The '70s-Inspired Kitchen Detail That's Making A Major Comeback

While kitchen design trends come and go over the years, many circle back around, finding their way increasingly into modern spaces. This is especially true of the mid-century style, which has been influencing home interiors long after the decades of its origins. While 1970s kitchens are known for hallmarks like lots of wood and colors like avocado green, mustard yellow, and sunny orange, other touches, like stainless steel and chrome, also popped up in '70s kitchens, usually used to create a modern, space-age feel that was no doubt inspired by things like the moon landing and popular entertainment. These items had a sleek and futuristic bent, like stainless countertops, metal pendant lamps, and a rounded touch to many design elements. These details, particularly chrome accents, are experiencing a new renaissance among designers and homeowners for both their nod to mid-century vintage look as well as their sleek and bold modern style.

This retro décor trend can be used in your kitchen in large or small doses. Stainless steel, a popular material for appliances, has already set the stage for a sleek and modern design that you can lean into by combining it with chrome home décor, sleek silhouettes, and the rounded lines of the space-age-inspired design.

The popularity of space-age retro modern design came into focus in the 1970s, when the previous decade's moon landing and other space exploration initiatives inspired home decor that looked like "Star Trek" and "The Jetsons." Accents like chrome lighting elements and white egg chairs dominated interiors, including kitchens, where you would often find a similar, more futuristic take on the mid-century modern style. Favored materials in this style included fiberglass, plastic, stainless steel, chrome, and acrylic. Theses trends translated into kitchen spaces that were not only filled with modern appliances and amenities but also lots of chrome and stainless steel that gave the whole kitchen a look not unlike a spaceship command center. Some of the most well-known pieces of the 1970s include tulip-shaped pedestal tables and chair sets made from metal or plastic and large statement pendant lights made from enameled steel or shiny chrome. Other chrome and metal elements included shiny hardware, metal bar stools, and chrome dining sets.

One of the most popular elements was stainless steel countersand backsplashes, which offered a sleek and industrial space age look. In addition to being striking, stainless steel countertops were easy to clean and durable, resisting the chipping, cracking, and staining of many other common countertop varieties of the era like butcher block and formica. The surfaces, however, were not impervious to entirely other problems like scratches, dents, and fingerprints. Today's versions come in a variety of finishes, however, that can lessen the impact of these issues, such as brushed and mirror-polished steel. 

While you may not want to go fully space-age with your home decor, there are some fun ways to bring some retro modern style into your kitchen using chrome and steel. One great way to avoid looking too anachronistic is to combine accents in this style with what you already have and your current aesthetic. Bringing in chrome and metal pieces with retro modern lines can be a great place to start. You can find new appliances, like microwaves, toasters, and blenders with a rounded retro mid-century feel in sleek chrome, enamel, or stainless steel. The juxtaposition of old and new can work beautifully in eclectic style kitchens, where you can combine fun retro space-age pieces with vintage pieces from other eras. You can also combine chrome and steel with wood veneer, which gives a kitchen a very 70s look and warms up the sterility of the metal.  

Thrift stores, antique vendors, flea markets, and other secondhand venues are great for finding budget-friendly pieces of décor for your kitchen, including sleek chrome candlesticks, sleek floating cantilever chairs with chrome legs, and metal stools. Lighting is another natural place to take advantage of this look. You can find many vintage lighting elements with an industrial and sculptural feel in materials like chrome, glass, and enamel coated steel that are from the era or new reproductions.