80s Family Kitchen Set
The kitchen in my family home has not drastically changed over the 30 or so years since my parents built the house. Over the years, the kitchen has grown with our family and the styling elements have changed with us, but the bones themselves remain in tact and in good condition at that. I thought it would be a super fun project to test my set dressing skills and transport the kitchen back into the 80s through styling and decor, just for a day. The kitchen itself was a very trendy design for the 80s, and although a smaller, simple kitchen, would still pack a punch once dressed.
When working on the transformation, it really only came down to decor pieces, window furnishings and countertop appliances, as the built in appliances in this part of the kitchen are still original (and still in ridiculously good condition surprisingly). I sewed the curtains from scratch, although instead of remaking the exact lace ones that were once there, I designed a slightly more simple but appropriate panel, made from white cotton with a ruffle to line the top and simple ribbon tiebacks.
Most of the appliances like the crockpot and mixer are actually original to the kitchen, being stowed away in the cabinets over the years. The lamp was new to the kitchen but filled in the inner corner perfectly, with a selection of cookbooks and trinkets alongside. The bar aspect was made up with mostly French Crystal, the same which my parents had back in the day, and some that I have collected over the years to match their set. The painting was created by a close family friend of ours and has adorned the wall opposite our kitchen since the house was built.
The dishes in the rack are from a wedding china set I had collected, with many of the other pieces such as the tea set and crockery belonging to the kitchen already. A mix of smaller practical elements such as the coasters, toothpick dish and clock help sell the originality and practicality of the design, while the potted lily and baby’s breath soften the look and make it feel lived in.
The final result was super satisfying to me as I was used to seeing it with a mishmash of appliances and decor, and my parents certainly got a laugh getting to see it so similar to how it was when they moved in. I used the dressed kitchen in two other photoshoots, one clashing together the 60s and 80s which you can check out here on my website, and the other being an 80s cookbook cover, which is still in the works.
