Decorating a Retro Cozy Kitchen With Vintage and Hip Kitchen Collectibles

Retro Cozy Kitchen
Is it possible to have both an updated home and kitchen and also bring that special element called "cozy" back into the mix?

Adding Hip Tchotchkes

Basically, the question is.... can stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops co-exist with vintage Tchotchkes* ?

How do you bring warmth into the trendy industrial style kitchen? Is there really such a thing as "new age cottage" or "vintage modern kitsch" ? You betcha your Fire King there is.

As you know, stainless steel is a "cold" and "colorless" look. It works well in restaurant or commercial kitchens because it is practical and easy to maintain.

But in a residential kitchen, most homeowners need to depend on other decorating elements to soften the look of linear shapes, sharp angles and reflective surfaces.

While many of today's homes do bring in other materials into the kitchen such as natural wood (floors) , ceramic or mosaic (backsplash) and granite ( counters) , the charm only comes into the room when color, texture and accessories are added.

Many young couples like to keep the "modern" theme going and look to designs and kitchen-wares of the sixties and seventies or even earlier (atomic era). To help you think about possible collecting ideas to consider I have created this quick tip list.

Looking for Hip and Cozy Collectibles :

1 colorful .hard plastic kitchenwares (see Heller plastics)
2. teak or wood housewares
3. vintage barkcloth pillows, textiles, drapes
4. vintage fabric stretched over canvas
5. collections of similar objects (1.e. Fiestaware)
6. objects that are different but have complimentary design patterns or colors.
7. objects associated with an era i.e. mushrooms, owls, butterflies (sixties and seventies).
8. mobiles
9. vintage dinnerware, mugs, flatware
10. Kitchen tables and chairs with a retro flare.

Photos courtesy of Cassie Edmonds

What is a Tchotchke?* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchotchke


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

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Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.