Golden Era Glow-Up

A s the classic saying goes, the kitchen is the heart of a home. This rings especially true for this lower-level canning kitchen, thoughtfully restored to its original 1950s glory. The current owner grew up in this Wyoming house and still cherishes his memories in the kitchen, where his mother once canned peaches, green beans, and jams yearly for her family.

To breathe new life back into it, he tasked designer Jackie Barnes with redesigning the space. “But instead of a renovation, what my client really wanted was a restoration,” she says. Hence the period-specific character, complete with Coca-Cola signage, retro-styled recipe books, and a utensil peg board above the stove—a “nod to Julia Child.”

At the same time, the room boasts 21st century appliances for functionality’s sake. The color scheme saturating every inch of the room is also contemporary, from the checkered linoleum floor and mint green cabinetry to the cherry-red Big Chill refrigerator.

Checkmate

Barnes wanted to avoid leaning too classic with standard black-and-white checkerboard floors. She opted for a subtle contrast to brighten the room: white and creamy nude in commercial grade linoleum.

Seeing Red

Barnes designed the modern appliances to be the stars of the show, which explains their eye-catching colors. The shade slyly references 1950s-era food packaging as well, from classic McDonald’s to Coca-Cola reds.

Mint Condition

The prior beige color of the cabinets had faded, so to bring in more light, Barnes and her client picked new mint green paint, offering a surprisingly satisfying juxtaposition to the cherry-red appliances.

Copy-Counter

Since the original Formica countertops had yellowed over the years, Barnes had them reprinted to maintain the kitchen’s ’50s charm and make them as bright and cheerful as the day they were first installed.

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