Before & After: Striking Pink Cabinets and 1950s Inspo Completely Transform a “Dated, Neutral” Kitchen

Cullen Ormond
·3 min read
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Wood dining table and chairs in turquoise room seen from gray kitchen with white cabinetry.

Modernizing a dated kitchen is a common design challenge for homeowners and renters alike — and that’s why some people opt for blending styles of the past with colorful, contemporary features and trends of today (like this modern kitchen that got a cottagecore makeover). It’s a clever way to inject the space with character that will outlast the latest style wave.

Brand photographer Jilly Noble, of JillyJilly Studio, fell into the latter category when reimagining her U.K. kitchen. “Our kitchen started out very neutral — it was perfectly functional but didn’t suit the rest of the house,” she explains. “We’re big fans of color and wanted this space to have more personality.” 

Not only did Noble want to brighten the space with more color, but she also wanted to infuse it with “retro 1950s kitchen styles, full of pastels, and kitsch decor.” She envisioned a room to house the vintage plate collection she sourced for her wedding.

Dining area with pastel floral wallpaper seen from kitchen with pastel green walls and pastel pink cabinetry.

While she wanted to make her kitchen more playful, she didn’t think a full renovation was necessary. “It seemed too wasteful to rip it out and start over, so I wanted to make simple changes that would have the biggest impact,” she shares.

Decorative plates hang on pastel green wall above pastel mixer and toaster in kitchen.

The first step was to paint the cabinets using Autentíco’s “Antique Rose,” which instantly added a touch of joy to the room with its rich pink tone. Originally, she wanted to use patterned tiles for the backsplash, but found pastel tiles that better matched the 1950s theme. The walls were painted green using Wicke’s “Sage,” which gave the space an earthy neutral backdrop, and then it was time to decorate.

“When we moved in, we never had any wall units, so at first we installed a few basic shelves. As we made the other improvements, I had some new ones made to measure in lovely rustic wood. We then put these up using custom pink brackets,” Noble explains. “We even switched the power sockets to pink ones! I feel that these small details make a big difference to the overall finish.”

Pastel kitchen with green walls, pastel tiling, pink cabinetry, and pastel appliances and accessories.

The kitchen makeover is a testament to the fact that a retro 1950s style can be achieved without a hefty price tag. She spaced out the project over weekends and evenings and estimates that the painting, tiling, and shelving cost around £700, or around $876 (not including the appliances or dining area updates). This modest investment transformed the space into a cheerful, movie set-like kitchen.

Pastel green wall with pastel tiling in kitchen with pastel pink cabinetry and pastel accessories.

“When we were done, I was looking for a large art print for the wall by the cooker, and I realized the movie poster for The Grand Budapest Hotel went perfectly — which makes sense, as friends often say the kitchen has a Wes Anderson vibe,” she says.

Spoons hang from rod on wall with pastel tiling in kitchen with pastel blender and accessories.

Not only has the kitchen makeover made the home flow more seamlessly, but it’s also been a boost for Noble’s business. “I’m a brand photographer, so it’s been great to have clients ask me to photograph their products here,” Jilly says. “I recently had a pastel ceramics shoot, which was so fun to style in the kitchen rather than a studio setup.” It’s important she loves her new space — but it’s great to see that her clients love it too.