Decorating a Kitchen with an Atomic, Retro Eames Design
"Recognizing the needs" is a quote from Charles Eames, an accomplished designer of the mid century modern period. Another quote from Eames is, " Whoever said that pleasure wasn't functional?"
Modern, retro design buffs believe that the designers of the mid century modern period had it right... function precedes form. If it isn't functional, then it isn't Mid Century Modern.
A kitchen that is functional and attractive does not happen by accident. This is especially so when it is being planned with a vintage, retro, modern eye and going to include many icons of the mid century modern period. So, the first step in designing a modern kitchen is to make a list of everything you want your kitchen to be.
- Do you want your kitchen to have lots of cabinet space?
- Do you want it to have vintage retro kitchen appliances?
- What kind of retro flooring turns you on?
- Do you need to take out wall or put in walls?
- Do you want an island?
- Do you want to use vintage cabinets, table and chairs and wall accessories?
-Do you want to have an eat-in kitchen?
- What is your family's eating habits?
- What is your preferred style of entertaining?
- What are your kitchen work habits?
- What is your budget for a kitchen make-over?
Answering these questions will get you on your way to making more firm detailed kitchen decorating plans.
If you plan to use all vintage, retro materials in your kitchen, you might want to start looking at websites on the internet that sell vintage retro kitchen items. Another good way to find retro, vintage kitchen items is to search Craigslist. Garage sales, auctions and estate sales are also good sources for locating vintage, retro kitchen items.
If you are interested in vintage mid century modern dinnerware for your kitchen, a couple of our favorite designers from the Mid Century Modern era are Russell Wright whose American Modern Pottery is highly thought of and sought after. Another wonderful pattern from the era is called Franciscan Starburst. It is an awesome atomic style that screams space-age cool.
When thinking about kitchen appliances, you can't go wrong with a classic Sunbeam Mixmaster #12. This model of the Sunbeam mix master came in aqua, pink and yellow with two matching bowls. Finding one of these in good condition is a real deal. Sunbeam also produced great coffee makers, waffle irons, toasters etc.
Toastmaster was another company producing retro, vintage, mid century modern kitchen appliances. The first iteration of Toastmaster began in 1900 as the McGraw Electric Company. In 1926, the Waters Genter Company began selling what was called the Toastmaster model 1-A-1 ; which was the first automatic pop-up toaster made for the home. The Model 1B14 is extremely rare as it was made in copper.
Besides thinking about retro, vintage tableware and kitchen ware, you might want to think about whether you want a very popular 1950s chrome table and chair set or a more sophisticated Danish Modern teak table, chair and buffet set. Each of these kinds of table and chairs has their own charm but they also have very different ambiances.
Follow the links in this article to find examples of the style and cool of the mid century modern period. These links will help you be able to dream about and decorate a spectacular vintage retro mid century modern kitchen.
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Published by Mary Starr Johnson-Gerard, Ph.D.
I am a Ph.D. Educational Psychologist with over 35 years of experience in the fields of human development, behavior, and learning. I have hands on experiences as well consultative experiences in all areas. I... View profile
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