How To Incorporate Industrial Kitchen Design Details From The '70s That Still Feel Modern

The 1970s can get a bad rap in terms of design and decor, but for every questionable vintage kitchen design trend we're happy to leave in the past, there are less-remembered elements that merit revival. The "high tech" movement, for example, which was commemorated in a book by the same name in the 1980s, is just the erstwhile style from which to pluck some of those elements, provided you do so in moderation.

High tech itself, admittedly, does sound a little dated. It certainly doesn't involve anything like using ChatGPT to meal prep, or anything else we'd acknowledge as high tech today. A modern audience might view the throwback mode as akin to minimalism or even simply industrial. High tech, after all, evoked a kind of intentionally barebones aesthetic that reimagined something like naked hardware as an objet d'art. 

Still, don't expose those pipes just yet. As with a lot of vintage inspiration, you want to incorporate some of the best facets of high tech without recreating something out of a tattered old magazine. You can start simply by clearing your kitchen countertops.

Banish your bric-a-brac, crush your clutter, and throw your word art out the window; high tech is as much about what it isn't, as it is exemplified by what it is. It's more "big Manhattan loft" than "grandma's cabin." Still, know that you can take the spirit of high tech — clean lines, negative space, and a focus on functionality — without, you know, tearing down the drywall. If you were previously a crowded kitchen counter household, the bare expanse of that stone alone will be enough to create a calmer environment. Then, you can continue editing by getting rid of anything that needn't be seen: Oven mitts, dish towels, and even that bowl of alliums would all be rendered invisible in a truly high-tech setting. 

Should you want to go bigger, classic kitchen design trends, like open shelves, also hark to the high tech look, provided you keep whatever's lining them uniform. A metal prep table in lieu of a kitchen island is also highly high-tech. As long as you aren't going so far as to expose any wiring (which is, again, not recommended), you've likely inadvertently organized your kitchen while also adhering to the rules of this retro trend.