Help me update my '70s Kitchen

Lola asks:

My kitchen is very outdated in a ’70s style (think timber doors and an orange laminate bench-top!) but I don’t want to replace it entirely right at the moment. Do you have any tips for a quick update until the time is right to replace? My home is mostly in a ’70s style too if that makes a difference.

Jane says:

To be honest, I love the 70’s/retro look. But I can understand orange bench-tops may be a bit over the top.

The fact that your home is mostly in a ’70s style means perhaps that you can add a modern twist to your existing kitchen, working WITH the style and not against it. 

As an interior designer, I’m really big on creating spaces that are in line with the original style of a home. You can still make it extra modern; it’s just that some of the elements of the design will be reflective of the original era of the dwelling. For example, the surfaces won’t ALL be super slick and contemporary (that’s boring anyway in my opinion).

I would look to modernise and refresh your kitchen to bring it into 2015. If your doors are timber, then these can relatively easily be painted. I particularly like this idea if the doors have a patterned effect. It means part of the ’70s character is maintained while the overall effect of the kitchen is lightened and brightened. Replacing the door/drawer handles at the same time with a ’70s design but in a satin chrome finish will pull the doors into this century while still being sympathetic to the original era of the kitchen.

Of course the bench-top can be replaced too. I don’t normally recommend resurfacing of bench-tops (looks like a temporary DIY finish to me), though this is an option if your budget is extremely tight.

One excellent way to maintain a ’70s look is with the splash-back. I saw a fabulous ’70s kitchen renovation a few years ago which had modern white cabinetry, a modern grey/brown stone bench-top and an orange splash-back with a truly ’70s style pattern through it. What really helped to tie it all together were the ’70s style orange bar stools against the breakfast bar. As I write that it sounds awful – but it looked fantastic.

The trick to renovating a particular style of kitchen (or anything for that matter), is to juxtapose some modern elements in the space with contemporary versions of some of the original elements.

Link the styles together and link the colours together. Try to make your kitchen ‘work’ with other areas of the house – particularly spaces nearby such as lounge and dining area.

Soft furnishings such as cushions, artwork and rugs are excellent at helping to provide this link. Accessories such as coloured toaster, kettle etc in your kitchen is another way to bring out the ’70s style.

A Brisbane Interior Designer such as (my business) Hotspace Consultants, will help you with all sorts of renovation design ideas and solutions for your kitchen and all areas of your home.

Jane Eyles-Bennett is the founder of Hotspace Consultants and has more than 20 years of interior design and renovation experience. 

Send your renovation questions to Jane at scoop@brisbanetimes.com.au