<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/kitchenenvy/livingetcmodernretro.jpg" alt="living etc modern retro kitchen" width="450" height="450" /></p>

I was all ready to write up a blog post about <a href="http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/">coolhaus</a> after having a lacklustre week of kitchen envy searching, when a <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Livingetc/status/30384545102565376">tweet</a> from @livingetc resulted in me coming across a last minute contender. Dubbed a 'modern retro kitchen', this space has more aspects that I found personally appealing than most other kitchens I've drooled over in the past. It's no secret that I love/crave/want an Aga but I've never seen a peachy toffee tone one with a Caribbean ocean blue tile back-splash before. Simply gorgeous!

Really, this kitchen is rather simple, but the vintage cabinets and details makes it float my boat, these are the precise reasons why I love it:
<strong>
Science cabinets</strong> - The lower cabinets with the big hand pulls remind me of the my secondary school science lab. That retro connection adds an air of nostalgia to this space so appeals emotionally as well as aesthetically, it also, for me is a nice nod to my love of most things sci-fi.

<strong>Long narrow floor to ceiling cabinets</strong> - I have a thing about lining things up and putting things in boxes, some call it OCD, I call it the way things should be. The long cabinets to the right have their handle in the middle, making me think that these are large shelves that roll out rather than just cupboards. I love larder shelves that roll out as they allow you to get a 180 view of the contents and eliminate the pesky 'things stuck in the back of the cupboard' syndrome.

<strong>Brick floor</strong> - I love me a brick wall - not for its rustic charm but for it's NY City apartment feel. A brick floor is a nice way to incorporate that texture in the space without making the space blatantly scream 'city'.

<strong>Hearth effect</strong> - The hearth stove is beautiful yes what with the Aga and the colourful tile back splash, but the shelf above the stove and the protruding hearth emulate architectural features common to the living room. I can imagine a nice huge art piece above the stove on the hearth to bring some extra colour into the space as well as an interesting visual reference.

<strong>Huge Island</strong> - An island serves many purposes. Extra counter work space, extra storage space or just a place from which to serve drinks or treats for a dinner party. By adding the vintage stools during the day this island also functions as a spot from which to eat breakfast and read the paper - pure morning bliss.


<p style="text-align:right;"><font size="1"><i>image via <a href="http://www.housetohome.co.uk/kitchen/picture/modern-retro-kitchen?room_style=modern&amp;room_type=kitchen&amp;featured_in=livingetc">house to home</a></i></font></p>