41 Stylish Midcentury Modern Kitchen Ideas and Designs (2024)

Room Design

Kitchen Design

Midcentury modern-inspired kitchens are classic for a reason. From clean lines to nature-inspired color palettes to retro accessories, classic midcentury modern design elements add warmth and personality to today's homes. Adding some midcentury whimsy to your cooking space doesn't have to feel kitschy—unless that is your thing. These midcentury modern-inspired kitchens will help show you how to incorporate this enduring style.

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  Pull Colors From Nature

  

  Jessica Nelson Design renovated this midcentury modern kitchen in Mercer Island, WA, to refresh the space while respecting its history. The original hardwood floors were kept, and a forest green Fireclay Tile vertical stacked tile backsplash mimics the greenery outside the windows.
  

  Kitchen Design

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  Build Streamlined Storage

  

  This 1950s Austin, TX, ranch house remodel from Ashby Collective and Furman + Keil Architects has a gleaming kitchen with exposed wood on the ceilings and a streamlined wall of built-in cabinetry that both divides space and offers plenty of storage.

  What is a midcentury modern kitchen?

  A midcentury modern kitchen has clean lines, functional layouts, an accent on wood, and colors inspired by nature. Many of the original 20th-century design elements remain popular, but today’s midcentury modern-inspired interiors are often modified for current lifestyles with open-plan layouts and modern appliances.

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  Be Bold

  

  For the second update of this kitchen, funkier elements came into play but it still maintained a retro feel. The deep teal color on the lower cabinets is a smart choice for adhering to a midcentury modern palette. What really ties the space together is the Tulip-style table and dining chairs with tapered legs.

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  Pair Earth Tones

  

  A wall of handmade Heath Ceramics tile in earthy olive greens paired with dark wood cabinetry and window trim gives this award-winning kitchen from Vetter Architects an earthy but elevated feel, while a BlueStar range adds a touch of modern luxury.

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  Mix Wood Finishes

  

  This is yet another example of how quickly wood turns a stylish kitchen into a midcentury modern haven. Covering the island, cabinets, and refrigerator, it's a staple texture in this cooking space that instantly reflects the look in an elevated and updated way. The addition of slightly darker wooden chairs makes it all the more interesting.

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  Add Contemporary Touches

  

  This midcentury modern kitchen from Jenn Pablo Studio got a contemporary update that preserves the clean lines of the original space.
  

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  Nail the Color Palette

  

  Greens and browns make up a majority of this kitchen's palette, which helps it feel majorly midcentury modern, especially with the help of the tile, furniture, and light fixtures. Colors that typically arise in midcentury modern homes are earthy green, mustard yellow, deep teal, brown, burnt orange, and navy.

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  Celebrate Wood Grain

  

  Shaker handiwork had a major influence on midcentury modern design. Woodgrains were incorporated as a design element; some grain lines give a room or its focal point movement. Popular woods used to craft furniture during the midcentury modern era included teak and American black walnut. Wood paneling was a big, beautiful exclamation point for many midcentury homes, and incorporating wood grain is an homage to that familiar throwback.

  See Also

  10 Mid-Century Modern Interior Design Trends in 2024 (With Pictures) | House GrailMid-century modern living room ideas - 10 ways designers are bringing old-school style to contemporary schemesDesigners Say This Classic Style is Poised to Make a Big Comeback in 2024 — And We Have All the Tips on How to Style itThe Ultimate Guide to Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Design

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  Maximize Natural Light

  

  Cathie Hong Interiors gave this 1956 John Calder Mackay kitchen in Mountain View, CA, a modern refresh that honors its history. A wall of windows lets in natural light and creates the indoor-outdoor feel that midcentury modern architecture sought to achieve.
  

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  Separate the Space

  

  The most significant difference between kitchens from the middle of the 20th century and the midcentury modern-inspired kitchens of today is that open concept design was not in vogue. Back then, guests were seated in the sitting room while the hosts prepared the meal behind closed doors.

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  Add a Breakfast Nook

  

  This Pacific Northwest midcentury modern kitchen renovation from Jessica Nelson Design includes a cozy breakfast nook with wood details like a slatted divider that doubles as a backrest for the wood bench seating.

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  Focus on Decor

  

  You don't have to live in a midcentury modern home to embrace the style. This small Scandinavian eat-in kitchen from Fantastic Frank has classic midcentury modern decor pieces like a Danish modern pendant light, George Nelson wall clock, and molded Eames Eiffel chairs that are easy to incorporate in today's spaces.

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  Use Flat Front Cabinetry

  

  Oregon-based Sarah Phipps Design gave this midcentury kitchen new life with a new subway tile backsplash and mint green paint and retro-style polished chrome knobs on the flat front cabinetry. The Formica countertop, a midcentury staple, has a sturdy aluminum edge that prevents chipping and scratching. Vintage white base cabinets are made from powder-coated metal and porcelain farmhouse drainboard sinks and a vintage pendant light top it off.

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  Brighten With Brass

  

  Interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel gave this midcentury modern California kitchen belonging to actress Mandy Moore a fresh makeover with brass accents and glamorous touches like a waterfall marble island and massive marble slab backsplash.

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  Be Authentic

  

  Pam Kueber, the midcentury modest decor enthusiast behind Retro Renovation, created this pitch-perfect midcentury modern kitchen when renovating her 1951 colonial ranch house located in Lenox, MA. Many of the items in the kitchen are authentic to the period, from the round Saarinen-designed Tulip dining table set to the metal turquoise cabinetry and 1959 Imperialite pull-down pendant light by Emerson-Imperial over the dining table.

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  Embrace Exposed Wood

  

  Interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel kept the warm wood ceilings exposed in this midcentury modern kitchen in Michigan, adding warmth to the airy space.

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  Add Space Race Touches

  

  The space race and moon landing significantly influenced the hearts, minds, and design aesthetics of midcentury modern homemakers. Sputnik-inspired chandeliers, starburst clocks, and globe-looking hanging pendant lights are design motifs woven into the modern midcentury look, still translating nicely in kitchens today.

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  Add Some Modern Bling

  

  This renovated kitchen from Living With Lolo channels midcentury style with built-ins and clean lines, but feels current thanks to the high contrast palette of black and white and shiny mixed metals.

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  Keep Beams Exposed

  

  Wood is king in midcentury modern design, and wooden ceiling beams draw your eye upward and carry it to the next thing you point it to. Tie in exposed natural wooden joists or rafters in your kitchen to give you the much-loved wooden look in a midcentury modern-inspired kitchen.

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  See Also

  Stunning Mid-century Modern Bathroom Tile Ideas

  Keep It Modern

  

  The wishbone chairs, matte finishes, and mod lighting fixtures throughout make this feel midcentury modern. On the other hand, the black walls and cupboards as well as the light wooden waterfall countertop lean more modern. This blending of styles can be done for the color palette, too, which will be seen further along in another kitchen.

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  Install Wood Cabinets

  

  This sleek and chic kitchen is very reminiscent of midcentury modern features, primarily thanks to the wood panels covering the upper and lower cabinets. Though it's gorgeous on its own, it ended up seeing several other renovations, all of which were midcentury modern at heart.

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  Choose Terrazzo Flooring

  

  Terrazzo floor tile adds midcentury vibes to this kitchen from Hub of the House Studio.

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  Update the Color Palette

  

  Though this kitchen feels midcentury modern, its palette leans flat out modern. This is a fun blend to play with as everything works flawlessly together but it has a unique finish in comparison to a cooking space that sways towards the former or latter style. Blending dark gray and mint are great as is, but the statement wallpaper and stone countertops take it to another level.

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  Mix Vintage and Modern

  

  Modern and midcentury modern go hand-in-hand when it comes to interior styles. This kitchen has influences of both thanks to the chosen chairs, bar seating, and materials. You don't need to select exclusively original items or real vintage pieces to emulate a midcentury modern vibe. Sometimes it just comes down to getting the right colors, silhouettes, and shapes.

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  Open It Up

  

  Erin Williamson Design renovated this semi-open midcentury modern kitchen in Austin, TX to celebrate the airy ceilings and original architecture of the home.

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  Go for Iconic Pieces

  

  Eero Saarinen invented the Tulip table and chairs (among other feats), which are the epitome of midcentury modern style and will be instantly recognizable to connoisseurs while being familiar to everyone else given how often they have been copied throughout the decades.

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  Try Avocado Green

  

  Of the many colors that showed face during the decades of midcentury modern design, avocado green was a popular one. You can add a few splashes of the earthy tone to a kitchen or take a page out of this cooking space's book and go all out with green cabinetry. It's a great color that makes a statement but doesn't feel too extreme.

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  Consider the Light Fixtures

  

  Don't forget adding a good light to the midcentury modern equation. Do you need to invest in a Sputnik chandelier or something extremely out there? Definitely not. Instead, think about the distinct design features that stood out from the era. Modern, simple design also reigned supreme and sleek, modern pendants like this serve that purpose perfectly.

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  Mattify the Space

  

  This was the final iteration of the kitchen seen above and it still holds true to its midcentury modern roots, just in a more colorful way. The mint green cabinets have a matte finish and simple hardware, which really convey the midcentury modern look.

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  Work in Small Features

  

  Every inch of your kitchen can fully embrace midcentury modern or you can choose a small selection of details you'd like to focus on. In the case of this kitchen, glass paneled windows reminiscent of the era is just the touch it needed to make it stand out from other primarily white cooking spaces.

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  Say Yes to Wood Paneling

  

  Wood panels were a defining feature of the midcentury modern era. Installing these in a modern day kitchen is a smart move if you're after an authentic nod to the style and really want to make your kitchen shine in a unique way.

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  Focus on Details

  

  Sometimes the tiniest touches make all the difference. The light fixtures feel like simplified, modernized versions of the classic Sputnik chandeliers. The simple wood accents and matte cabinets also give a slight air of midcentury modern without allowing the style to fully take over.

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  Add Some Color

  

  Robin's egg blue cabinets add fresh color to this midcentury modern eat-in kitchen renovation from Cathie Hong Interiors that recalls the blues, greens, and oranges that were prevalent in midcentury interiors.

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  Stay Neutral

  

  A neutral palette of white, black, and gray allows the original architecture of this renovated midcentury modern kitchen from Erin Williamson Design to do the talking.

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  Revisit the Proportions

  

  This San Jose, CA, Eichler house kitchen renovation from Cathie Hong Interiors celebrates the midcentury bones of the home while modernizing the kitchen for current lifestyles, opening it up to accommodate a large kitchen island with seating and room for an XXL refrigerator.

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  Hang Retro Lighting

  

  This midcentury modern-inspired kitchen from Joshua Smith Inc. has smooth surfaces, clean lines, plenty of wood, and retro black metal pendant lights. Black accents throughout the space add sharpness and make it feel current.

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  Use Flat-Front Cabinets

  

  This kitchen from Forge & Bow Dwellings has earthy terracotta colored square backsplash tiles, rich wood on the island, and flat-front cabinetry with clean lines that reinforce the original vibes of this renovated 1960s midcentury American ranch house in Fort Collins, CO. Black accents give it some modern edge.

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  Keep It Minimal

  

  This minimalist renovation from Hub of the House Studio allows the architecture of this midcentury modern kitchen to be the center of attention. Pale gray cabinets, tiling, and stainless steel appliances give the space a contemporary feel.

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  Use Dark Wood Cabinets

  

  This modern take on a midcentury modern kitchen from Living With Lolo mixes dark wood cabinetry with bronze accents that add warmth and contrast with the white walls and quartz countertops and backsplash.

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  Do a Full Wall Backsplash

  

  Mary Patton Design renovated this midcentury modern kitchen using a pink and black veined stone full wall backsplash that is matched on the kitchen countertops and waterfall edge island, adding drama to the clean lines and white walls of the airy space.

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  Build Custom Cabinetry

  

  Home Consultant gave this midcentury modern California kitchen a renovation that nods to its roots. Custom oak cabinetry with clean lines adds warmth to white walls and countertops.