A kitchen, at its core, is more than just a space to cook and dine - it's also a space for family and friends to get together, catch up and enjoy time with one another. Creating this atmosphere is all about curating ambience through a warm and inviting kitchen design and our favourite method of doing so is through the latest trend: nostalgia-core.
We often look to the past for inspiration when it comes to our interiors, but we've seen this even more recently in kitchens with 70s-inspired colour palettes and heritage Shaker kitchen ideas rising in popularity. While the cabinetry style and kitchen colour scheme will have a big influence on how homely and nostalgic your kitchen feels, the small details make the biggest difference.
Whether you want to coax children out of their rooms with an inviting kitchen to enjoy or you want to inject some character into a bland design, these expert-driven tips will have you covered.
1. Use open shelving to display personal touches
A kitchen doesn't just need to be a practical space for cooking, you can utilise the same decoration techniques that you would in a living room or bedroom to inject character.
You will, of course, want to keep any knick-knacks away from cooking mess, which is why open kitchen shelving ideas are a fantastic solution for creating space for decorative items that don't get in the way on a worktop.
Display family photos alongside crockery found on adventures to add glimmers of nostalgia to your everyday life.
2. Try a patterned tile
Nostalgic kitchens aren't about being plain, minimal spaces, but rather using lots of colour and pattern that builds a patchwork to reflect your family. Kitsch and patterned kitchen tile ideas are an easy way of curating this heritage look.
'It’s not about recreating your nan’s kitchen tile for tile (though she probably had excellent taste), it’s about capturing that lovely, lived-in feeling,' explains Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra.
'Tiles are key to getting that right. You want them to feel like they’ve got a bit of history, a soft glaze here, a gently wobbly edge there, a colour that looks like it’s faded in the sun just the right amount.'
And don't be afraid to be brave with just a singular tile style. Mixing and matching different colours and pattern is what creates the most nostalgic effect.
3. Layer patterns and texture
Nostalgic kitchens evolve naturally over time, which is what creates the homely, lived-in feel but something you can do to speed up the process is by layering lots of texture and pattern.
'The best nostalgic kitchens don’t match, they evolve. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, all layered up over time (or at least made to look like they have been),' explains Grazzie.
By contrasting curtain and blind fabrics with materials used elsewhere in a kitchen, for example, on a cupboard curtain or tile, you can create a look that is full of intrigue and depth.
4. Upgrade hardware
To create nostalgia in your home, the devil is in the details. Ensuring that each feature has been carefully considered and tells a story is a surefire way to create character in a kitchen, and this starts with your hardware.
'In a kitchen with a nostalgic or heritage-inspired feel, hardware plays a surprisingly pivotal role,' explains Gareth Hull, design lead at cabinet hardware specialists Hendel & Hendel.
'It is one of the few elements you physically engage with every day, opening drawers, reaching for cutlery, accessing a larder cupboard, and the style, material and finish of your handles can completely shape how the space feels in the hand as well as to the eye.'
'You will often find that cup pulls, cabinet latches, and simple round knobs bring a quiet familiarity to the space, they reference older kitchens, country sculleries, and vintage furniture in a way that feels honest and unforced.'
'Aged brass and antique bronze introduce warmth and patina; they soften the edges of a design and avoid that 'brand new' shine, which doesn’t always sit comfortably in a more characterful scheme,' Gareth concludes.
5. Use task lighting to add ambience
Kitchens are used for more than just cooking these days. They're a space to chat, work, dine and host, so the ambience has to match each of those occasions.
We've previously waxed lyrical about adding a lamp to your kitchen and it's safe to say we still can't get enough. A rechargeable lamp will brighten the darkest of corners and create that warm glow of nostalgia the heart of your home deserves.
Instead of a contemporary style, opt for a traditional brass base with a fabric shade to add a classic touch.
6. Choose warm colours
Choosing a kitchen colour scheme is no simple task, you'll want to consider your own personal taste alongside longevity, particularly if you're not looking to redesign anytime soon. To make a kitchen feel more tempting and to encourage the family to gather around, opt for shades with warm undertones.
'When deciding on the colour palette we’d always advise warmer colours, from creamy whites, soft pastels to olive greens. These colours create an inviting and homely feel and work well on either the cabinets, or the walls,' explains Al Bruce, founder of kitchen designers Olive & Barr.
Earthy, muted tones, such as yellow and moss green, are also a big kitchen trend at the moment that work well to create a nostalgic scheme that will never date.
How will you recreate this feeling in your own kitchen?
