1940's Kitchen Design

Popular Items in the 1940's Kitchen Design

Begin your kitchen transformation with this list of popular 1940's kitchen themes, colors and accessories.

• Colors
  • Greens – Look for Kelly Green, dark greens or any shade in between. Here's a quick fun fact: Green paint was relegated to military use only during World War II; after the war, the color became extremely popular for everything from paint to fashion.
  • Red and white – Bright cherry or apple red paired with crisp white was extremely popular in the 1940's kitchen design.
  • Blues – Seek out "Air Force" blue and Navy blue.
  • Yellow – Bright and cheery sunshine yellow was very popular in the 1940's.

1940's Kitchen Accessories

Add a few fun kitchen accessories to complete your 1940's kitchen design.

• Glass knobs – Change out all of the knobs and drawer pulls to glass ones for an authentic 1940's look.
• Linens – Visit the Retro Redheads website and browse their selection of fun and colorful 1940's kitchen linens.
• Accessories – Find breadboxes and canisters finished in the bright enamel colors of the 1940's.
• Window treatments– Choose curtains that complement the bright 1940's colors in which you have decorated your kitchen. Bright red cherries on a white background were a popular curtain style back then. If you are looking for something a little more subdued, try finding bright colored curtains in Gingham or a checked pattern.
• Wall Decor – A great way to spruce up your 1940's kitchen is to frame small vintage hand towels. If you have a favorite painting or piece of art that you would love to hang in your kitchen but are afraid it will throw off the entire design theme, hang it up. It is perfectly fine to mix vintage and modern.

Where to Find 1940's Kitchen Items

• eBay – Check out the wide variety of beautiful vintage kitchen textiles at the website where you can find just about anything.
• Yahoo Shopping – Browse through the large collection of all things 1940's on Yahoo's shopping channel.
• Antique stores – When shopping for your 1940's items at an antique store, check the tag on the item, it will usually state the era in which the item was produced.
• Flea markets – Flea markets are a great way to find just about anything.
• Thrift stores - These are a great place to find anything old and new. Even if you find items that look like they are from the 1940's but are unsure, it doesn't matter, as long as the item fits into you design plans.

Mix the Old with the New

Modern appliances finished in stainless steel and chrome fit perfectly into a 1940's themed kitchen, so don't be afraid to mix it up! Vintage look appliances are also very easy to find if you are doing a major kitchen rehab. Shop around for these items though, they can get a bit pricey. If you are looking for authentic 1940's kitchen appliances, use them for decorative purposes only. The wiring in the items are not up to current codes and standards and may pose fire hazard and safety hazards. If you do find a piece that you love and want it to be both decorative and functional, consider taking it to an electronics specialist to have the item rewired.

Final Tips

• Consider purchasing a kitchen rack or shelf to display your collections of 1940's kitchen accessories.
• Visit My Home Ideas – This website has a large variety of retro themed kitchen design pictures. Seeing these designs will help you find inspiration for your own kitchen.
• If you don't want to go "all out" in your 1940's kitchen decorating, choose a few major kitchen themes of the 40's and add other design elements that you love that may not be from that era.
• Buy cabinet knobs in acrylic rather than glass – Modern acrylic doorknobs mimic the vintage glass ones perfectly and will help you stay within your kitchen remodel budget.
• Search for 1940's prints and posters to add a finishing touch to your 1940's themed kitchen.