I did a vintage style kitchen in our last house, using old cabinets & a hoosier. Almost everything in that kitchen was reclaimed, I think the only new things were the undercabinet lighting, one bank of cabinets & the plumbing. (Having worked with old plumbing, it's the one thing that we wanted to have new for the kitchen)

Here is a link that might be useful: mfrog's old kitchen

I intended to go that route until I really thought about it. I've lived in some old hard to work in kitchens and it wasn't as romantic as it looked. farmhousebound did hers and it looks fabulous. I still think I should have tried harder.

Here is the link to farmhousebound's kitchen on the FKB. Seriously, it's one of my favorite kitchens here! So well done and unique.

Here is a link that might be useful: Farmhousebound on FKB

We are doing our kitchen with our original gumwood cabinets and we are using several elements that complement them and look "original": We just put in a brown and cream checkerboard floor using Seneca Hand Mold tiles that are still made in Ohio in old bee-hive kilns. They have a mottled glaze and lots of little imperfections and divots that just look perfect with the wood. But we are also incorporating some contemporary elements such as small low voltage halogen track fixtures. Our goal is to make the kitchen look appropriate to our old tudor cottage, and to keep our gumwood and restore it while improving the layout. But it is not what the Bungalow Kitchens book would call "obsessive restoration." We're using the Rohl fireclay sink which is actually more 19th century than early 20th. No hoosier cabinets, nothing unfitted. We are just picking and choosing what looks right for the room and for the house.

I'll be the dissenter here: I have a real unfitted farmhouse kitchen complete with the woodburning stove, no counters, only a work table and all the rest. Heck, it only got piped-in running water in 1960.

And while I'm keeping some of the style elements, all the practical elements will be updated. Having no counters is for the birds; even using a work table instead of working-height island isn't very useful (or practical when you come down to it). A woodstove (for either cooking or heating purposes, I've had both) in the kitchen is charming but a continual freakin' mess.

Keeping the "unfitted" look is fine as a design tactic. I plan to do that by avoiding swaths of matching counters and cupboards and by building in elements like bookcases/hutches as storage pieces. I doubt that I will try camouflaging modern appliances with wood panels: paradoxically that seems a bit too modern for my taste.

Having unhappily, sometimes miserably, lived and worked in my unfitted kitchen for two decades, I reccomend aiming for the look (artfully edited) but definitely not the reality.

L

I did a retro kitchen renovation in my last home with gray tile counter tops and up the walls, white cabinets, gray vinyl squares for the floor (50's linoleum look). Chrome hardware, stainless steel sink, white Wedgewood stove with drop down ledge, light and clock. Hoosier Cabinet (I still have that and will use it in my garage when I reno that space). Reproduction gray chrome dinette set (still have that and bought matching chrome counter stools for my new home). I already had a collection of Jadite Fire-King diner ware, which I still have. School house light over the sink. I loved that kitchen!!!

You will have fun with yours too. There are so many different ways you can go. Head over to the book store or library and research the era you want to emulate. It will help you decide on styles, colors and layouts. There also may be antique/art deco shows in your area and those are wonderful to attend as you can pick up great accessories and network with artisans, and you can also find good resource books and old calendars and old magazines with fabulous pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoosier Cabinet Supplies

I have an original 1947 vintage kitchen, although not for long. There is a lot to love and those elements are moving into the new kitchen (most notably our large double sink with hudee ring) but the thought of having actual counter space is just too tantalizing to pass up. And as much as our family has eaten many, many wonderful meals prepared in that kitchen, I will NOT miss the brown indoor/outdoor carpet that currently graces the floor. But I've seen several vintage kitchens that are extremely well done, and lots of fun.

I am doing "vintage" but younger than yours. Basically, mine is modeled on a late '30s - early '40s kitchen. I want a pre-1950s pre-"Jetsons" look. I want what would be considered modern for that time and cheerful. Our stove is a 1940s era Chambers. Our sink is a 1940 Kohler with built in drainboard and backsplash so we will use a wall mount faucet to mount into the holes from the prior wall mount that was on it.
We are either doing Marmoleum floors (sheet kind with a pattern working into it) or a white, with black accents, hex tile floor.
I bought vintage chrome hardware for the cabs, a vintage chrome paper towel/foil/plastic wrap holder for the wall and a set of old chrome canisters. Our counters will be a vintage inspired gray/white laminate with chrome edgebanding over slab front white cabs.
I will use chrome train/hotel style shelves over the sink area and no upper cabs (which is actually an older style or brand new again, lol).
Our backsplash will be old look ceramic in lavender with black and white accents.
Our appliances other than the stove will be new/modern, but our fridge and freezer set is white and our GE Monogram wall oven is stainless with retro looking knobs, so those have a slight old time feel.

I like old kitchens that were done before people took the kitchen look too seriously. I want the room to be a happy place where one is comfortable cooking and eating or just having coffee or a drink with family/friends.

I hope you have a great time picking and choosing and you manage to work some true old gems into your new space. ;)

Dianalo...your kitchen will be wonderful and the colors sound dreamy!!! So great to see people using this style in renovations and lucky that so many vendors still make products to support it. I look forward to seeing what yours will look like. :-)

Mfrog, I love your old kitchen. You did a fabulous job with it.

Dianalo, I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your finished kitchen.

I heart vintage kitchens!

Check out Trailrunner's unfitted kitch!