Open concept Kitchen. Matching wood crown trim to rest of house.
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Textured Curves

Space Craft Joinery

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Adelaide with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Framingham Deck Home Kitchen

The Corner Cabinet

Frank and Carolyn were looking to remodel their deck house kitchen in their little slice of heaven in Framingham. Carolyn wanted to freshen up the area with lighter cabinets, flooring, and paint. She loves nature and their home is situated on a beautifully, private, wooded lot. The kitchen which runs almost the entire back of the home overlooks the treetops. Carolyn envisioned a kitchen that blended with her deck home and looked like it belonged in her natural setting. The cabinets are KraftMaid Vantage Lyndale Evercore in Dove White paint and the counters Caesarstone Coastal Grey. Her view of nature from the kitchen windows is amazing and the kitchen is bright and in harmony with nature. Design Credit: Rosanne LaCava Photo Credit: Nicola Richard

W. Elmhurst Drive Kitchen Renovation

TVL Creative Ltd.

This 1950s home was sporting elements of the original kitchen and the dark space was not meeting our client’s needs. The original kitchen didn’t have much to offer in the way of functionality, so our first order of business was to create a design that would exponentially increase the usability of the kitchen. We brought in functional cabinetry, introduced uninterrupted work surfaces, and added plenty of lighting to brighten up their kitchen. They also wanted to open the new kitchen to the living room and create space for a larger dining table, so we started by removing the existing cabinetry that was visually cut the living space in two and minimized the power of the dramatic vaulted ceiling. We also extended the wood flooring into the kitchen as well to create seamless transitions between spaces. We fell in love with the idea of a two-toned cabinetry design for this kitchen and ultimately went head over heels for clean white painted base cabinets and a textured wood-look melamine on the uppers. This gave us a crisp backdrop that allowed us to bring is fun forms like the black light fixture over the table and the gorgeous silhouettes on the hardware. We played a lot with directionality in this space. The elongated open shelves and rectangular backsplash tiles give us wonderfully clean horizontal lines, but to balance those out we brought in a vertical grain pattern on the wall cabinets and added long black cabinetry pulls that emphasize the verticality of the space. The clients have a green thumb and wanted to make sure we created a home for their growing plant collection. The open shelving gives us plenty of opportunities for foliage and to showcase fun kitchen accessories. This design feels like home and brings together the clean lines and crisp finishes our clients were looking for.

Midcentury Modern Hillside 1.0

Soulful Nest

Designed Midcentury Modern home for a Marin County Real Estate Investor. Opened up the Living Room, Dining Room, and kitchen to create an open floor plan.

Sleek Concrete on the Windward Side

Ko'olau Builders

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Hawaii with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, a peninsula, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Moraga Retro Chefs Dream Kitchen and Home Remodel

Canyon Design Build

Treve Johnson
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, grey benchtop and medium wood cabinets.

Short North Kitchen and Dining Room Remodel - Columbus, OH

Kitchen Kraft

Inspiration for a midcentury single-wall eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Los Altos Homes

Quinn Morgan Design

Photo of a midcentury galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, grey splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Mid-Century Modern Cabin

MYRA Studio

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and wood.

14x26 Summit Series ADU Airbnb

Studio Shed - Live Large. Build Small.

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Raleigh with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, black appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Bell Canyon Residence

Hsu McCullough

On the interior, the Great Room comprised of the Living Room, Kitchen and Dining Room features the space defining massive 18-foot long, triangular-shaped clerestory window pressed to the underside of the ranch’s main gable roofline. This window beautifully lights the Kitchen island below while framing a cluster of diverse mature trees lining a horse riding trail to the North 15 feet off the floor. The cabinetry of the Kitchen and Living Room are custom high-gloss white lacquer finished with Rosewood cabinet accents strategically placed including the 19-foot long island with seating, preparation sink, dishwasher and storage. The Kitchen island and aligned-on-axis Dining Room table are celebrated by unique pendants offering contemporary embellishment to the minimal space.

Close Residence

Margaret Jane Design Group

Spacecrafting Photography, Inc.4
Design ideas for a midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, grey splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Projet Saint-Mandé

Karen Tinka Design Intérieur

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, grey splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Timeless Modern Kitchen

Woodways

The tall cabinetry to the right utilizes sliding doors to reveal corner storage space. This is Woodawys' unique solution to the typical angled cabinet or lazy susan. By using sliding doors, we can maximize visibility into the cabinet as well as keep a sleek contemporary design aesthetic.

Mid Century Modern Townhouse

Alexander Gorlin Architects

This rare 1950’s glass-fronted townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side underwent a modern renovation to create plentiful space for a family. An additional floor was added to the two-story building, extending the façade vertically while respecting the vocabulary of the original structure. A large, open living area on the first floor leads through to a kitchen overlooking the rear garden. Cantilevered stairs lead to the master bedroom and two children’s rooms on the second floor and continue to a media room and offices above. A large skylight floods the atrium with daylight, illuminating the main level through translucent glass-block floors.

Mid-Century Kitchen- Towson

Bearded Builders, Baltimore

Design ideas for a large midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, cement tile splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and recessed.

Los Gatos Treehouse

Cathie Hong Interiors

This 1960s home was in original condition and badly in need of some functional and cosmetic updates. We opened up the great room into an open concept space, converted the half bathroom downstairs into a full bath, and updated finishes all throughout with finishes that felt period-appropriate and reflective of the owner's Asian heritage.

1970's Home Renovation

IO Design Studio Ltd

Gold hardware with terrazzo worktop, sage green cabinets and engineered oak flooring
Inspiration for a large midcentury galley open plan kitchen in West Midlands with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, terrazzo benchtops, grey splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Mid-Century Modern Kitchen With a View

Forward Design Build Remodel

For this mid-century modern kitchen our team came up with a design plan that gave the space a completely new look. We went with grey and white tones to balance with the existing wood flooring and wood vaulted ceiling. Flush panel cabinets with linear hardware provided a clean look, while the handmade yellow subway tile backsplash brought warmth to the space without adding another wood feature. Replacing the swinging exterior door with a sliding door made for better circulation, perfect for when the client entertains. We replaced the skylight and the windows in the eat-in area and also repainted the windows and casing in the kitchen to match the new windows. The final look seamlessly blends with the mid-century modern style in the rest of the home, and and now these homeowners can really enjoy the view!

Midcentury Kitchen with Grey Benchtop 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!