What is Retro Kitchen Furniture

Here's the question: what is retro kitchen furniture? The simple answer is that it's furniture from the 1950's or mid-century kitchen. But what makes up such a look? That's the answer I will go through here.

The Retro 1950's Story

To understand better how the retro look of the 1950's came about, you want to understand what was going in history at that time. World War II was over, the U.S. was recovered financially from that. But, during the war, women went to work in droves. They got a much better taste for independence and doing things outside of the housework.

This translated into women wanting an easier time for doing the house hold chores. Couple this with new materials being developed. Specifically plastic and chrome.

Mid-Century Furniture Designers 

The 1950's furniture designers and manufacturers took heed of the "new" housewife. They started designing kitchen furniture that was sleek and so easy to clean and care for. Less time taking at house hold chores was what women wanted.

Along with these new kitchen furniture features came new color schemes for the kitchen. Colors other than wood-browns turned those 1950's kitchens into glorious rooms. Rooms that were "women's colors." Pink, green, blue, red were very popular. Even black with chrome became a popular color scheme for those retro kitchens.

We've Come a Long Way, Baby

Of course materials to make kitchen furniture have changed dramatically since the 1950's. But, the look of a retro kitchen is still a popular and fun decorating style. Mom's Diner continues to be a great way to show the family who's really in charge.

A Step Stool in Every Retro Kitchen

Of course, we all remember our grandmother's kitchen with that fun step stool she had. As kids, didn't we pull it out and play with it? I sure remember those times.

The step stool was a necessity in those days of the 1950's. And for the same reasons that it's needed today. But the look of those step stools is definitely unique to the retro kitchen.

The mid-century ushered in a new world. Called modern back then, it came out of the space age technology. As much it came out of post-war activity. The women of the 1950's had experienced working in the factories, earning their own money and doing more than keeping the home fires burning. Their kitchens reflected this new freedom.

The world of the country kitchen with all of it's stand-alone storage furniture was gone. In came built-in cabinets. And these cabinets were now reaching above the sink and counters. Even above the refrigerator. Women needed help reaching those top shelves.

Enter the step stool. Gramma didn't need a ladder or a tall son to reach everything. She could do it herself.

In creating a retro kitchen of your own, a retro step stool makes a great addition. Not just for the look but also for the convenience. You can reach whatever top shelf you want to as well.

Adding Retro Furniture to Your Kitchen

You've picked out a great color scheme and some wonderful retro accents for your kitchen, now it's time to think about furniture You need a table and chairs, maybe a step stool to complete your look. Retro is all about the time of the 1950's.

World wars are over and the aftermath of those wars has settled. Women who used to be manning the factories while their men were off fighting, got a taste of something more. The kitchen was still their domain, but now they wanted more to the their kitchens as well. The 1950's was a prosperous time in history. Families could afford to buy new homes and redecorate the ones they had.

Designers and manufacturers took up the new ideas with zeal. Bright, bold, interesting colors came out and sleek, easy-to-clean furniture and appliances were the order of the day. Formica appeared on the scene, as did plastic and chrome.

That's the direction kitchen furniture went. Skip the tablecloths and go right for the Formica table tops. Usually edged in chrome, with clean lines and clean surfaces. Chair pads were plastic and came in those bright, bold, interesting colors. Bright red, black, aqua blue were popular colors for chair pads. Bistro sets with taller tables and stools were popular for small kitchens and breakfast nooks.

Retro kitchen furniture is back with relish! New ready-to-use furniture is available to add to your retro kitchen. So feel free to complete you look with great kitchen furniture.