Reimagine Your Split Level With a Vintage-Inspired Kitchen Remodel

Split level homes were exceptionally popular in the 1970s, with their spacious layouts, ample storage, and affordable price points. However, the dated harvest gold appliances, wood paneled walls, and linoleum floors that were trendy decades ago can now make these kitchens feel tired and disconnected from more contemporary design styles.

Rather than gutting your retro kitchen, consider embracing its vintage charm in your remodel. With strategic updates and infusions of color and personality, you can reimagine your split level kitchen to make it fresh, functional and full of retro flair.

Assess Your Existing 1970s Kitchen and Create a Remodel Plan

Before finalizing remodeling plans, take time to evaluate your existing split level kitchen's layout, features, and condition. This will help you formulate a plan that enhances the space while staying true to its origins.

Take Note of Layout and Flow

Split level kitchens often encompass multiple disjointed rooms like an eat-in dining nook, kitchen, and laundry room. Think about opportunities to improve flow and open up the space. For example, removing walls between the kitchen and dining area can create a more cohesive gathering spot.

Identify Must-Keep Retro Elements

Not all dated elements need to go. Survey your kitchen to identify any vintage finishes worth preserving, like brick backsplashes or Formica countertops. Accentuate these features in your remodel as reminders of the home's heritage.

Choose a Color Palette

Harvest gold, burnt orange, and avocado green may be relics of the past, but embracing retro colors and patterns sets the tone for a funky '70s-inspired remodel. Or, take a more modern approach by painting the cabinets white then adding pops of retro colors through tile, accessories, and accent walls.

Set a Budget

Prioritize necessary functional improvements like installing new appliances or improving layout and flow. Cosmetic changes like paint, hardware, and lighting can make a big visual impact without breaking the bank.

Embrace Retro Style in Key Design Elements

Once you've formulated a plan, it's time to have fun adding vintage flair. Focus on kitchen features that can take on retro style through colors, textures, shapes, and patterns.

Cabinets

For a playful look, paint the existing cabinets in a glossy retro color like burnt orange, sunshine yellow, or robin's egg blue. Swap out old hardware with funky vintage-inspired knobs and handles.

Countertops

Leaning into nostalgia? Opt to keep the original formica. For a more durable option, replace with budget-friendly plastic laminate in a retro print. Solid surface materials like quartz can also take on vintage flair with bold speckled patterns.

Appliances

Search for retro appliance designs from brands like Big Chill, Smeg, and Amana. Vintage hues like turquoise, pink, and butter yellow add friendly flair. Make sure to budget for necessary appliance upgrades like dishwashers, ranges, and refrigerators.

Floors

Vinyl plank flooring gives the look of retro linoleum in easy-care planks. For DIYers, sand and polish the original floors then coat with glossy sealer. Or paint floors in a glossy bright hue through a technique called floor lacquering.

Walls and Wallpaper

Wallpaper defines the retro kitchen. Use removable papers to add eye-catching prints in geometric or nature themes. Paint inside shelves or open display units in glossy, saturated hues pulled from wallpaper colors. A vintage-look tile backsplash provides another opportunity to add charm.

Sources of Retro Inspiration

Beyond your home's existing architecture, there are many other places to draw retro inspiration from. Look to midcentury modern motifs, 1950s diners, groovy fabrics, and era-specific commercial architecture.

Additional Ideas for Embracing Your Home's Retro Soul

Small additions throughout the kitchen can reinforce the retro remodel motif. For example, replace interior doors with ones featuring groovy etched glass. Upcycle kitchen chairs by reupholstering seats in 70s-inspired floral or geometric fabrics. Display kitschy vintage kitchenware like Tupperware and Pyrex on open shelves.

Balancing Vintage Style With Modern Updates

While having fun with retro trends, also invest in important but less flashy upgrades. Prioritize improvements to plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and other systems. Install new energy efficient appliances. Swap out dated lighting with task lighting, pendants, and dimmers.

Boosting Function While Honoring Retro Charm

Improving workflow and storage can make a split level kitchen more livable without sacrificing style. For example, roll-out shelves and pull-out spice racks optimize storage. Roller cart islands provide extra surface area. Removing unnecessary walls opens up space. And a retro-look hood vent neatly captures smoke and odors.

For more design inspiration and help bringing your 1970s split level kitchen back to its retro roots, explore these additional resources:

• Retro renovation blogs and Youtube channels
• Architects and designers specializing in midcentury modern and retro styles
• DIY stories and tutorials from homeowners who completed their own split level remodels
• Local reuse and antique stores to score reclaimed retro materials on a budget

With the right amount of planning and design savvy, you can reimagine your outdated split level kitchen into a stylish and livable space that celebrates its groovy 1970s origins.