The Old-School Lighting Trend That Will Brighten Up Your Kitchen In 2025

There are various retro food trends that are due for a comeback — including a 1950s food revival — and it seems the kitchen itself is also poised for some throwback action in terms of decor. Rolling into 2025, some trends of yesteryear are reemerging in design circles, including an old-school lighting style that is beginning to, once again, brighten the culinary spaces of homes. This year, what's old is in — if you're renovating your kitchen.

Vintage glass light fixtures that were popular in the midcentury modern period — roughly encompassing the 1930s through the 1970s — are reappearing in the interior designs of modern homes. For lighting up a dining table or cooking space, it's all about the old school, and classic styles ranging from elegant chandeliers to the funkier designs of the '60s and '70s are becoming all the rage once again. You may even see a Tiffany lamp or two — but those have been popular again for a few years now.

Homeowners can embrace the trend by either salvaging and repurposing antique lights or simply purchasing new fixtures designed to mimic the old aesthetic. Brand-new fixtures reflecting the bygone styles are plentiful right now if budget isn't a top-of-mind concern. Rewiring light fixtures is also a fairly common DIY for homeowners, and it can be a cost-friendly way to repurpose a vintage (and back in style) lighting appliance from yesteryear. Aged glass light pieces can be sourced at flea markets, antique shops, or in family attics and other storage spaces — and they are easily reconfigured to meet present-day electrical and building codes, lending some on-trend ambiance to your kitchen and dining spaces.

The old-school resurgence is going beyond lighting, too, with various other vintage trends hitting present-day kitchens, as well. Included among them are the round-edged and brightly colored appliances that became popular in the 1950s. From refrigerators to microwaves (which, ironically, didn't exist back then), old-fashioned-looking appliances are popping up more and more in big box stores alongside their more streamlined modern counterparts.

Wooden tones and wood finishes once considered passé are making a comeback, too, including wood-paneled walls formerly thought to be the hallmark of a house in need of updating. Under-sink curtains in place of cupboard doors are becoming trendy once again, as well — and wallpaper, checkered floors, and even gilded mirrors are back in a big way.

And do you remember the old dishes and cookware your mom and grandmother had? Yeah, that stuff's coming back in style, too. You'd be well-advised to rummage around in family basements and attics for any of these retro items that are suddenly très chic once again. Vintage tea kettles, old cookbooks — if they look like they belonged in your grandparents' house, they should probably be decorating your kitchen.