Top 10 Things That Make My Kitchen Surprisingly Special: Continued

Part 2.

A white round table and modern IKEA white chairs surrounded by four large windows with white trim and refinished wood floors.

Welcome back to PART 2 of the Top 10 Things That Make My Kitchen Surprisingly Special. So, first of all, let me go back in time a little bit. We moved into our home twenty years ago. And at that time we loved our original kitchen. It was 1950s vintage…it was totally my style. Just room for two kids, my husband, and myself. But over the years our family grew with three more children…plus, we were starting to have most of the family get-togethers at our home. It was wonderful but we were definitely getting tight on room. And, since the kitchen is a natural gathering spot for guests…something had to be done. My goal was to simplify the space. Since we were NOT going to blow out a wall to expand I had to simplify my kitchen plan to create space from within or at least the appearance of more space.

A vintage ceramic vase with lovebirds, a vintage ceramic planter with lovebirds, a McCoy aqua bowl, and aqua floral mugs from Anthropologie.

Two things we knew we had to change were the overhead cabinets and the fridge. One sacrifice we had to make was to remove the old metal cabinets. They were falling apart and shabby and no one could repair them. They were also very oversized and bulky and jetted out too far which took up a lot of valuable space, and blocked the light and the view. And although I was sad to see them go, once they were removed it was such a transformation.

A vintage white ceramic pitcher holding vintage cooking utensils is displayed with a wooden vintage rolling pin and a handheld vintage mixer.

#7 SMEG Refrigerator

What can I say?.. It was my one big splurge! The most beautiful Italian-made refrigerator I have ever seen! The first time I saw one, I was watching the BBC (I’m sort of hooked on British TV). One evening while viewing an episode of Doc Martin, I spied it for the first time… a SMEG! It was LOVE at first sight. It’s beautifly retro…VINTAGE VIBES! It is taller than my previous fridge and thinner, but has less interior fridge space. But luckily for me, I have an extra fridge in my garage to store any overflow, which is just steps away from my kitchen door. The old fridge was giant and awkward and made the room crowded and dark. So, one added benefit of the SMEG is that it doesn’t take up as much valuable space!

A white SMEG refrigerator in an updated kitchen with a tall white shelf unit displaying white bowls and colorful vintage ceramic pottery.

#8 Rotary Phone

One of the interesting things our kitchen came with was a wall mount with a phone jack for a landline. In keeping with the home’s 1950s spirit we hunted for an original vintage phone. Believe it or not, there are several dealers who refurbish old phones. This old Western Electric rotary phone adds loads of charm to the room.

A white vintage rotary phone mounted on a kitchen wall displayed with a yellow flowering plant.

#9 Original Oven

One of the most amusing things about my kitchen is my beloved 1955 General Electric wall oven. When anyone new comes into my home for the first time and sees my big yellow Cadilac (that’s what I call it) complete with chrome accents they say…”Is that thing real???” They are blown away and then when I reply…YES! And, I use it every day… they can’t believe it!..and truthfully, I can’t believe it either! It is still kicking after almost 70 years! What appliance do you own that has that much resilience and fortitude..and let’s not forget STYLE? I absolutely LOVE it and it’s been my trusty friend for twenty-three years and it looks splendid too!

A vintage General Electric 1955 yellow wall oven displayed with a white KitchenAid mixer, vintage muffin tins, white bowls, and a cooking pot.

A close-up view of the chrome details of a vintage yellow wall oven showing a timer, dials, and General Electric nameplate.

#10 The View

Well, the last item on my list is actually not even in my kitchen…it’s the view from my kitchen window! It’s pretty special, especially in the summer months. I always wanted a secret garden and this tiny graveled patio is perfect for enjoying the sunshine or an afternoon lunch.

A view from a window of a floral patio umbrella, white table, and chairs, and small trees surrounded by a tiny flower garden.

A view from a kitchen window looking out at a floral patio umbrella with fringe surrounded by green trees with a glimpse of a pool and light blue umbrella in the background.

More Vintage Touches

a stack of IKEA plastic multicolored bowls along with vintage Pyrex bowls displayed with vintage ceramic yellow bird bookends.

A vintage stack of Tupperware bowls, pyrex baking dishes, a yellow Pyrex bowl, and, a stack of vintage cookbooks on a kitchen table.

Vintage cookbooks from the 50s and 60s: The Joy of Cooking, Italian Desserts, and Jello recipes.

Lighter, Brighter and Simplified

I absolutely LOVE my kitchen! it’s still a work in progress but I’m really happy with it! What a JOY to wake up in the morning and see all the sunshine streaming in through my beautified windows. The whole kitchen has a lighter and brighter feel. It truly is uplifting! It’s now a simplified design with vintage and modern elements. By keeping it simple and doing some of the work yourself it’s possible to save time and money. And if your kitchen is already complete don’t forget to add some unique touches…maybe a vintage and modern mix with some natural elements too! What top ten things make your kitchen surprisingly special?

An updated kitchen with a round white table and modern IKEA white chairs, white floor cabinets, and floating shelves with white plates, bowls, and plants.

A vintage yellow wall oven circa 1955. The General Electric oven is In a kitchen displayed with a white mixer, bowl with a whisk, and plants.

A vintage bird print in a faux bamboo frame displaying two cockatoos in the green leaves.

If you liked this post on my kitchen, make sure to read the first post in this series.
SMEG has some wonderful products. Here is a link to a SMEG toaster (paid link).
You can find beautiful vintage rotary dial phones on eBay (paid link).