Retro Trend Keeping Kitchens Hot in 2005
If so, you’re not alone. The retro market is a thriving segment of the kitchen appliance industry. Indeed; at least one source says U.S. sales have climbed 75% over the last decade.[1] Other experts even feel retro is less of a trend and more of something sustainable; an evolution rather than a fad.[2]
“Retro” refers to the ever-growing trend in which the nostalgic appliances of the past make a return appearance in today’s ultra-modern kitchens. Whether the items are refurbished or reproductions, the mix of past and present is the key to today’s modern retro look.
Refurbished appliances are period items that have been completely disassembled, cleaned and rebuilt. Some components such as insulation are replaced, but the original appliance system is used whenever possible. Nostalgia is not without sacrifice, however. Gone is that self-cleaning oven with electronic ignition and sealed burner convenience. You’ll also find yourself with considerably less shelf space in your old-is-new-again Monitor Top fridge. Nor are they without a price tag. For example, a refurbished 1936 Chambers Imperial Gas Range will run you a cool $12,000.00. Not only are you purchasing what is ostensibly an antique, you’re also paying for the incredibly labor-intensive restoration process, typically done by hand. Most craftspeople will also custom restore the items in accordance with the client’s desire for color and design choices. According to one expert, in-demand refurb models for 2005 include those high-end, major appliances by Chambers, O’Keefe & Merritt, Universal, Roper, General Electric and Hotpoint.[3]
Others prefer reproduction pieces directly off the shelves and showroom floors. While reproductions may be designed to look old, these sleek, energy-efficient appliances are straight from the 21st century and bring with them all of today’s high-tech conveniences. These modern day appliances come in every shade of yesterday’s so-called “lollipop colors:” flamingo, lemon yellow, candy apple red, robin’s egg blue. Some prefer to combine today’s sleek stainless look with yesterday’s classic styles for that “retro modern” appeal. Even kitchen floors and counters are part of the retro movement, with linoleum and Formica going retro.
Retro reproductions offer today’s conveniences – at today’s prices. For example, Northstar, a key player in today’s retro large appliance market, offers a myriad of sizes, selections and colors when it comes to fun, fashionable and fully loaded kitchen equipmentâÂ?¦starting at around $4,000. Aga, Electrolux, Viking, JennAir, Wolf, and GE Monogram also all offer high-end (and high priced), retro-inspired major appliances.
Not all retro kitchen items need to break the bank, however. No need to spend $8,000 on an Aga Rayburn range or $4,500 on an ersatz GE Profile refrigerator. De’Longhi, a leader in the retro small appliance market, offers an extensive line of items all crafted in the spirit of the company’s “form meets function” design philosophy. The company’s retro line toaster ovens, percolators, convection ovens, waffle makers, panini grills, blenders and more all are affordably priced and widely available from major retailers. Waring, Sunbeam, GE, Hamilton Beach, Cuisinart, Villaware and Dualit all have lines offering colorful, inexpensive countertop retro appliances as well, all widely available.
Don’t have thousands of dollars to furnish your kitchen in a top of line, baby blue Northstar range ($4,500) or the latest jadite, retro Big Chill refrigerator ($2,500)? Be inspired! A coat of paint, a vintage clock, a few colorful, small retro appliances, a pair of soda-pop shoppe bar chrome stools and a couple of nostalgic reproductions or refurbished items can update your kitchen to give it that funky old look at without spending a fortune.
A robin’s-egg blue mixer could be making its way to a countertop near you.
John Jowers:
http://www.antiqueappliances.com
Do it Yourself Network:
http://www.diynet.com/diy/shows_dktn/episode/0,2046,DIY_15076_25752,00.html
Home & Garden TV:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_kitchen/article/0,1793,HGTV_3375_3750407,00
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