Big Chill, whose glorious retro-designed kitchen appliances and gas stoves I’ve drooled over for years, challenged me to design a kitchen around the color of the month. Happily, this month’s color is one of my all-time favorites, turquoise! If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know color inspires me more than almost anything else, so I jumped at the chance.

After Hurricane Sandy destroyed our first floor, we spent six months living like (first world) refugees. We shared a tiny, unfurnished apartment with our elderly cat and another displaced friend and her elderly dogs. We ate takeout and sat in lawn chairs and worried incessantly about money and flood insurance and contractors and when we were going to feel at home again.

Like many people affected by the storm, everything in our house needed replacing, but because we were living in an apartment without a functioning kitchen, the new kitchen design became my number 1 priority. The very first choice we made and, consequently, the inspiration for the rest of the house, was the kitchen counter (Caesarstone Deep Ocean). As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the first piece of the puzzle. Had I seen the glorious retro appliances by Big Chill, I would have been all over them! First, let me show you how the kitchen turned out. We’re still really in love with it, and there have been many, many happy days and nights in this room!

Color has always inspired me, and the colors in Big Chill’s retro line make me go weak in the knees. I really love an eclectic mix of styles, so I would love to pair their appliances with hyper-modern cabinets, and a mix of vintage and sleek, modern touches.

1. Modern Kitchen photo by Kitchen-Design-Ideas.org
2. Original Retro Fridge by Big Chill
3. Pantone Serving Set in Indian Teal from All Modern
4. Halves High-Gloss-Finish Wooden Floor/Wall Tiles by Moonish on Houzz
5. Vintage Glass Funnel Lamp by AuraSoBright on Etsy
6. 36″ Retro Stove by Big Chill
7. Cast Iron Curtain Tiebacks by TheShabbyStore on Etsy
8. Navy Triangle Curtains by Land of Nod
9. Piatra Gray Counter by Caesarstone
10. Coral and Starfish Dessert Plates from Pottery Barn
11. Tiny Travel Dishes from Artful Home
12. Moroccan Indoor/Outdoor Table Runner by LoveLilJax on Etsy
13. Carey Dining Chair by Target
14. Oddysey Subway Stainless Steel Backsplash Tile by Wall & Tile on Houzz

Ironically, as I was putting together this post, our fridge started misbehaving. Who knows? Maybe there’s a Big Chill in my near future after all!