally remembered recent past rather than only the 1950s or 1960s.
5. Digs Design Company: vacation-house optimism
Jocelyn Chiappone connected the kitchen of a new Shingle-style Cape Cod build to the living and dining areas so the vacation house could function socially. Quartz counters and Urban Electric Company pendants provide contemporary practicality, while Grow House Grow cement tile and a Benjamin Moore Athabasca island with custom Jenny Lind-inspired turned legs create what Chiappone calls a Palm Beach-meets-Cape Cod aesthetic. The combination works because the playful furniture-like island is balanced by an airy plan and hard-wearing work surfaces.
6. Ken Fulk Inc.: a timeworn cottage without low performance
Ken Fulk designed the coastal New England kitchen for family meals and celebrations. Custom casework and inset beadboard are painted Farrow & Ball Arsenic; historical geometric-print Adelphi wallpaper, industrial pendants sourced at the Brimfield Flea Market, Serena & Lily stools and a hand-painted checkerboard floor build a deliberately aged impression. Fulk’s stated goal was “timeworn and unpretentious” while still functioning at the highest level. His related advice is practical: salvaged elements can be smart to retrofit, but a custom island may deliver longer service than forcing an old piece to perform a new job.
Rank #3
- Holds 1 large paper towel roll
- Rust resistant design with a non-marring EVA base
- Weighted base keeps holder from shifting during use
- Side dispenser bar to prevent unraveling
7. SCW Interiors: let stained wood do the grounding
Shazalynn Cavin Winfrey’s Austin Spanish Colonial kitchen combines custom Tabarka Studio tile, leathered Ubatuba granite, brass-hammered CopperSmith sinks, vintage rugs, Pennsylvania-made ash cabinets and Modern Matter hardware. A green-glass True Residential refrigerator supplies the bright accent. Winfrey specifically chose stained wood instead of black paint to reinforce the organic materials. If your tile or metalwork is already expressive, a visible wood grain can provide the visual rest that keeps the room from becoming a collection of unrelated statements.
8. Sagrada Studio: layer green and reuse what matters
Hema Persad opened a formerly small, closed Culver City kitchen toward the dining room and courtyard. Sage cabinets, quartz counters, a Native Trails cement apron-front sink, a butcher-block island and emerald Zia Tile zellige create a layered green scheme. The clients’ original Indian dining table and light fixtures were retained, giving the remodel a collected quality that new finishes alone cannot provide. Persad noted that many rooms use neutral cabinets with green tile or the reverse; using both sage and emerald makes the color relationship itself the design feature.
9. Deana Lenz Interiors: build a room around an existing stove
In this Upper East Side apartment, an original green American Range stove set the direction. Emerald clover-motif tile, oak cabinetry, a brass-tacked custom hood, a black-and-brass Brizo faucet, Maya Romanoff wallpaper and Zak+ Fox textiles connect the prewar setting to contemporary detailing. A breakfast-nook coffee bar accommodates the client’s antique grinder without crowding the main work zone. An inherited appliance can therefore become the organizing datum, provided the surrounding cabinetry and clearances are designed around its actual dimensions.
Rank #4
- MULTI-FUNCTION WALL CLOCK: The Retro Kitchen Wall Clock from Lily's Home features a built-in thermometer and 60-minute timer making it the ultimate addition to any kitchen! While the clock itself has been designed with quartz movement and guarantees accurate timekeeping.
- EASY TO READ: The clock features large font, black digits, and the matching black hands are easy to read against the off-white dial. Minute and hour hands clearly display the current time!
- BATTERY POWERED AND EASY TO MOUNT: The Retro Kitchen Wall Clock is battery powered and does not consist of any cords for charges. 1 AA battery is required but is not included. Easily mount to any wall with a single nail or screw.
- A PERFECT GIFT IDEA: Lily's Home makes a wide array of products for every home and garden lover. Whether you're looking for a perfect gift to spruce up your friend's garden, or if you need a housewarming present, Lily's Home has something for everyone!
- MAKE A HOUSE A HOME: Lily’s Home offers beautifully designed clocks, dishware, garden decorations, and more to add a touch of style to any home. Whether you’re looking for a statement piece for your living room or looking for a way to add more color to your garden, Lily’s Home has just what you’re looking for!
10. Annie Downing Interiors: the diner cue is upholstery
Annie Downing used a lilac-tinted custom banquette in the Austin Allandale kitchen to recall a roadside diner. Moore & Giles leather, Ottoline fabric interpreted in a plaid, a coordinated window treatment, an Allied Maker pendant and Natural Curiosities artwork add texture and pattern. The reference stays refined because it is concentrated in seating and textiles rather than multiplied across every cabinet and appliance. This is an approachable route for renters or owners who want a reversible retro signal.
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Lisa Shaffer addressed limited natural light with custom mint cabinetry and warm brass in a Washington, DC, row house. Bold botanical wallpaper, cool tile, a rug and artwork add the color that the architecture lacks. A concealed workstation and countertop microwave preserve a clean visual field while supplying everyday convenience in a compact footprint. The project shows that retro styling is compatible with concealment: doors and panels can hide technology when the room’s character depends on uninterrupted color and pattern.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Design ingredients that make a kitchen feel vintage
Choose a period cue before choosing a palette
Start with the house, the memory or the object you want to honor. Midcentury rooms support stained wood, square tile and saturated color; a prewar apartment may reward a historically sympathetic stove, oak and small-pattern tile; a cottage can carry beadboard, wallpaper and a painted checkerboard. If the reference is personal—such as 1990s pop culture—an appliance color or graphic floor may communicate it more honestly than copying an older decade.
Best Value
- Salt and Pepper Shakers Set:Don't you hate constantly having to refill your salt and pepper shakers? Their size about 4.3”x 1.6", with the capacity of 4 oz and holding 1/2 cup of spices, this set is the perfect size to cut down on constant refills without being bulky. When you do have to refill, the clear glass bottom will let you know when it's time
- Super Cute Farmhouse Design:This salt and pepper shaker set comes in a Refillable Design for modern and farmhouse style kitchens, dining rooms and tables. They has the words "salt" and "pepper" printed on them, so you don't have to worry about holding the wrong shaker when using it. It is pleasing to the eye and practical at the same time
- No Over-Seasoning:There are 11 small holes evenly distributed on the Stainless Steel Lid, you only need to shake 1-2 times at most to get the salt and pepper flowing just right, saving time and not over-seasoning. You and your family can enjoy the pleasuring of cooking
- Easy to Clean:Cleaning the salt and pepper shaker is super easy! Just unscrew the lid for quick and easy cleaning and rinsing, or you can use a small brush to clean (Please note that the salt and pepper shaker set is hand wash only, please do not use the dishwasher)
- The Gift of Flavor:Brighten your home or bring joy to lover with the perfect gift! These cute salt and pepper shakers farmhouse jars are perfect for any home with vintage decor, or rustic decor. Easy to carry to Kitchen Cooking Table Outdoor BBQ, RV,Camp picnic use
Carry color across two or three surfaces
A single colored appliance can be the focal point, as in Feldman’s neon range. More immersive rooms repeat a family of hues across cabinets, backsplash and furnishings, as in the red-and-green Minneapolis kitchen or the sage-and-emerald Culver City kitchen. Test paint, tile and countertop samples together in the room’s actual light; a color that reads nostalgic in a showroom can become harsh beside existing wood or stone.
Use pattern where it can be maintained or changed
Checkerboard floors and cement tile make a durable architectural statement, while wallpaper, rugs, upholstery and artwork offer easier future changes. Zellige and other irregular tiles add hand-made texture, but their variation is part of the look rather than a defect. Keep grout, sealing and cleaning requirements in the specification instead of treating pattern as decoration only.
Mix old, salvaged and new deliberately
Original stoves, dining tables, antique grinders, vintage rugs and flea-market lighting supply real history. Custom casework, quartz, current refrigeration and properly sized sinks supply reliability and fit. Measure every reused item, confirm electrical and plumbing requirements, and decide whether the piece needs reinforcement or restoration before fixing the new layout around it.
How to plan a retro kitchen that still works
- Write the use brief. Count daily cooks, entertaining, coffee-making, baking and storage needs. A pied-à-terre may need only compact essentials; a family cottage needs clear serving and cleanup routes.
- Map circulation before finishes. Open a closed room, connect dining areas or add a concealed workstation only after locating doors, windows, structural walls and appliance clearances.
- Set the functional backbone. Choose refrigerator, cooking equipment, sink, ventilation, outlets and lighting positions. Then select the retro elements that fit those dimensions, not the other way around.
- Pick one dominant reference and one supporting reference. For example, pair a midcentury material palette with a checkerboard floor, or a diner banquette with contemporary cabinetry. Too many unrelated eras can read as staging.
- Assign visual weight. Decide whether cabinets, a range, tile, wallpaper or upholstery is the loudest element. Keep adjacent surfaces quieter enough to show it clearly.
- Specify maintenance honestly. Confirm sealing for stone and cement tile, cleaning for wallpaper and grout, durability of upholstery, and repair access for concealed appliances or custom panels.
- Protect the future. Leave service clearances, document paint colors and tile batches, and use replaceable textiles where possible. A reversible layer lets the room evolve without erasing its character.
What this roundup can—and cannot—tell you
The 11 kitchens are a designer showcase, not a cost survey, popularity poll or product-performance test. The number 11 counts the projects in the feature; it does not measure a market trend. Named products and materials identify what appeared in those rooms, but the feature does not provide complete model numbers, current availability, prices, comparative durability data or proof that a look-alike will perform the same way. Treat the names as visual references and verify specifications with manufacturers and your contractor before ordering.
Likewise, the designers’ comments explain intentions for their own projects. They are not independent laboratory findings. The value of the roundup is its range of workable strategies: concentrate color in one appliance, spread it across cabinetry and tile, reuse a meaningful object, or hide modern equipment behind a calm surface. Choose the strategy that matches your home, cooking habits and tolerance for maintenance.
The practical takeaway
A successful retro kitchen is recognizable through proportion, color, texture and memory, yet behaves like a kitchen designed for the people who use it now. Begin with a specific reference, make the work zones uncompromisingly functional, and let one or two expressive materials—whether checkerboard, zellige, wallpaper, stained wood or a vivid appliance—carry the story. The 11 AD PRO Directory projects prove that nostalgia is most convincing when it is edited, personal and built around real daily needs.
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