Retro Decorating Ideas
Do you have any plans to decorate your home or office in a retro style during 2012? Do you have any ideas what you’d like to have done or what the finish product should look like? If you’re still wondering what to do or if you’d like a more retro look for 2012, you might be searching for some ideas to help get you started. There’s no reason to look any further! Here are some worthwhile retro decorating ideas for your home’s kitchen and living room.
Retro Decorating Ideas To Bring Back The 1940s and 1950s In Your Kitchen and Living Room
1 – Redecorating The Kitchen
Most people, when they begin to redecorate, tend to redo the kitchen first. And, if you’re looking to do something different with your kitchen, there are some neat retro kitchen 
designs of the past to consider for 2012. The first thing, when redecorating your kitchen, is to consider what era you want to put it in. The 1940s and the 1950s differed from each other in many ways.
For instance, the 1940s had linoleum floors, bold colored cabinets, glass knobs and patterned fruit such as cherries or gingham. If you’re looking to bring back the 1940s in your kitchen, consider using the following colors to paint your kitchen’s cabinets:
- Cherry red
- Kelly green
- Navy blue
- Sunny yellow
When shopping for appliances and other kitchen accessories, it’s important to remember that you need them to match the room’s décor.
However, the 1950s kitchen used pastel colors, lots of chrome and had an open floor plan. If you love chrome, love wood flooring and don’t mind the pastel colors, then you might want to use the 1950s look for your kitchen. Be sure your kitchen table has classic stools and chrome trim. And, your kitchen accessories should include old-fashioned telephone, novelty salt and pepper shakers and retro kitchen clock. Place some cookie jars into the room to give it the 1950s touch.
One way you could decorate your kitchen is in a diner fashion, which involves using the colors black, red and white. The black and white are decorative colors, whereas the red brings the room some fresh color. Now, add in some black and white photographs using black and/or metallic silver frames. If you want to go all out, be sure to purchase some 45 records and hang them on the wall. Consider purchasing a chalkboard to hang on the wall, which you can use to write down the menu for the evening.
2 – Redecorating The Living Room
If, after renovating your kitchen, you decide to redecorate your living room in a 1940s or 1950s retro look, you need to know what items to put into it. The colors and floors of the 1940s living room are the same as the 1940s kitchen. However, fabrics of this time include rooster themes, floral patterns and fruit motifs. Your furniture needs to include glass drawer pulls, chrome/vinyl stools and Formica tabletops. Covered televisions and wooden radios were the rage of the 1940s.
If you decide to renovate your living room into the look of the 1950s, you’ll need to ensure that the room has a sleek but contemporary look. Furniture should have the glass and chrome features and be sitting low to the ground. Sectional sofas and kidney-shaped coffee tables often adorned the room. Table lamps of geometric shapes should sit atop these tables. Your window coverings should also be geometric shapes to boost the 1950s appearance. This room should also include a retro jukebox or a console television. You can also spruce up the room by using a radio or cabinet stereo system, regardless if it works or not.
Whether you’re purchasing a new home or just looking to renovate your existing home during the 2012 year, the 1940’s and 1950s can give it some class and style. The retro look is “IN” for 2012 and you should take advantage of it for your home. With the helpful tips above, you get some ideas on how to decorate both your kitchen and living room in a way that makes a significant impact to all who see it.