While some prefer modernism in everything from their dress to their home’s interior design, others yearn for the traditional because of nostalgia. That’s why we return to second-hand furniture shopping, searching for mid-century modern chairs and antique wooden tables.

However, others approach retrofuturism within their homes, combining both old-fashioned elements with futuristic technology. The aesthetic made waves on the internet in 2024, giving curators of fine art and furniture a chance to stand out from regular interior designers.

Introducing retrofuturism in a regular home, especially in the kitchen, can be challenging. High-end and curated products can be pricey and difficult to find. So, we could reinvent the kitchen interior design to look modern while keeping several traditional elements. Here’s how.

Keep the Furniture, Paint the Cabinets

Many believe a kitchen transformation requires buying new things, but you can do a great job redecorating with DIY projects. For example, if you’re inspired by traditional kitchens with modern painted cupboards, you can decide how yours should look and get to painting.

Painting old kitchen cabinets requires a few steps to ensure the coverup lasts longer. High-quality paint, which should be acrylic latex-based, is required. You also need a finished product, which can be matte, high-gloss, or satin. It would also be best to choose the paint based on the material since supplies for solid wood are different from those for laminate or metal.

Modern colours for kitchen cabinets include:

• Black;
• Navy blue;
• Earthy green;
• Cream;

But you can also combine several tones for maximum appeal, such as:

• Emerald green and brass;
• Teal and white;
• Grey, green and dark wood;
• Lavender and black;

Get Creative with Hardware

Whether you want to replace old hardware or paint it, know that changing it to match the new modern colour of the cabinetry will change the entire look of the interior design. For instance, navy-painted cabinet doors will look amazing with gold-toned hardware if you’re looking for an elegant kitchen, but you can also consider:

• Black metal hardware on white cabinetry;
• Rose-gold hardware for green cabinetry;
• Leather pulls on wood cabinetry;
• Skipping it through cut-outs;

The best thing about kitchen hardware is that you can adapt it to your lifestyle while still making it look stylish. For example, if you’ve got kids, handless cabinetry is best. Or, if you cook a lot and are concerned about affecting the hardware quality over time, you should consider metal, such as brass or steel, for long-lasting cabinetry.

Update the Lighting

Lighting in the kitchen may be considered purely practical, but you can make it artsy or more welcoming by layering it. Your kitchen deserves to have an aesthetically pleasing look and be functional simultaneously. It will benefit from more depth, dimension, and mood improvement, but light layering can also place specific objects in the spotlight.

Update your light considering these three types of light placements:

• Ambient lighting is the base layer that brightens up the kitchen. You add it through pendants, ceiling fans or lighting panels;
• Task lighting removes shadows and accentuates high-use areas. It’s the most important for the kitchen, and it includes floor lamps, cabinet lights or desk lamps;
• Accent lighting complements decorations, such as wall art of floral arrangements with wall sconces, LED tape or rope lighting;

While light layering seems complex, the singular big light in the kitchen makes the room look unflattering and can make you feel exhausted. That’s why choosing the lighting correctly will make everyone feel good while in the kitchen.

Opt for Unique Artwork

Modern kitchens have many artworks because the kitchen itself is more than a place where you cook. It can be the room where family and friends gather to spend time together or where you welcome guests, so it should feel like a special spot.

You could start decorating the kitchen with specific wall art, as prints and posters with botanical designs or food and drink designs are a great addition that sets the tone for the room. Of course, you can blend practicality with looks through:

• Stylish storage, such as a floor-to-ceiling decorated with coordinated kitchen accessories;
• Festive plates on the wall in similar or different colours;
• Unique backsplash art with tiles of bold colours;
• Kitchen wall signs with personal statements or jokes;

Don’t Forget About Organic Elements

Traditional kitchens can quickly become modern through greenery, which you can introduce and adapt as you like. You can artificially plant for easier maintenance, but natural plants will add more benefits to the kitchen, such as absorbing moisture or cleaning the air.

Some of the best kitchen plants include the following:

• Peace lilies are best for low-light spaces and don’t need daily watering. They’re also hard to kill, and they love humid conditions;
• Chinese evergreen comes in various coloured leaves, which make them unique decorations. They don’t need too much water or sunlight but are toxic for cars and animals;
• ZZ plants don’t need too much watering but also prefer drier conditions rather than humid spaces;
• Coffee plants grow in any type of environment and need watering only once a week. Although they’re suitable in shady spaces, they are toxic for animals and humans;
• Aloe vera is low maintenance and also a great addition to the kitchen since it’s the best remedy for burns;

There’s never too much greenery in the kitchen, and since green is great for feeling calmer and happier, it can help you destress during dinner or rush hours when everyone’s roaming around the kitchen in the morning. The green colour is also supposed to help with creativity, so you’ll feel inspired to cook the most delicious meals.

Are You Ready to Make Your Kitchen Modern?

Traditional kitchens are sometimes outdated, even if they can be repolished and restructured for a sophisticated aesthetic. Still, if you’re into more modern designs, you can easily transform your traditional kitchen into a better-looking one with simple tips like painting the cabinet in navy blue, layering the lighting, or adding as many plants as possible in the room.