41 Midcentury Modern Kitchen Ideas for Your Home

Midcentury modern-inspired kitchens are classic for a reason. Signature elements like clean lines, rich wood cabinetry, sculptural lighting, nature-inspired color palettes, and retro appliances and decor accessories 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 kitchen ideas will help show you how to incorporate this enduring style into your own space.

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.

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 a color palette 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.

Mix Colors and Patterns

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 Saarinen-style tulip table and dining chairs with tapered legs.

Pair Earth Tone Finishes

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. A BlueStar range adds a touch of modern luxury.

Mix Wood Tones

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.

Skip Upper Cabinetry

This midcentury modern kitchen from Jenn Pablo Studio got a minimalist update that trades upper cabinetry for a white subway tile backsplash that preserves the clean lines of the original space.

Try Earth-Toned Tile

Green and brown tile covering a large portion of the walls complements the furniture, natural wood cabinetry, and sculptural light fixtures in this spacious midcentury modern kitchen.

Celebrate Wood Grain

Shaker handiwork had a major influence on midcentury modern design. Popular woods used to craft furniture during the midcentury modern era included teak and American black walnut with visible woodgrain used as a design element.

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.

Modernize the Layout

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. Today's midcentury modern-inspired kitchens often feature open-plan layouts that correspond to current lifestyles.

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.

Decorate With Classics

You don't have to live in a midcentury modern home to embrace the style. This small Scandinavian eat-in kitchen from Fantastic Frank is decorated with 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.

Use Flat-Front Cabinetry

Sarah Phipps Design gave this midcentury kitchen new life with a 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.

Brighten With Brass

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

Use Original Decor Pieces

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.

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.

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.

Mix Metal Tones

This renovated kitchen from Living With Lolo channels midcentury modern style with built-ins and clean lines. But it feels current thanks to the high contrast palette of black and white and shiny mixed metal finishes.

Keep Beams Exposed

Wood is king in midcentury modern design, and wooden ceiling beams draw your eye upward. 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.

Modernize the Color Palette

The wishbone chairs, matte finishes, and mod lighting fixtures nod to midcentury modern design. Black walls and cupboards as well as the light wooden waterfall countertop lean more modern.

Install Wood Cabinetry

This sleek and chic kitchen has midcentury modern features such as rich stained wood upper and lower cabinets. Simple finishes like white walls, flooring, and backsplash tiles allow the wood to shine.

Choose Terrazzo Flooring

Terrazzo floor tile adds midcentury vibes to this kitchen from Hub of the House Studio. A Danish modern pendant light over the streamlined breakfast nook completes the period feel.

Update the Color Palette

Though this kitchen feels midcentury modern, its palette leans flat out modern. Blending dark gray wood stain on the cabinets and mint paint on the walls with statement wallpaper and stone countertops gives it contemporary flair.

Choose Integrated Appliances

A wall of storage with integrated appliances such as double wall ovens creates a streamlined midcentury modern feel in this open-concept Palm Springs kitchen.

Add Bar Seating

Erin Williamson Design renovated this semi-open midcentury modern kitchen in Austin, TX to celebrate the airy ceilings and original architecture of the home. Bar seating was added to create a more contemporary feel.

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.

Try Avocado Green

Avocado green is one of the signature colors that emerged during the decades of midcentury modern design. 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.

Consider the Light Fixtures

Use lighting to add a midcentury feel to a modern kitchen. Whether that means a Sputnik chandelier or modern, simple pendant lights is up to you.

Try a Colorful Backsplash

Mix matte mint green cabinets with vibrant two-toned pink geometric tile to add midcentury modern flair to a contemporary kitchen. Accent with black cabinet pulls to keep the color from overwhelming.

Try Decorative Glass Panels

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, decorative glass paneled windows reminiscent of the era add a distinctive touch.

Say Yes to Wood Paneling

Mix natural stained wood paneling with blue tiles, white cabinetry, brass fixtures, and light gray marble countertops for a midcentury modern coastal kitchen that feels fresh and timeless.

Incorporate Globe Lighting

Globe lights are midcentury modern classics that continue to be reinvented today. A pair of brass and white globe pendant lights give this modern kitchen some vintage flair.

Choose Colorful Cabinetry

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.

Use Contemporary Colors

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 while creating a more contemporary feel.

Open the Walls

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. The walls were opened up to accommodate a large kitchen island with seating and room for an XXL refrigerator.

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.

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 plumbing fixtures, lighting, and seating give the space a current feel.

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.

Stain Cabinets Dark

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

Do a Full Wall Backsplash

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

Build Custom Cabinetry

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

What is the best wood for midcentury modern kitchens?

The types of wood used in midcentury modern kitchens in the last century varied depending on taste and region. They include darker woods such as teak of American black walnut and lighter woods such as oak and beechwood. Original midcentury modern homes often feature pine wood planks on exposed ceilings and beams that often have a warm slightly orange cast.

What colors are midcentury modern?

Popular midcentury modern color palettes range from soft neutrals to earth tones and vibrant, poppy shades. A midcentury modern space might be dominated by neutrals and wood tones; accented with nature-inspired shades of green, blue, brown, rust, and mustard yellow; or feature bold patterns and bright shades of red, orange, and blue.

Read Next: What Is Midcentury Modern Architecture?

Read the original article on The Spruce.