Gotta Love No. 61 - Kitschens. What are they?

 

Pink Gooseberry. Butterly Gold. Spring Blossom. Aqua Snowflake Garland. These are words that have made a lover of kitsch spin around faster than one can imagine. They are patterns of vintage Pyrex which has become a sought-after list-topper. And has helped to launch the term "kitschen", one of the trends for 2024. 

Kitsch is defined as "art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way". Who decides what excessive garishness is? I believe that if we design our homes telling our biography, true to ourselves, all of us will have a bit of kitsch that will be appreciated in an ironic or knowing way. Presented the way we define excessive garishness - in other words selecting "less is more" or "more is just right". 

I have always been a kitchen gadget girl and one who loves to mix and match dishes. My first home, built in the 1960's was a cute two-bedroom cottage-like home with a tiny kitchen. I painted the existing brown cabinets the perfect shade of lipstick red and papered the walls with a large-scale floral wallpaper and it fit right in with my mixmatch style. I needed it to be fun. Cooking and baking should be fun. Not only the surroundings but every measuring spoon, bowl, pot, pan, appliance. Whatever that means to you, whether you tuck these fun things in a drawer or cabinet or display them. Fun like using a mixing bowl that belonged to your granny no matter the color, fun means using an artsy spoon you found in that tucked away shop aboard, fun means enjoying the memories these items create or bring to mind.

Illustrated ceramics, mismatched glassware, bistro dinnerware, linens with vintage designs, appliances in bold hues, granny's blue willow mixed with altered art plates, glass doored cabinets displaying vintage Pyrex. This defines the elements of kitschens. And it all can happen with the backdrop of a neutral palette on the walls, floors, and cabinetry or against whatever garish color palette you choose. 

Call it nostalgic and retro - but it will never lose its real place as the heart of the home. Celebrate in your way this trend of the kitschen, however it warms your heart and home. Even if it's just those brightly colored dish towels.

Bon Appetit! Be inspired.

Sources: Anthropologie, BHG, Etsy, Studio Soph, Domino Magazine, Pinterest