Decorate your dwellings this year by kitting your kitchen out diner-style. With a few wise purchases and a couple of classic bar stools, you can turn your home into a retro heaven.

Junk stores and sites like eBay are veritable treasure troves when it comes to sourcing retro treats. From vintage neon letters to authentic art work, they’ve got the lot – and usually at a steal, too. Second-hand jukeboxes abound and will really set your kitchen off both visually and mood-wise. Alternatively, place a vinyl player in the corner and rock out to rockabilly over breakfast, lunch and supper. The whole charm of the retro look lies in its eclectism, meaning you need not worry about colour matching and the like. Vintage is all about going with what takes your fancy, be it gaudy or impossibly glam.

Of course, nothing conjures a sense of classic Americana quite like a cluster of retro bar stools. Awash with glimmering chrome and faux leather upholstery, these kitschy designs ooze vintage cool.  Better yet, classic chrome bar stools seem to have stood the test of time, meaning they’ll retain every inch of their visual appeal in the highly unlikely event that your tastes should take a turn.

Of course, we can’t completely overlook the fact that over time interior design has come on in leaps and bounds technologically. Make no mistake; even back in the 1950s, bar stools had came a long way but these days, the potential of such items is all but limitless. Many modern kitchen stools allow you to get the best of both worlds by bringing the vintage look together with a whole host of impressive, innovative features.

Gas lift bar stools provide an efficient way of getting about the kitchen, without losing any of their old fashioned charms. Simply push on a lever to reach your desired height. Similarly, smart swivel bar stools encourage you to spin while you sup, be it on a cherry milkshake or a cheeky Martini. Both features really come in handy at parties too, where they’ll allow the guys and dolls to canoodle in comfort.

Backless bar stools are easily stored under counter tops, and this brings us on to the subject of your kitchen centrepiece! Whether you’re after a clean canvas or checkboard pattering, your work surface provides you with a fun opportunity to get playful with period detail. If you fancy adding a little twist, bar tables are a good call. Many are crafted with chrome, helping you to keep things chic with a consistent retro sheen.

With your kitchen, as with everything, the key is to let yourself be as subtle or as show stopping as you like. Whether you simply fancy a few finishing touches or wish to go all-out, let your love of retro inspire you and your bar area will blossom.