13+ Things You’d Definitely See In A 70s Or 80s Kitchen

3 years ago

1. Drinking Glasses

Image Source / FemaninIf there's one thing we definitely all had - and got excited about - during our childhood, it was those special kind of drinking glasses with the frosted sides, and they always had either a pattern or a kid's cartoon theme to them when you got them free with something!

2. Tupperware

Image Source / FemaninAh, yes. What kitchen would be complete without tupperware? But for some reason, back in the day, tupperware seemed to be everywhere, for everything. Bought something new? Put it in tupperware. Cooked a whole load of extra food? Put it in tupperware. Bought a new tupperware container? Put it inside another one!

3. Ice Cube Trays

Image Source / FemaninIf there's something you think of fondly from your childhood days at home, it's spending time in the garden (and running to and from the kitchen) on hot summer days, and something you could always find to cool you down were these ice cube trays, ready to make any drink that little bit more refreshing for you!

4. A Twin Tub Washing Machine

Image Source / FemaninModern day washing machines are a saviour, because can you remember how hard work these ones were? Even just being near one was a terrifying experience when you didn't know whether it was going to make you jump from shaking violently all the time.

5. Full Matching Dinner Set

Image Source / FemaninEvery kitchen simply had to have at least one complete dinner set with matching patterns and colours - and the bright patterns were an absolute must-have, or they just didn't count. You needed at least two big plates, two bowls and two cups!

6. A Step Chair

Image Source / FemaninFor the chair that can do more than one thing! Why sit when you can also use your chair to stand on in an acceptable fashion? To be fair, most people these days use a chair to stand on to reach something high up, so these step chairs just made perfect sense!

7. Cute Matching Storage Containers

Image Source / FemaninYou can't just have one storage container - you had to have had a full set of them, all arranged in a line, from largest to smallest. You then had to make sure all storage jars had at least one quirky cute kitchen pattern on them - like these toadstools!

8. A Freezer That's Being Defrosted

Image Source / FemaninWhy did freezers need defrosting so darn much back then? It was such a pain, and there was nothing worse than coming down to grab something from the kitchen only to see the entire contents of the freezer everywhere over the counter while your mum explains she's defrosting it.

9. A Coffee Percolator

Image Source / FemaninThe need for coffee is one thing that hasn't changed over the years - and, in fact, these days it's needed even more! So one thing every kitchen had back then was a coffee percolator, and a big pot brewing every morning before school (for the parents, of course!).

10. Jiffy Pop Popcorn!

Image Source / FemaninWas it even a Saturday night with your parents back then if you didn't have a big bowl of this bad boy whilst settling down to watch a movie? And let's be honest, 99% of people definitely burned this on their first go! And maybe their second, too...

11. Crock-Pot

Image Source / FemaninNot only did every kitchen have a crock-pot, but it definitely also had to be some form of beige, green, orange or very faded 70s pastel colour, probably with floral patterns around the side! The crock-pot was definitely a useful tool.

12. Fruit Pie In Different Flavours!

Image Source / FemaninYum! Which was your favourite flavour? These were not only a staple kitchen stock item back then, but they were a staple lunchbox item too! Would a day at school ever be complete if you didn't open your lunchbox and find one of these?

13. Hawaiian Punch

Image Source / FemaninThis is one of those things that looks and feels really healthy because it says it's packed with vitamins and fruit juice, but also in hindsight was probably like one of those sugary kids drinks that you only think is healthy! Did you love this stuff?

14. Casserole Dishes

Image Source / FemaninCasserole dishes were (and are) one of those things that every single kitchen needs, and especially for weekend family dinners, but they were also the worst possible things to clean! They always had to be soaked and scrubbed.

15. Nestle Quik

Image Source / FemaninThis is something that is never, ever going to go out style because it just tastes amazing - and even adults probably still drink this after all those childhood memories of fighting over the strawberry or the chocolate flavours!

16. An Ice Cream Maker

Image Source / FemaninWhile you'd never dream of sharing your dessert now as an adult (because we know better) for some reason as a kid you'd always be sharing sweet treats with the neighbourhood kids, and that's where an ice cream maker came in handy for batches!

17. Fried Bologna Sandwiches

Image Source / FemaninWho remembers waking up and having these for breakfast? You could just smell them cooking from your bed before rushing down the stairs couldn't you! I think a lot of us have grandparents we'd relate to making us fried bologna sandwiches!

18. Bazooka Bubblegum

Image Source / FemaninWas any kitchen or childhood complete without a massive wad of bubblegum you could take to school and see how much you could stuff in your mouth and blow the largest bubble? Always trying to hide it from the teacher, too! But did you stick it under the desk?

19. Beanbag Ashtray

Image Source / FemaninI think a lot of us would cringe at the idea of our parents smoking in the home anyway - even though it was the norm back then - but this just took it to a whole new level! Whose idea was this? It was just never an attractive thing to have in the home was it!

20. Ding Dongs

Image Source / FemaninDing Dongs will always be remembered for their fantastic flavor and absolute bargain price, because the problem these days is they definitely taste a lot different (probably because they're made to be healthier) as well as the price being marked up! As per.

21. Candy Dish

Image Source / FemaninThey always looked like this too, didn't they? See through glass so that you could always see the colourful treats inside! Every grandparent's house had to have had one of these, so that you could watch your grandma take the lid off and treat you!

22. Ice Pops

Image Source / FemaninNo kitchen freezer was complete without a massive box of ice pops - and they had to be all the rainbow colours with all the flavours! Which was your favourite? The blue ones were always the best! Unless your brother and sister got there first...

23. A Branded Lunchbox

Image Source / FemaninThere's no way you could just have a plain lunchbox and take it to school - your lunchbox had to be absolutely covered in what was popular at the time. TV shows, movies, maybe even a toy character like Barbie! What did yours look like?

24. Toast With Cinnamon And Sugar

Image Source / FemaninYou can't just have simple toast with butter, that would be too boring. If you were made to have breakfast as a kid, it had to be as sweet as possible, obviously! Otherwise what's the point in eating it? And sugar and cinnamon was the best!

25. Atomic Fire Balls

Image Source / FemaninI can still taste these in my mouth now, even just looking at this picture! These were so good (but so bad when you stuffed 10 in your mouth at once and had your mum tell you to spit them out!). These were definitely so addictive.

26. This Particular Dinner Set!

Image Source / FemaninOf course, it didn't look empty like this, because it absolutely had to have been stuffed with cakes, sandwiches or other sweet treats ready to be eaten! You could get them in all kinds of colours, too - which colour did your family have?

27. TAB Drink

Image Source / FemaninThis was such a popular drink back in the 70s and 80s, so it's a shame they stopped doing it - most people nowadays might not even know that it existed, with Coke or Pepsi being the staple choices! Even the packaging was so cool though!

28. Neapolitan Ice Cream

Image Source / FemaninWhy have only one flavour when you can have three? This was the number one choice for ice cream you wanted to be ready for you in the freezer. No more debate about whether chocolate, strawberry or vanilla is the best - just have them all!

29. Candy Cigarettes

Image Source / FemaninIt's strange when you think back and realise lots of things we had as kids were about adult responsibilities or dangers - fake cigarettes so we could pretend to smoke, toys that were pretend hoovers or kitchens (like we even want to clean up now) or even fake baby dolls to pretend we were parents. So strange!

30. TV Dinner Meals

Image Source / FemaninThese were the only solution if you wanted something stodgy and your parents couldn't be bothered to cook (we feel that). And of course they still exist now, and even though they're unhealthy, they are quick and easy for those days when you just can't be bothered!

31. Linoleum On The Floor

Image Source / 99% InvisibleIs a kitchen really a kitchen in the 70s or 80s if it doesn't have lino on the floor? You knew you were in an iconic kitchen or bathroom if there was patterned lino, perfect for those easy clean-ups when you drop food on the floor or spill your drink! Bright, bold and practical.

32. Bean Bag Chairs

Image Source / FlashbakI know what you're thinking: these aren't exactly the chairs to use to sit around the kitchen table, are they? But most homes in the 70s and 80s had at least one bean bag chair that was an absolute treat to sit on - and because they were so easy to pick up and carry round, it definitely ended up in the kitchen more than once! The perfect place to sit and watch mom make your dinner.

33. Wood Paneling On The Walls

Image Source / Apartment TherapyThis probably wasn't exclusive to the kitchen seeing as homes back then seemed to have wood paneling EVERYWHERE, but this was a style before more modern day tiles when wood paneling would just encase the kitchen and make it feel like a tiny little cabin filled with retro kitchen utensils. It wasn't even top quality paneling most of the time, either - the closer you looked, the worse it looked!

34. Crocheted Blankets On The Chairs And Table

Image Source / PinterestThere's no way you can say you had a retro kitchen if your dinner table didn't have at least one granny square pattern table runner or throws on the back of the chair that somebody in the family had made (probably your grandma). You probably also had some over the back of the couch, too!

35. Lava Lamps

Image Source / WikipediaEvery kitchen had at least one lamp in it. There didn't seem to be these bright overhead lights back then, there was always an eclectic mix of side lamps - and one of them had to be a lava lamp, because how cool were they? Great to keep the kids entertained watching the blobs move while parents were making dinner!

36. A TV Set

Image Source / PinterestBack then, TVs in the kitchen were more popular than they are now - it's rare you even see TVs in the kitchen these days, but that could mostly be because people watch recipes on YouTube through their iPad. But back in the 70s, you could expect a small little boxy TV to be propped up on one of the counters in the kitchen!

37. Patterned Wallpaper

Image Source / Wallpaper from the 70sThere was no way any kitchen in the 70s or 80s would have a plain white wall - it had to be patterned wallpaper (which of course would be paired with the walls of wood panelling for maximum effect). It didn't count unless it had the biggest geometric patterns you've ever seen, probably in browns, oranges and yellows.

38. Molded Plastic Trays

Image Source / EtsyThere's no way you could enjoy your well-prepared TV dinner after a long, hard day if you didn't have a molded plastic tray to hold it! Kitchens were armed with this plastic trays so you could easily grab with your TV dinner, as well as easily keep them clean by wiping them down and reusing.

39. Brown Rattan Furniture

Image Source / VinteriorIf your kitchen didn't have a rattan table or rattan chair set, was it even a true 70s/80s kitchen? Rattan furniture hasn't even gone out of style (thankfully, because it does look great) but back then it was an in-demand home interior items that looked good in every single room, let's be honest.

40. Push Button Phones

Image Source / PinterestForget about those cool retro rotary phones - push button phones were everything when they were first released, and for some reason a lot of homes in the 70s and 80s had them in every single room. We wouldn't even dream of that now when we can't even cope with one phone call on our mobile phone... But push button phones in the kitchen just made sense when you were multi-tasking making dinner and the phone rang.

41. No Escape From The Macramé

Image Source / Little Village Magazine

It just had to be everywhere, and as close to the rattan furniture and crochet granny squares as possible. This cord decoration was all the rage back then, and it was super useful for kitchen items that needed to be displayed, or if you just wanted to hang a plant next to the fridge - because why not.

42. Colonial Furniture

Image Source / Architectural Digest IndiaIf rattan simply didn't do it for you, then maybe your kitchen was choc-a-bloc full of dark wood colonial furniture, like a huge imposing dining table and side cabinets with retro lamps on them. Colonial furniture definitely came back in popularity, and it wasn't just exclusive to the kitchen!

43. Things With Fringe On Them

Image Source / EtsyAnd we're talking anything and everything. Lamps, pillows, throws... anywhere fringe would fit. You definitely had at least one table lamp in the kitchen with a dark-coloured fabric shade with fringe detailing hanging on the side, didn't you?

44. A Kitchen Radio

Image Source / Vocal MediaThe radio was a must have in the kitchen, regardless of whether or not you had a TV in there. Kitchen radios would keep parents sane with music while they were washing up, cooking or cleaning up. Even in modern day most people have a hankering for a retro radio on the shelf in the kitchen, but these days those 'retro' radios have digital channels!

45. Coloured Bulbs

Image Source / eBayWhen you think of a retro 70s kitchen, you might also think of those coloured glows that seemed to emanate from a lamp or two. There was just something about a coloured filament on those fringed fabric lampshades that made an orange or red glow. Did you have one?

46. Pottery Everywhere

Image Source / PinterestCeramic items were huge during these particular decades, and the kitchen was the perfect place for it. Not only could you kit out dining tables and side counters with pottery vases or ornaments, you could also have ceramic kitchenware like bowls and plates in matching sets on display.

47. Chrome Finishes

Image Source / Retro TasteIt wasn't all geomatric patterns, dark browns and fringed fabrics - these decades were also about the chrome, and a kitchen was a great place to kit out in chrome! Lampshades, oven hoods, appliances or kitchen counter handles - shiny silver chrome was the thing to have.

48. Pyrex Kitchenware

Image Source / Pyrex PotluckPyrex is something every kitchen needs even by modern day standards, but back then it was a fun kitchen took as well as being a practical one. This is because the 70s had lots of fun colors you could buy for your bowls or casserole dishes, meaning a more than colourful dinner table!

49. Dark Colors Everywhere

Image Source / PinterestThis wasn't just about dark colors being spread out evenly in the house - this was about A LOT of dark tones and colors being mashed together in one room, and especially the family spaces like the kitchen and living room. You could expect rusty reds, deep oranges, dark woodwork, gold and even greens and yellows all piled together! But it looked good at the time, didn't it?

50. Exposed Brick Walls

Image Source / The MirrorSo let's sum up, wall wise: you definitely had at least one wood panel somewhere in the kitchen, matched with geometric wallpaper on another wall, and then somewhere in the kitchen there had to be an exposed brick wall just to finish everything off. This fresh brick look was just something done in the 70s, wasn't it?