There are many appliances available in kitchen retro colors now. Many of the older appliance companies, like Viking are now making these appliances in colors that suit different eras from the past. For instance Viking is making an entire line of gas stoves, fridges and steel cabinets in that long lost color from seventies known as Harvest Gold. You can also get colors from the seventies in the Viking brand in colors like Golden Mist, Apple Red, Mint Julep and Pumpkin. The Mint Julep really does resemble the avocado color from years ago and the Pumpkin is really a bright orange.
Any of these colors look absolutely fantastic when it comes to replicating a kitchen from the 1940s. The best colors though would be a maternity pink or green. Light pastels were common in that era as were white. Make sure there is lots of silver hardware on these appliances as well.
When it comes to the sixties you can star looking at all kinds of amazing colors including dove gray, creams, ivories, steel green, forest green, oranges, dark blues and purples. The colors get even intenser in color as the seventies arrive and that is when we get the odd puces and pumpkin colors that characterized the era. If you are shopping vintage look for doors with smoky glass fronts and fine varnished details. Yet another thing to look for is two-tone appliances. Sometimes you will find a stove that has a bit of harvest gold graduating into the green or a green with a touch of orange in it. You find one of these it is like finding a really great old vintage tie-dyed t-shirt.
Appliances from the eighties and nineties tend to be heavier with a dark burgundy, red, black or dark blue flair to them. Mustard, copper and mint green colors were also very popular in the eighties.
Once you start getting past the eighties the colors start becoming harder and more metallic. The appliance of preference is made out of glass and brushed metal.
They did not really have appliances as we know them in the Victorian era because most things were porcelain or cast iron. When in doubt it is best to go with a white colored with lots of black detail if you are trying to make an old Victorian home look as authentic as possible. However some of the old rounded fridges in green or red do suit a Victorian or Edwardian style home as well.