1940s kitchen - need inspirational fabric

[Carrots]

My house was built in 1947 and we still have the original kitchen. Since moving here 5 years ago, I have gone through the emotions of loving it, then hating it.

I have turned over a new leaf and now I am determined to love it again by embracing a 1940s retro/modern feel because we are not going to renovate it.

On a whim, I painted the kitchen a light gray with white cabinets without looking for fabric first. Now I am stumped on fabric to use for window treatments. I was playing with gray and yellow or gray and red, but I can't find any patterns that I like.

Does anyone have any website recommendations where I can find retro/modern fabrics or even retro/modern inspiration? I have looked at Amy Butler and Marimeko so far.

Any help would be appreciated!

[pinkmomagain]

Yellow gingham was the first thing to come to mind.

[bubbaray]

Or a polka dot fabric.

[brittone2]

Have you looked over at Flickr? If you search under groups for Vintage Kitchen you might find some inspiration?

[fortato]

Check out Michael Miller Fabrics!!!
http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Home.cfm?Gid=1227

There are TONS of retro/fun fabrics there.... I'm obsessed with them.
(This one is going somewhere in my kitchen- http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Popup1_Swatch.cfm?Popup=1&&Kwds=kitchen)

[mamicka]

Check out Michael Miller Fabrics!!!
http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Home.cfm?Gid=1227

There are TONS of retro/fun fabrics there.... I'm obsessed with them.
(This one is going somewhere in my kitchen- http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Popup1_Swatch.cfm?Popup=1&&Kwds=kitchen)

Love that site! Thanks!

[brittone2]

There are TONS of retro/fun fabrics there.... I'm obsessed with them.
(This one is going somewhere in my kitchen- http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Popup1_Swatch.cfm?Popup=1&&Kwds=kitchen)

I have an apron w/ that fabric :)

[Seitvonzu]

i love that michael miller fabric-- TOO cute. what i actually thought of when you mentioned grey and white was a pear layered shirt i ordered lu from boden the other day-- how sick is THAT?

http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Girls-Tops-T-shirts/31441-DGY/Girls-Mouse_-Pear-Layered-Logo-T-shirt.html

so i'm actually really feeling the yellow/lime/chartruese? with gray lately.

but it's not 40s. i have a friend who has a 40s kitchen and she went through the same love/hate you expressed. she eventually DID redo the kitchen and stuck with '40s'-- good luck!

[Seitvonzu]

i should NOT have kept looking at that michael miller site-- i love the vintagey kids stuff (the cats birthday? ack! the twee!!!), i love the "playdate" bright stuff (particularly the teal goldfish, the lime lanterns, the orange backed lollys) and a whole set of flower fairy fabric? ACKACKACK.

in the "gnomeville" section (gnomes!!!! more cute!!!) the "apple ta dot" would be SO cute as curtains against gray. (and it isn't so patterny-- but does add some whimsy with the polkadots)

[Carrots]

Thanks everyone!!! I love the Michael Miller site! I am leaning towards the gray quarter dot and maybe mixing in another fabric.

I also stumbled across Sarah Richardson's HGTV's "Sarah's House" and the kitchen in season 3 is gray and yellow. I love it!

[marge234]

Looks like you already got what you need but FYI.

http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/fabric_and_sewing/

Love this blog. The search function appears to be MIA, but it it must normally have one because I don't deal with blogs that you can't search.

Very cool that you're going with the 40s in your kitchen. I used to have a 40s enamel kitchen table. Black and white. Not chromed to the hilt like the 50s era ones (which are also cool). I always wanted to do stainless steel edging on laminate countertops.

While I'm at it, another site for retro renovation inspiration.

http://retrorenovation.com/

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Yellow gingham was the first thing to come to mind.

Red gingham was in my mind first, easy to find loads of red kitchen accessories. Yellow would be great as well!

[JTsMom]

I always think of that bright, turquoise-y blue when someone mentions the 50's.
http://bigchillfridge.com/site/

[SammyeGail]

www.craftersvision.com is a great website to work with, you can call in orders you only want 1/2 yard of. There customer service is awesome!!

I like Alexander Henry and Robert Kaufman, this is cute:

http://www.craftersvision.com/product-p/01-01-0014-02-13-33a.htm

I just love these owls!

http://www.craftersvision.com/product-p/01-01-0013-11-13-484.htm

Here is a link to all their designers, tons of Michael Miller!:

http://www.craftersvision.com/category-s/357.htm

They have neat ribbons and all sorts of stuff, plus did I mention their customer service is awesome?

[nfowife]

I just did some new treatments in my kitchen and family room and used premier prints fabrics. This looks yellow/gray:
http://www.premierprintsfabric.com/cornyellowkelplinen.shtml

[brittone2]

I just did some new treatments in my kitchen and family room and used premier prints fabrics. This looks yellow/gray:
http://www.premierprintsfabric.com/cornyellowkelplinen.shtml

I was scouting etsy window treatments and I swear I saw a listing with something reserved for you :D That explains it LOL. I was daydreaming/planning for the next house.

[trales]

tonicliving.com

[nfowife]

Yeah I have a lady making a roman shade for my back door :). We did cornices on our other windows and then I had a different seller make me curtains and pillow covers. I sure wish I could sew!!