Vintage and retro kitchen styles are big this season with many people looking to update the heart of their home with beautiful styles full of quirky decor and upcycled features.

If you're thinking of designing your kitchen in this style, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed with all the different elements to consider; including the flooring, the wall tiles or wallpaper and furniture.

Here are a few tips to help you create your perfect retro style kitchen:

Colour

This is probably the most important factor to consider when you're planning your design. You'll want to choose a palette of colours rather than one simple colour or design so you can combine lots of different elements to create the desired effect. Consider choosing complementary tones that are timeless and try using natural materials like wood and metals within that palette to create dimension. Ideally you'll have a neutral colour scheme with a vintage pattern in mind. For example; pastel colours look beautiful on the walls in combination with feature retro style porcelain wall tiles that contrast and complement your colour scheme.

Time period

Although you can mix time periods together, it might be worth focusing on one particular era if you're new to retro interior design. The 1950's pastels and kitsch wallpaper designs are extremely popular at the moment and look beautiful next to natural material floor tiles. The 1960's and 1970's were much more vivid, including richer colours like reds and oranges.

Kitchen Appliances

You'll want to kit out your kitchen with appliances that complement the overall design you have created. Using genuine appliances from the time period you are focusing on may not be entirely practical so consider using upcycled versions or modern brands that create appliances in the style you have chosen. Lightly coloured white goods like fridges look really attractive against a natural floor surface like wood or slate floor tiles and you should consider what colour scheme you'll be following for your appliances before you select your surface colours for a contrasting effect more than a matching effect in order to enhance both features.

Counters and surfaces

In the 1950's many countertops had beautiful tiles which tended to be small and neutral in colour. In the 1960's and 1970's elaborate and colourful ceramic tiles were used that coordinated with the overall design of the kitchen.

In essence you'll want to focus on the time period primarily and then your colour and texture palette. Remember that the additional decorative products you purchase will look fantastic against a well thought out base. Don't be afraid to play with different colour and texture combinations and remember the walls and surfaces are going to cost the most so you'll want to spend the most time deciding exactly what you want in this area of your design before you build on it with the additional features. You want your retro kitchen to look updated not dated so think carefully about all the different elements before committing to any expensive features. Use your preferred time period as inspiration and focus on selecting great base products, particularly if you're planning to invest in some high quality porcelain tiles or expensive wallpaper or solid wood flooring.