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Tips for Decorating a Vintage Kitchen    by Gloria Daniels

Vintage style is often thought to be Shabby Chic decorating. They are very similar, but if you know what to look for, you can find subtle differences between the two.

Shabby Chic by its name has an atmosphere of benign neglect but obviously loved items. Vintage style decorating, on the other hand, will bring you back to your grandparent's time. It is like stepping back into a time capsule. The furniture may resemble that found in the Shabby Chic home in that it may be well used with many signs of wear. The style difference is not found so much in the furniture used in the two styles. What really sets the mood are the accents and accessories found in the vintage style home.

Fabric is the first clue to a Vintage Style Kitchen

Fabrics are an important ingredient in creating this type of kitchen. If you love the large floral prints of the 40's you are well on your way to enjoying this style. Calico prints from the 30's and 40's can also be found in this kitchen. Oilcloth tablecloths are commonly used. Oilcloth is hard to obtain these days, but flannel backed table cloths in vintage prints are easily available. Oilcloth was also used to cover and protect cookbooks.

Another favorite in the kitchen is the old roller towel rack. These often had linen calendar prints or beautiful floral linen prints on them. If you can't find one of these roller racks, they are simple to make as is the roller cloth.

Terrycloth towels with a crocheted buttoned loop that could be attached to a drawer knob or the oven door handle was a staple in the vintage kitchen. Dishcloths and towels often had hand crocheted edges to keep them from fraying and help them last longer because fabric of the era was not as sturdy as it is today and was loosely woven.

More Vintage Style Kitchen Decorating Tips:

Display a variety of aprons for the 40's and 50's on a vintage coat rack in your kitchen. You can find a wide assortment of these on eBay for a reasonable price.

There oftentimes was a wooden folding rack for trying dish towels attached to the wall. These are often found at flea markets and yard sales. The slats would fold down into it when not in use and could be brought out for drying towels and dish cloths when needed.

Enamelware, both blue speckled and white was popular during that era. Enamelware tools were also used. eBay is a great source for this type of kitchenware. For setting the table, enamelware place settings along with pottery and stoneware were popular at that time.

The Vintage Style Kitchen Accessories

Below is a list of items you might find in a kitchen decorated during the vintage era:

• gallon butter churns
  
• a display of old keys
  
• colored canning jars
  
• milk bottles
  
• antique cookbooks
  
• vintage pottery and canisters
  
• tin breadboxes
  
• butter molds
  
• wire egg baskets
  
• rug beaters
  
• vintage salt and pepper shakers

If your laundry area is adjacent to the kitchen, you could continue the vintage theme there. Washboards, stocking stretchers, and clothespin bags could be hung for wall decorations. Ironing boards were left out because they were used almost every day as there was no permanent press fabric during that time period. Blue striped ticking was the most common covering for the ironing boards. Colorful calicoes or cotton floral prints were also a favorite fabric for covering ironing boards. If you have room to leave the board up, it can be used as a display area for vintage area table linens and dish cloths.

These vintage era ideas will help jump start your creativity to create the type of atmosphere you are aiming for.

By now you may understand the differences between shabby chic and vintage style. As I mentioned earlier, these differences are subtle, but the change in atmosphere and feeling is important. While vintage style is a nostalgic "remember your grandmother's house" atmosphere, shabby chic will remind you of an elegant old aunt with a proper front parlor in her home.

About the Author

For more help and hints on creative ways to create vintage kitchen, visit her website at Creative Home Decorating Room by Room While there check out the free online Home Decorating Coursethat will help you create the home of your dreams.