This was supposed to be a green tip...only then it got out of hand and turned into it's own series...oops.
So recently we've made a deal around here. When we need something new for the house we will first see if we can find it a)Used or b)Handmade. Only if we can't find either will we buy it new. This is working out pretty well so far as I'm a scavengar. I have a deep love for all my vintage kitchen items...in no small part because many of them are from my Gramma. I like to think of all the happy pies that have been rolled out with my rolling pin. Old things have more soul to them.
I've found that half the battle with starting to buy vintage is getting over the image of the items in your great aunt's tacky kitchen and imaging them in your obviously cool and hip kitchen. So to assist, here are some beautiful kitchens that have helped me make the mental jump from shiny and new to something a bit more fun. Most of them are from Design Sponge...which is a blog I loooove. I think the key is to keep it uncluttered, and go for colour.
Each link is to a full kitchen and/or house tour:
Black Apple's White Storybook Kitchen (love love love)
The Jewels of New York
Darling Clementine (love!)
Lisa Condong