Delightfully pretty 1950s turquoise kitchen

✯ Day 316 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

In a roundup of my all-time favourite colours, you would most definitely find turquoise. At once serene and uplifting, calm yet bold, this hue captures the imagination and heart in one fell swoop.

The somewhat darker sister to aqua, both colours appeared frequently throughout mid-twentieth century home decor, appearing in forms as small as cutlery handles to entire rooms done up in this tropically spirited shade of blue-green.

As with most lively colours, the more turquoise you add to a room, the more eye-catching it tends to become, but that certainly doesn't mean that turquoise has to read as garish or glaring in the slightest - especially if you pair with neutral or very soft hues (think pale lemon, soft peach, kitten fur grey).

I've always fancied the idea of having a vintage styled home that included at least one room that was bursting with turquoise, as I know many of you do, too.

For all those seeking vintage inspiration for your turquoise adorned abodes, look no further than this striking 1950s kitchen featuring instantly eye-catching rows of turquoise cabinets.

{Appealing colourful, chic, delightful 1950s turquoise kitchen via saltyotton on Flickr.}

 

I love how this kitchen is lively and cheerful, but in no way hard on the eyes. Though first appearing in the magazine The American Home fifty-five years, ago there's a contemporary element to this room that ensures it never looks dated.

From the generous (at least to apartment dwellers like me!) banks of upper and lower cabinets to the vinyl chairs, there is an abundance of turquoise in this lovely room.

Sleek, clean appliances, a fairly subdued floor pattern, silver drawer and cabinet handles, and simple sheer window coverings however, ensure that this is a room one could easily wake up to year after year, without it seeming like you were trapped inside a bottle of blue curacao.

Beautiful, fun, and so very evocative of the 50s, this is certainly a kitchen that I'd be proud as a (similarly hued) peacock to draw home decor inspiration from anytime.

Perfectly vintage looking, enamel kitchen canister set

✯ Day 210 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Having a place for everything and everything in its place really is a wonderful thing. If your storage options are both functional and beautifully vintage looking, all the better! Few places need practical, attractive spots in which to stash the sundry elements of daily life more than the kitchen.

Tracking down full sets of vintage food canisters that are in good shape, in colours the that match your decor, and which are for sale at a reasonable price can be tricky, especially if you don't have many (or any) local second hand or antique stores to scour (and the internet shopping gods are not in the mood to smile on your hunt).

I absolutely adore vintage canisters and always make a point of bookmarking any that I come across for home decor inspiration. Unusually sellers only have one set available (the canisters being vintage items after all), but UK home decor seller Dirty Dollie is currently stocking a four piece canister set that looks every bit the vintage part, yet (I believe) has been produced in recent years.

This darling pale cream and light jade green canister collection features a tin each for pasta, bread, flour, and biscuits (though you could certainly store anything you fancy in them). Made of classic enamelware, these dry goods storage containers are sure to add a marvelous dose of old school charm to any counter or shelf in your kitchen or panty.

 

The set retails for £50.00, which may seem a tad steep, but is honestly quite comparable to what I've seen similar sets from the 40s and 50s going for in recent years (actually, I was watching a similar pale pink set on eBay last year that ended up selling for nearly $200!).

Should you desire, there's also a darling little matching tin for string available, too (for the much more wallet-friendly price of £8.00; scroll about 3/4 of the way down this page to find both listings).

If you're smitten with this lovely vintage style canister set, but don't actually need it in your kitchen, you could easily use it to store everything from craft supplies to fashion accessories, small tools to candles in any room of your house.

Sweet, cheerful and splendidly mid-century looking, this four piece canister set is a terrific way to stay organized and add a hefty dose of old school allure to your decor.