‘our kitchen has a retro vibe’
Abigail swapped Seventies style and asbestos tiles for a family-friendly, mid-century look
We bought our home for the sea views and its potential, but it needed extensive renovations as it hadn’t been touched since the Seventies,’ says Abigail.
We were excited to transform it into our forever family home, though the existing kitchen was beyond salvaging with an unsafe boiler and limited worktop space.
First things first
Before we moved in, our builders tackled all the big jobs, including removing the asbestos floor tiles, rewiring, replacing the boiler and all the plumbing. We maximised the space by knocking down the wall of an old adjacent bathroom, removing a chimney breast and relocating the boiler. We kept the sink in the same position but moved the cooker which gave us more worktop space either side.
Sourcing the rest
I love mid-century modern design and wanted our new kitchen to have retro elements. I had to be creative to get the look I wanted within our tight budget. On the high street I could only find units that were either high-gloss or Shaker style, which wasn’t the look I was after. Finally, we found a local company who supplied wood-effect slab door units.
I spent ages choosing the right grain that would create a warm, retro-inspired vibe – Natural Pacific Walnut felt the most realistic. I found some unfinished oak handles online to enhance the retro feel.
We created open shelves using wall cabinets with a half-height top hung door, which was an affordable way of copying the bespoke mid-century modern kitchens I’d seen on Pinterest. The open shelves mean all the crockery we use