30 Retro Kitchens That Flawlessly Embrace Vintage Vibes

One of the most common reasons homeowners renovate their kitchen is because the space feels outdated. Design details like linoleum flooring, backsplash tiles, and wall paint colors can be disappointing if they feel like they’re from a different timeline than your design style.

But retro kitchens don’t have to be replaced with something ultra-modern if you like their kitschy appeal. While the word retro can refer to elements that are no longer in style, it can also mean “preloved,” or vintage with sentimental or historical value. By accepting your kitchen’s retro roots, you can create a cohesive home that’s a blend of your personality and the house’s structure. 

The ultimate bonus is that going for a retro kitchen can be an incredibly affordable design option. Not taking on a pricey renovation using popular materials and fixtures saves you money, and installing pre-loved items or purchasing retro and second hand elements is a lot more affordable than buying new. And if you’re concerned that leaning into your kitchen’s vintage roots means sacrificing style, these 30 retro and retro-inspired kitchens will prove otherwise. 

We are absolutely obsessed with the bold yellow counter and backsplash tiles in this Australian home. The bright tile gives the kitchen a mid-century feel, while the natural brick walls make the entire home feel seamlessly retro.

Installing patterned tile flooring in your kitchen is a great way to give your space retro vibes while keeping it somewhat minimal and sleek. Go for a subtle patterned tile that matches the rest of your kitchen’s aesthetics, like the stunning light blue flooring in this Amsterdam house.

Earth tones are central to mid-century modern design. Because natural colors were so popular in this era, incorporating natural browns and greens will make your retro kitchen stand out. We’re so inspired by the earth tones and retro touches included in this Australian kitchen that we included it in this list twice!

The stark contrast in this Colorado cabin are a vibe. Dark walls, white cabinets, and vintage appliances make this space look delightfully retro, while the wooden ceiling beams give it warmth. And we can’t ignore the ornately carved column by the kitchen island — what a stunning retro touch.

Globe lights are a major highlight of mid-century design, as seen in this Texas home. When designing your own retro kitchen, consider adding these funky light fixtures over the island to give the space a stylish retro feel. To make it feel even more retro, take notes from these homeowners who embraced retro-looking wood wall panels.

This Paris apartment is straight out of the 1950s and we can’t get over it. Funky patterned wallpaper and a unique teapot hanging light fixture make this otherwise simple kitchen pop and give it tons of visual interest.

When it comes to interior design, the term “retro” is practically synonymous with color. Reds, greens, yellows — we love it all. Wanting to add color to your retro kitchen? Take inspiration from the owners of this Australian house who painted their cabinetry a lovely red shade.

These renters hit the jackpot when they found this amazing LA house that’s dripping with vintage vibes and old charm. Take this retro kitchen for example, which shows off dark red countertop and backsplash tiles along with dark wood cabinets. While we love light and bright kitchens, the dark colors here really work together for a chic space.

If you don’t want to commit to dark colors in your retro kitchen, keep things light. Artists Cisco Merel and Barbara Cartier designed their Panama home around retro features that were already there when they bought it, like stunning white countertop and wall tiles in the kitchen. They painted their cabinets a light shade to complement the tiles and brighten things up.

Opting for pastels in an otherwise updated kitchen is a simple and beautiful way to give it a retro feel. We love how @homeofcharl utilized not only pastel paint but beautiful pastel pink tiles as well to give a touch of bygone kitsch to her adorable Anglesey, U.K. home

Another easy-breezy way to bring retro vibes into the kitchen is by filling it with plants and placing them in hanging macrame planters. This dreamy kitchen, designed by deVOL Kitchens in the U.K., features a balance of vintage-inspired and modern touches to create an Insta-worthy cook space. 

Whether you love bringing as much color to a space as possible or prefer neutrals, we love this design idea from Dear Saturdays’ Christine Han. While renovating her Brooklyn kitchen housed in a century-old building, she created a one-of-a-kind kitchen mosaic tile pattern that brings a bit of retro cool to the light-drenched space. 

Marble countertops may have ruled the design world for decades, but we’re noticing a return to formica countertops in modern and retro kitchens alike. We’ve found the perfect example in a 1960s-inspired English cottage that rocks some cheery yellow formica countertops in the kitchen.

Lighting is often the last thing we consider when renovating or simply redecorating a kitchen, but it’s an essential element to think through. We love Laura Olden’s retro-inspired fixtures that feel right at home in a 1970s home designed by Fred Blacksmith. They instantly brighten up the space and ensure that your midnight snack adventures will always be well-lit. 

Nothing can transport a room into another era like bold colors and patterns with a retro spin, like the amazing retro kitchen makeover in this remodeled Alameda, California house, designed by Abigail Braden of August Interiors. The “before” of this kitchen was the very definition of outdated: old tiles, old floors, and a sad color palette. Instead of ripping everything out to start anew, the designer and the homeowners decided to paint the existing vintage cabinets a bold blue, reupholster a vintage dinette set with a bright yellow, and install cute, retro-inspired patterns on the curtains and tiles.

Depending on which era you’re trying to emulate with your kitchen’s design, chances are the look would be helped along by dipping into a retro-inspired color palette. Sometimes, a retro color can even be the main source of retro vibes, like in this Australian mod beach shack. The kitchen’s vintage cabinets got a precious DIY update with a pastel color palette.

The power of a curated grouping or two of retro-inspired and vintage accessories can supplement a retro color palette, like in this mid-mod Asheville, North Carolina apartment. Though this renter painted her kitchen’s walls pink, the idea of using retro-inspired accessories to bring retro color into your kitchen is useful for renters who can’t paint their walls.

While you’re hunting for vintage accessories in retro colors to add a historic spin to your kitchen, be sure to look for retro patterns, too. Plenty of old and contemporary kitchen accessories like mugs, tea pots, tea towels, and more feature retro patterns that would set the tone of your space, like in this creative Australian home.

If you want a modern kitchen upgrade for aesthetic or functional reasons but want to respect your home’s retro roots, you can actually lean on just one very recognizable retro item. This low-key retro style Melbourne house has a great example with its minimal and modern kitchen, featuring a recognizable mid-century sunburst wall clock.

Whether you’re dealing with an older kitchen that needs new life, or you’ve made some small updates that are vintage inspired, a strong accessories game can push your kitchen’s look over the top. You can thrift for secondhand accessories on a budget or support contemporary artists with a vintage aesthetic and incorporate items that either feature older color palettes, retro-inspired patterns, or a combination of both. This Australian retro beachside home is an example of a strong accessories game.

This 1970s Australian house REALLY embraces its roots by going full retro style in every room of the home, kitchen included. But while the colors, patterns in the accessories, and even plants give it a vintage vibe, it also shows how powerful a verdant pop of green can be in a room to make it feel peaceful and inviting.

Sometimes what a kitchen with “outdated” elements needs is a step back. By paring down what you already have, keeping accessories to a minimum, and finding colors that complement the existing vintage elements, you can turn an “outdated” kitchen into a gorgeous retro space, as shown in this beautiful cookspace by Alexa Chambers. 

You could always go in the complete opposite direction. Rather than keep things minimal with just a few retro elements, go all out. Embrace maximalism! Like the cute couple in this Oakland apartment, you can absolutely stuff your kitchen with a collection of vintage items to achieve a fun retro look.

If your kitchen has room for furniture, like a small dinette set or a storage piece, choose vintage. Not only will a vintage furniture piece cement your retro design plan, they’re usually quite affordable and built to last. It’s a financial and aesthetic investment worth doing. It’ll make any existing retro furnishings look intentional, too, like in this modern Melbourne family home.

There’s no one “correct” retro flooring type. From linoleum to tile to wood, lots of flooring types can give a vintage look to a kitchen. But there’s one show-stopping style that will always give off strong retro vibes: a black and white checkered floor! Whether you go for a vinyl checkered floor like in this Seattle Craftsman house or DIY one with paint, it’s a classic look for a vintage kitchen.

There’s no need to rush to throw out vintage appliances just because they’re old. If they’re still functional, you can embrace their retro look by complementing them with retro accessories or something like a black and white checkered floor. This small and sweet Chicago apartment’s kitchen shows how to do it.

Thanks to the resurgence of vintage styles, there are a lot of brands today who are manufacturing new appliances that look stylish Splurging on one of these appliances — like a colorful retro-looking fridge — is a great way to rock your vintage look.

While a lot of wood can be overwhelming, resist the urge to paint all of that wood (at least at first). Natural wood tones in the kitchen, particular when it comes to wood cabinets, can give off subtle retro vibes. Paired with vintage hardware and simple furnishings, it’s a way to go retro without being loud or cluttered. This natural Massachusetts multi-level home shows how to do it.

If you have to renovate for structural reasons and are looking to replace your old or damaged cabinetry, still consider using wood tones in the makeover. As seen in this van (of all places!), keeping cabinetry simple, sleek, and wood-colored has a sort of vintage/modern blend, perfect for a simple kitchen.

You’ve likely noticed how updating your kitchen’s cabinet hardware can deeply affect the look. You don’t have to update that cabinetry with modern hardware, though! Find vintage hardware secondhand and install it on existing cabinet doors and drawers for a subtle retro makeover. This small 1940s studio kitchen shows the power of a set of vintage hardware handles.