This Denver ranch house was a traditional, 8’ ceiling ranch home when I first met my clients. With the help of an architect and a builder with an eye for detail, we completely transformed it into a Mid-Century Modern fantasy. Photos by sara yoder

Oregon City Living Space Remodel

User

Custom Walnut Cabinets with a tapered Island and custom Cocktail Bar
Photo of a large midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island and brown floor.

Lake Paupac Cabin Remodel 2

J.B. Nicholson Architecture

Ben Nicholson
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, cork floors and a peninsula.

Plumeria Sands

Moderne Builders

Kelly Peak
Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors and with island.

River House

WEST STUDIO Architects & Construction Services

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury galley kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Modern Cabin Retreat in Walnut

Allen's Fine Woodworking, Inc.

Inspiration for a small midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback and white benchtop.

SW Hills Residence

Don Tankersley & Co.

Photo of a midcentury kitchen in Portland.

Red Bud

Soledad Builders, LLC

Sleek MCM kitchen with walnut cabinets and gorgeous white Quartzite countertops.
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

Moving Up on High Street

Doyle Residential Design & Services

Midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Serge Castella

Jordi Folch

Jordi Folch © 2016 - Houzz
Inspiration for a midcentury kitchen in Barcelona.

Silverlake Kitchen

FK Interior Design

What began as a simple kitchen ‘face-lift’ turned into a more complex kitchen remodel when it was determined that what the client was really seeking was to create a space which evoked the warmth of wood. The challenge was to take a dated (c. 1980’s) white plastic laminate kitchen with a white Formica counter top and transform it into a warmly, wood-clad kitchen without having to demolish the entire kitchen cabinetry. With new door and drawer faces and the careful ‘skinning’ of the existing laminate cabinets with a stained maple veneer; the space became more luxurious and updated. The counter top was replaced with a new quartz slab from Eurostone. The peninsula now accommodates counter-height seating. The Haiku bamboo ceiling fan from Big Ass Fans graces the family room. Photography: Manolo Langis

Pinewood

Lisa Lev Design

This is an example of a midcentury single-wall eat-in kitchen in Toronto with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Gentleman's Quarters - Oakland Hills Modern

LMB Interiors

Kitchen/dining room: Colorful statement rug by STARK Photo credit: Eric Rorer While we adore all of our clients and the beautiful structures which we help fill and adorn, like a parent adores all of their children, this recent mid-century modern interior design project was a particular delight. This client, a smart, energetic, creative, happy person, a man who, in-person, presents as refined and understated — he wanted color. Lots of color. When we introduced some color, he wanted even more color: Bright pops; lively art. In fact, it started with the art. This new homeowner was shopping at SLATE ( https://slateart.net) for art one day… many people choose art as the finishing touches to an interior design project, however this man had not yet hired a designer. He mentioned his predicament to SLATE principal partner (and our dear partner in art sourcing) Danielle Fox, and she promptly referred him to us. At the time that we began our work, the client and his architect, Jack Backus, had finished up a massive remodel, a thoughtful and thorough update of the elegant, iconic mid-century structure (originally designed by Ratcliff & Ratcliff) for modern 21st-century living. And when we say, “the client and his architect” — we mean it. In his professional life, our client owns a metal fabrication company; given his skills and knowledge of engineering, build, and production, he elected to act as contractor on the project. His eye for metal and form made its way into some of our furniture selections, in particular the coffee table in the living room, fabricated and sold locally by Turtle and Hare. Color for miles: One of our favorite aspects of the project was the long hallway. By choosing to put nothing on the walls, and adorning the length of floor with an amazing, vibrant, patterned rug, we created a perfect venue. The rug stands out, drawing attention to the art on the floor. In fact, the rugs in each room were as thoughtfully selected for color and design as the art on the walls. In total, on this project, we designed and decorated the living room, family room, master bedroom, and back patio. (Visit www.lmbinteriors.com to view the complete portfolio of images.) While my design firm is known for our work with traditional and transitional architecture, and we love those projects, I think it is clear from this project that Modern is also our cup of tea. If you have a Modern house and are thinking about how to make it more vibrantly YOU, contact us for a consultation.

Berkeley Hills Midcentury Rancher

Regan Baker Design Inc.

Hired by the owners to provide interior design services for a complete remodel of a mid-century home in Berkeley Hills, California this family of four’s wishes were to create a home that was inviting, playful, comfortable and modern. Slated with a quirky floor plan that needed a rational design solution we worked extensively with the homeowners to provide interior selections for all finishes, cabinet designs, redesign of the fireplace and custom media cabinet, headboard and platform bed. Hues of walnut, white, gray, blues and citrine yellow were selected to bring an overall inviting and playful modern palette. Regan Baker Design was responsible for construction documents and assited with construction administration to help ensure the designs were well executed. Styling and new furniture was paired to compliment a few existing key pieces, including a commissioned piece of art, side board, dining table, console desk, and of course the breathtaking view of San Francisco's Bay. Photography by Odessa

MCM Remodel

Brooke Probst Interiors

Photo Credit : Luke and Mallory Home Photography
Inspiration for a midcentury kitchen in Portland.

Hancock Park, CA / Second Floor Addition to an Existing Home

ING Construction

Kitchen Remodel; With this beautiful exposed brick interior wall in the Kitchen area, we also completed the installation of the wood paneling on the right hand side wall, installation of the engineered quartz countertop, flat dark wood cabinets with brushed nickel drawer pulls, a wine refrigerator, suspended circular lighting and all the required plumbing, electrical and carpentry needs per the project. All in all, a beautiful Kitchen with plenty of character and personality.

Stratford Kitchen Renovation in Baltimore

Charleene's Houses, LLC

Beautiful Mid-century/modern kitchen in Baltimore MD.
Midcentury kitchen in Baltimore.

Delaware

RemodelUp, Inc.

Custom cabinets with v-groove to match the bead-board concept of this original mid-century home. Modernized to stay in-tune with the demands of frequent entertaining and everyday gourmet cooking.

Mid-Century Modern Remodel

Sardone | McLain Construction

Sardone Construction
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Dallas with soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, mosaic tile splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Barnett Mid-Century

Blue Hot Design, LLC

Ken Dahlin / Genesis Architecture
Mid-sized midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, with island and grey splashback.

Midcentury Kitchen Design Ideas

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to planning your kitchen design. Where do you even start? Gathering some inspiration in a photo gallery is always a good starting point, as looking at different kitchen designs often brings up ideas you haven’t even thought of yet.

Browse Photos of Kitchen Designs for Inspiration and Collect Your Ideas

You can browse through photos of all kinds of kitchen styles, layouts and sizes on Houzz to get started before jumping into any design software or contacting a local professional for help. Here’s a few considerations to keep in mind when planning your kitchen.

1. What Makes a Good Midcentury Kitchen Design, and Why is it Important?

For starters, you want to find a balance between aesthetics and function. You may have heard of the ‘kitchen work triangle’, which refers to the space between your fridge, sink and stove. You want everything within easy reach when you’re working in the kitchen and look beautiful at the same time. It’s a good idea to take note of both when browsing our photo gallery.

2. Consider Your Space to Determine Your Kitchen Layout

Firstly, consider the space you have, and the limitations that come with it. Do you have a small kitchen and need to maximise your workspace and storage? Can you allow yourself some more space and a big island with seating? Are you designing your kitchen from scratch or renovating an existing design? Which appliances do you already own and what are their measurements? Are there windows you need to take into consideration when planning cabinets? How do kitchen, living and dining areas connect? Depending on your space and needs, you want to use a shape that suits you. U, G, or L-shaped kitchen, with or without island or peninsula? Know your dimensions, plan cabinetry carefully and consider the placement of your appliances. You don’t want to end up with a finished design, only for your significant other to question where the fridge is supposed to go. Consider from the start where your fridge, oven, microwave and sink goes to save yourself from starting again from scratch - remember the kitchen work triangle! You also want to plan the layout of your cabinets. Maybe you’re planning for a pantry and can do with less storage space in your kitchen, so that your design can be one without upper or lower cabinets for a different look. A corner cabinet can be a smart storage solution if you want to keep the look clean and simple.

3. Decide on a Kitchen Style, But Don’t Forget Practicality

You want the style of your kitchen to reflect your personality and taste. We have curated a large array of kitchen styles here at Houzz, from traditional to contemporary to transitional and everything in between. Consider what your cooking style is for a start - Italy is known for its cuisine, so italian kitchen designs are generally popular. Also consider ergonomics - depending on how much time you spend in your kitchen, the height of your counters can make a big difference to your overall health. You also want to consider colour and finishes of cabinets, countertops and splashbacks. Which colour do you want your cupboards to be? Simple, timeless white or rather making a statement in black? Maybe rather a rustic wood? Also consider the colour of your floor - if you have dark floors, you may want to keep cabinets lighter. You could also go for an all-white look and choose black appliances for contrast. Once you know which style you fancy, don’t forget how you will be using the space. You want to keep cooking in mind, as well as how easy to clean and maintain the space will be. How many cooks do you need to accommodate? Do you have kids around? How much storage do you need? Maybe you want to go for open shelves rather than cabinets and allow for easy reach of key items you use when cooking. Again - remember the triangle! Lastly, choose lighting that both enhances the look of your kitchen as well as your cooking performance, providing light in all the right places.

4. Be Conscious of Your Budget

No matter what you plan for your kitchen design, cost is always a big factor. Be sure to plan with your budget in mind. It may make more sense to go for a modular kitchen design rather than custom build. You can save a lot of money if you get at least 3 estimates from professionals before locking in the job. And don’t forget to allow a 20% buffer for emergencies. Once you are ready to hire a pro, our directory will help you find one, no matter where you are. So whether you're looking for an Interior Designer in Melbourne or an Architect in Sydney, you can be sure to find a qualified expert for the job!