Designs to inspire : creating a great british bake off kitchen

Returning to our screens for series 7, The Great British Bake Off not only shows us how to bake, it provides inspiration to create a stunning kitchen with a vintage, retro vibe. To achieve the look in your kitchen, after all most of us don't bake outside in a marquee, we take a look at the style, colour scheme, and the all important finishing touches you need to create a GBBO kitchen of your own. After all this might be our last chance, as in 2017 after moving to Channel 4 the show might be completely unrecognisable from its current guise.

Style:

Country farm house kitchen in cream with Union flag bunting

White kitchen curtains with a green trim and strawberry design

White kitchen curtains with a band of black at the top

Vintage, country with a retro vibe is the best way to describe the inside of the Bake Off tent. It features open shelving, with pale wooden counter-tops. Irrespective of the size of your kitchen you can still recreate the look by using the same, or similar, colour scheme, having a stripped pine table, bunting strung across the top of the window, which is ideal for celebrations, vases filled withseasonal, fresh flowers and lots of kitchenalia, in the form of copper jelly moulds, retro utensils etc. placed on open shelving units.

Colour palette:

Great British bakers awaiting instructions in the tent

White voile curtains tied back at a window

White voile net kitchen curtains with yellow base and yellow floral design

This year the colour scheme is mid-tone pastels, lilac, blue, green, yellow and teal blue. These are accents to the predominately white tent, with touches of soft cream. All of the coloured work areas have pale wood work-tops. Accents in darker, contrasting hues are given to the electrical equipment.

Window dressing:

Blue kitchen curtains with a breakfast table in the foreground

Cream fabric with red and blue bunting design

The large plastic sides of the tent act like windows, giving us unrestricted views to the beautiful outside. Your windows are obviously your view to the outside world and can be dressed with strings of union flag bunting across the top. For an individual look make your own bunting from union flag fabric or from material which has a bunting theme. For most of us having a window dressing that is practical and functional is a necessity. Pretty gingham kitchen curtains would work incredibly well in a vintage, country theme. Alternatively roller blinds are a great option, rolling to the top of the window to provide a clear expanse of glass during the daytime, which can be lowered at night to give you total privacy.

Finishing Touches:

A kitchen tea towel in white with a cute pink, blue and green floral design

A clear glass vase with striped ribbed design

We all know how important the finishing touches are if you are to get the look right. We've already talked about vintage kitchenalia, vases of fresh flowers etc. which are necessary to achieve the style. The eye is in the detail to successfully achieve the look. Every kitchen needs tea towels and these too can be chosen with a vintage or retro theme. Flowers play a huge role in achieving a GBBO décor. Sunflowers and flowers associated with country cottages, such as roses, long stemmed delphiniums and your own personal finishing touches will give your Great British Bake Off kitchen the vintage country look that is sure to make you Star Baker for longer than just a week. Sources: