14 Old-School Design Features That'll Add A Vintage Touch To Your Kitchen

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Vintage touches are wonderful for making a kitchen feel cozier and inviting. Whether you're preparing for a full heritage-inspired kitchen remodel or looking for some tricks to give an overly modern kitchen more charm, some old-school design elements can help transform a space. We've rounded up some easy-to-implement ideas for inspiration, focusing on eye-catching kitchen features that are more substantial than swapping out your decor but much less work than a full renovation.

Some ideas on this list are very DIY-friendly, like changing your kitchen hardware, while others might require a professional hand, like installing tiled countertops. But regardless, we chose features that can make a notable difference to your kitchen aesthetic, bringing vintage charm that warms up the heart of your home. Keep reading for old-school kitchen design features that will add a touch of nostalgia to your kitchen.

Wall- and ceiling-mounted pot racks have been around for centuries. In recent decades, they were pretty much abandoned in favor of minimalist, modern kitchens — they were simply too traditional for pared-down kitchens where even essential appliances are hidden away. Associated with rustic farmhouse and country estate kitchens, hanging pot racks can really transport a room back in time, especially if you choose the right materials and design. A simple DIY hanging pot wall or wall-mounted rail adds a vintage touch, letting you display your cookware more traditionally but without looking too obtrusive. The more antique-looking and attention-grabbing choice is a ceiling-mounted rack. They're impossible to ignore when hung over a kitchen island or cooktop. For a true vintage look, choose one made of metal (like wrought iron) or wood, with old-school design touches.

The Demeter Bras Pot Rail is an excellent example of a vintage-inspired, wall-mounted pot rail. The brass finish makes it feel antique, and the intricate leafy design on each end suits traditional furnishings. Alternatively, the Rothley Stainless Steel Hanging Pot Rack is less ornate, but much more affordable, and still comes in brass finish options for an antique touch. When it comes to ceiling-mounted racks, black metal options tend to look antique, for example, the Enclume Rectangle Ceiling Pot Rack. Wood is also an option if metal doesn't strike your fancy. Choose a dark wood rack with a rustic design, like the J Jackcube Design Hanging Pot Rack.

If you had any older relatives with a plate display rack, you know just how much personality they can add to a kitchen or dining room. The very nature of displaying pretty plates feels nostalgic. The idea was popular throughout different periods in history. This type of shelving shows off ornate, often traditional artistry, and if you choose to display an assortment of plates, it offers visual variety that feels collected over time. These racks are associated with the kitchens of grandmothers, storybook cottages, and wealthy country homes, so it's no surprise that they can bring a vintage feel, even in modern spaces.

Made of wood and with a traditional design, the Winchester Plate Shelf has a hand-crafted antique look. It's on the pricier side, since it's made of solid wood and some wood veneer, so a more affordable option is the 17 Stories 3-Tier Plate Display Shelf. If the wood skews a bit too traditional, metal options are also available, with pretty scrollwork to add some decoration. The Touch of Class Regalla Scroll Plate Rack and the Spectrum Black Single Plate Rack are two great examples.

A dramatic chandelier or row of pendant lights is a lovely ornamental statement piece for a heritage-inspired kitchen. Large lighting fixtures draw the eye immediately and can really set the scene for a room. Vintage-inspired lighting pieces anchor your kitchen design in that era. Think along the lines of lights with ornate metalwork, historic glass or fabric shades, aged materials, and retro shapes. The embellishment of old-school lighting designs sits in sharp contrast with modern minimalism and can instantly add a nostalgic hint to a kitchen.

Rustic chandelier lights are aplenty. Thanks to recent trending farmhouse styles, you can find lots of affordable and rustic-looking options like this Miluolan Rustic Industrial Chandelier and VerRon Farmhouse Candle Chandelier. Chandeliers that use candle bulbs help create more of an antique look. Designs and prices can vary widely; for example, this Art Deco-style Sommelier Chandelier has a glamorous design and comes at a much higher price point. In short, it's worth shopping around for the light that matches your budget and aesthetic. If you love the look of a vintage shade and need more than one light, pendant lights might be the better pick. The Charlton Home Vintage Single Pendant Light is one of many wallet-friendly, historically-influenced kitchen pendant lights.

Charming checkerboard floors are a vintage kitchen trend that we'd love to see being used today. They were popular across several periods of history, so there are a few ways you can incorporate this classic design. For many, retro homes probably come to mind, with white and black or white and brightly-colored checkerboard linoleum floors, a common fixture in 1950s-era kitchens and diners. This style is more playful and kitschy. But you can also take inspiration from even further back, like marbled Renaissance-era checkerboard tiles. This latter option looks more elegant and refined.

Installing tiled or linoleum checkerboard floors is a big renovation that usually involves a professional hand. But for renters or homeowners who want to give the design a low-commitment try, peel-and-stick tiles offer the look. The Livelynine Checkered Black and White Vinyl Flooring Roll has a retro style. For a similar look, but with cute floral details, consider the Hometitute Floral Checkerboard Peel and Stick Floor Tiles. The FloorPops x Chris Loves Julia Marble Peel & Stick Floor Tiles are an example of a product that has a marbled design, leaning more historical rather than retro.

Low-effort but high impact, swapping out your kitchen cabinet hardware can give your cabinets a whole new look. If you use the existing holes from old knobs or pulls, it's also a renter-friendly project. Hardware is like makeup on your kitchen cabinets. It can be subtle and simple, the bare-faced look of choice for most contemporary minimalist styles (with some minimalist kitchens doing away with cabinet hardware altogether). Or, more in line with traditional styles, it can be ornate and eye-catching.

Changing kitchen hardware with the trends is a popular DIY upgrade, so you'll find a bevy of products available. You can choose antique brass knobs like the Goo-Ku Vintage Cabinet Knob or dainty pumpkin knobs like the Seimneire Leaf Pattern Pumpkin Knobs. Other choices include handles like the Asidrama Gold Drawer Pulls or cup pulls like the Homotek Bronze Cup Pulls. Generally, hardware in weathered materials or with ornamental designs will have a vintage feel.

When you picture a retro kitchen, a room with bright pops of color probably comes to mind. Eye-catching shades are a fixture of the mid-20th century and a playful idea to bring to your kitchen. Instead of splashing color across floors or cabinets (though that's absolutely an option), consider buying colorful, retro-style appliances. This can include a fridge, oven, or range hood if you're in the market for a large appliance, or small countertop gadgets like blenders, toasters, or electric kettles. The former large appliances make the kitchen's overall style retro: they're in stark contrast with modern, sleek steel appliances and a harbinger of past decades. Subtler, cheaper, and easier-to-incorporate small retro appliances bring a lower-profile vintage touch. 

You can find a retro-style version of almost every modern kitchen appliance and quite easily have it delivered right to your home. Even larger appliances are readily available, like the bright blue Frigidaire EFR753 Retro Apartment Size Refrigerator. Small appliances are an easy find. Some are premium options from major brands, like the Smeg Mini 50's Retro Electric Kettle. Others are more affordable, like the Nostalgia Retro Wide 2-Slice Toaster to get the look on a budget.

While they might change in color or ornamentation, wood elements are one of those vintage kitchen designs so charming that they'll never go out of style. Butcher block counters will continue to phase in and out of fashion, but unquestionably, they're associated with historic, cozy, and rustic kitchens. The material brings so much warmth to a kitchen. Darker wood stains feel more traditional, while lighter options feel more contemporary.

Installing butcher block counters is another larger renovation project, but for those looking for a DIY solution, peel-and-stick products can help you get the look. It won't have the same dimension or feel as real wood, but it will cost a fraction of the price, and it's removable in case you change your mind. The Decoroom Wood Contact Paper is an affordable and highly-rated product that's easy to apply.

Plain tiling dominated kitchens in recent years, but if you're getting bored with your stark, white subway tiles, you might want to bring in a vintage touch to cozy up the space. In general, patterned tiles feel more traditional; they were popular across many decades up until recently. It means there are plenty of options to choose from, depending on what eras inspire your style. Designs can include dainty farmhouse floral tiles, geometric '70s-inspired tiles, bold Art Deco tiles, and much, much more.

It is possible to install your own tile backsplash (keep these simple tips in mind), but it's a big job that most people recruit professionals to complete. Again, a DIY- and renter-friendly option is to use peel-and-stick products. Consider the pretty Alwayspon Floral Vinyl Sticker Peel and Stick for a cottage-inspired kitchen. The Tiles Plaza Black Star Peel and Stick Backsplash has a bold star design that works for a mid-century modern space. For more color, take a peek at the In Home Tuscan Peel & Stick Tile.

Are tiled countertops really practical for the kitchen? They have their fair share of benefits and drawbacks. But if you're after an eye-catching, 70's-inspired kitchen feature, they're pretty hard to beat. Designers might be divided on their practicality, but most will agree they're a fun throwback element. As is the case with any tile project, there are plenty of designs to choose from, which will inform the kitchen's overall look. Plain white tile is the subtlest, offering the vintage feel of tiled counters (it's a notable departure from the trendy marble and granite of recent years), but remains a plain backdrop. Colorful and patterned tiles create more of a statement. Not convinced yet? Here are some tile countertop ideas that will transform your space.

Similar to other tiling projects, it's possible for confident DIYers to take this on themselves. However, for renters, peel-and-stick tile isn't ideal for this type of project. You might get away with it for very low-traffic areas, but crumbs and liquids can find their way under these products, something to avoid in food prep areas. A possible workaround is to use a peel-and-stick contact paper with a tile-like pattern, like the Sevalo Black White Peel and Stick Wallpaper. It won't have little gaps between the panels for food to sneak into, though it also doesn't look as realistic and won't bring more texture. 

Once seen as outdated, raised panel cabinet doors can be charming again, depending on whom you ask. No matter which camp you're in, they're definitely old-fashioned. These doors are what most people imagine when they picture traditional wood kitchen cabinets. With a raised middle section and a contoured, framing design with beveled edges, they're more old-fashioned than Shaker cabinet doors and flat modern doors.

Changing out kitchen cabinet doors is a straightforward DIY project. Retailers offer a variety of this classic door option, sometimes customizable. Choose doors in unfinished wood if you want to stain or paint them to your liking. The Hampton Bay Custom Unfinished Cabinet Door is one such product.

Glass kitchen cabinet doors went largely out of fashion with the rise of 21st-century minimalism. The see-through glass reveals the clutter within, which doesn't suit the sparse aesthetic. However, they've been a kitchen fixture a few times in the last century. For antique inspiration, consider fluted glass,  which gives the look of Art Deco-style cabinet doors. For an ultra-cozy home, '80s-inspired glass doors with trim have an old-school, farmhouse aesthetic.

Similar to different styles of wood cabinet doors, various designs of glass kitchen cabinet doors are widely available. It's another trend that will continue to come and go. For a fluted glass look, take a look at the SEKTION Wall cabinet with glass door, which modernizes this vintage idea with its angular design and neutral color options. The Hugo & Borg Raleigh Glass Cabinet Door is a plain alternative with regular glass. It's also possible to find more traditional designs, like the Harvest Glass Cabinet Door, which features more framing and curved decorative pieces to give it old-school ornateness.

Curtains with heritage-inspired designs are another way to bring a vintage flair to a kitchen. This idea offers an easy way to add bold patterns or colors and opens up the door for a range of vintage-style artwork, without a renovation process or really any major commitment. Swapping out curtains is easy, and they take up enough space to be a noticeable decor feature, so it's low-effort but can make a visual impact. Drawing from different decades, there are many ways to take this idea, like with European-style cafe curtains, '80s-inspired or royalcore gaudy drapery, or with simple curtains in a vintage-inspired pattern.

With a nature-inspired design, the Topfinel Rust Vintage Floral Curtains are one option if you want a loud pattern. On the other hand, for a more toned-down look, the Folkside Beige Lace Curtains display a pattern through the embroidered lace, rather than busy artwork. Other curtain styles can help achieve a vintage look, like the Bapawfish Buffalo Plaid Cafe Curtains for a quaint cottage look and the Jinchan Linen Vintage Taupe Valance Kitchen Curtain to decorate along the top of a window.

A vintage-style buffet or hutch is a charming addition to a kitchen that brings style as well as some extra storage. Look for options made of wood with traditional details, which can include old-fashioned hardware designs, showy carved embellishments, decorative molding, and paneled or glass doors. To truly get the look, it's even better if you can thrift solid wood pieces from secondhand stores. Since it's a standalone piece of furniture that doesn't need to be installed or mounted, this is also a great decorative furniture option for renters or homeowners who don't want to renovate.

Buying real vintage pieces will offer the truest antique style, but that's not always possible, whether due to availability or budget constraints. Contemporary retailers sell plenty of options. A wallet-friendly pick is the RoyalCraft 59" Vintage Buffet Cabinet. Those with a bigger budget might like the Anthropologie Spindle Hutch, which features beautiful craftsmanship and a dark stain that lets the pine wood grain shine.

Kitchen islands have been a home fixture for a long time, taking different forms over centuries. From big worktops for servants to prepare food to the fancy waterfall marble islands shown off in modern homes, they've taken on different functions too. In recent kitchen designs, islands are sleek, minimalist, and look more like a place for entertaining rather than putting in hard cooking work. Inspired by large historical homes and rustic traditional styles, consider a strapping wood table for a kitchen island. It calls back to another era and makes your kitchen feel cozier overall, especially if you choose dark wood with robust design features. This type of island also feels more like a workspace and casual gathering spot, ideal for a relaxed vintage kitchen.

If you're lucky enough to come across a suitable table in a thrift store, it's a find you have to try out in your kitchen. It's hard to beat the craftsmanship of some true vintage furniture pieces, especially those made of solid wood. But you can shop new versions with a vintage look, like the Havenford Kitchen Island, which is made of solid acacia (and has the price tag to reflect its handsome craftsmanship). Less ornate, but still made of wood, the 17 Stories 63-Inch Solid Wood Kitchen Island shows that it doesn't have to be expensive to try this heritage-inspired kitchen idea.