Hi Everyone! Today I’m sharing a tour of my 1980s kitchen (the house was built in ’81). Truth: the space has been remodeled since the 1980s, but there are still plenty of ’80s elements, like the garden window above the sink and the pairing of cream and black! When we moved in two years ago, this room became my very favorite in the house. We had a limited budget, so we decided to “just go with it” and embrace the essence of the ’80s vibe. Keep reading for details, and of course, more photos…
I’ve always wanted a garden window! This was the second feature of the home that I noticed with delight while house hunting (the first was the slanted wood of the fireplace).
While I was very tempted to pack this window with plants and other treasures, there’s a nearby shelf that I’ve packed with stainless steel and glass. When the window is full as well, the look is very cluttered. And I’m going for more of a minimalist vibe in here.
So the answer for me was to go with small yet powerful statements, like the succulent and stainless steel planter (from IKEA) above and the agate paperweight below (a birthday gift my hubby purchased for me at Z Gallerie).
Here’s the open shelving I was talking about! I’ve collected a series of metal and glass pieces over the years, including this stainless steel coffee pot and a vintage scale I picked up at my local antique mall. The geo tile art and marble tile art are DIY projects I featured right here on Mirror80!
The area under the shelf holds a stainless steel planter filled with greenery, as well as details such as a retro spice rack, which I enjoy displaying without the spices. It makes a sculptural statement, don’t you think?! Remember the piece from this post on hunting for treasures at antique malls?
I purchased the wall art online. The posters are from the 1980s, and they feature citrus fruit. Since the colors are so dark, it’s a bit hard to photograph these framed pieces without seeing the rest of the kitchen reflected in the glass. But I figured it was better to try snapping a pic rather than admitting defeat! The lemon poster is from Edward Weston Graphics and the lime selection is by Rick Davis Photography:
During the process of decorating this room, I enjoyed browsing photos of other ’80s kitchens for ideas. I noticed a prevalence of cream and beige coupled with black. Which is why we decided to embrace the black appliances and add even more black details to the space, like the octagonal Arcoroc bowl below:
The stainless steel tea kettle was a wedding gift from a dear friend. I love the way it pops on that black stove top!
And speaking of black appliances, we decided to go with a black microwave for the space, because…why not?! It was on sale (in a major way) at Target, and we figured we’d have it for a few months before needing to replace it. More than two years later, it’s still going strong.
Thanks for letting me share my kitchen with you today! I’ll be sharing a tour of my living room later this fall. Until then, check out tours of my dining room, home office and bedroom for more retro-modern style.
Wow, what a lovely kitchen! Im a bit jealous, I would love to live in a house built in the 80’s! 🙂
Thank you so much! A lot of the house had been remodeled before we got our hands on it, but it was still fun to find ’80s features here and there. 🙂
What a beautiful kitchen. I like the plant additions too. You should consider publishing your own magazine! I like how you combine recent retro with minimal, homely and achievable.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Alana! I’m a plant lover as well, and it’s taken some trial and error to see which plants will work in a space that doesn’t get a ton of light. Thank you for reading, and for your lovely comment!
My dream kitchen!!! Love love love! Been catching up on all of your recent articles. I love the movie set reviews. I would love to see a review on ‘murder, she wrote’ or ‘dynasty’. Each episode has individually amazing sets of 80s hotels, mansions, etc.. Another suggestion would be adventures in baby sitting. The possibilities in exploring 80s design is endless really! Keep up the good work!
Thank you, Andy! I really appreciate you reading, and your suggestions are fabulous. I love dramas of the ’80s, especially when many interiors are featured. Series such as Murder, She Wrote are ideal, because the locations change each week, so there are MANY interiors to enjoy. I would love to feature more TV sets on the blog, and it’s great when I can find the series on Netflix, as it can be hard to get clear screen shots from YouTube or other sources. You’ve given me some interesting possibilities to consider. And I definitely need to go back and re-watch Adventures in Babysitting. Thanks again!
I have a 1980s kitchen. Last week, while we were gone, a pipe under the sink sprung a leak and damaged one of the 80’s cabinet doors. I have searched EBAY, and Amazon to buy a replacement set with no luck. Any ideas where I might find them? Help would be greatly appreciated.
Hmmm… I’m actually not too sure about hunting down ’80s cabinet doors. Maybe a reader will see your comment and chime in! I’ll let you know if I uncover any helpful info. I suppose having a handyman replace it and trying to match up the hardware would be tricky?… And if you know the manufacturer, could you call the company and see what they suggest? Getting the word out is helpful too, as lots of folks are re-doing their ’80s kitchens and maybe ripping out the very cabinet doors you’re looking for.
Hi! Love your blog! I’ve gotten so many ideas from here. I’m currently working on my circa 1982 kitchen with a very similar look to your fabulous kitchen. Would bisque colored appliances work in that same space and still keep the 80’s look with the beige countertops and floor and white cabinets?
Hi Trevor! Thank you for your kind words about the blog! I think bisque could work well. I was going to mention the importance of adding a dark contrast somewhere, but a kitchen like the one in this link makes me think layering lighter colors is absolutely ’80s-perfect:
http://80sheaven.tumblr.com/post/111288716108/post-106-1985-house-for-sale-21459-burnside
I’d love to hear how the kitchen turns out! Sounds like a fabulous project.
Lovely kitchen. I have two garden windows on my house too. No plants there though; the cats use them for their naptime.
Very rad kitchen! I have a very similar garden window, where to top props open. Only thing is it’s missing the hardware to push it open, so I’ve been finding random things around the house to keep it propped open. I’ve been searching the internet, but don’t know what hardware I need. Are you able to post some close-ups of that part so I know what to look for? It would be a life saver!
I am about to update my 1980’s kitchen a bit and came across your blog. I really like the backsplash tile in this kitchen. Can you tell me the size of the tiles and anything else that comes to mind about it? I’d like to put that same tile in my kitchen. It’s beautiful. And is that a laminate counter top? Thank you!