John Shum
Design ideas for a small midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, porcelain floors, white floor, a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Colorful Mid-century Modern

Karen Berkemeyer Home

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Haus of Clay

Fraley and Company

The original floor plan of the kitchen changed very little, with the exception of centering the range to get some landing space on either side. Schweitzer Creative

Lexington Designed by CJ Lowenthal

Gilmans Kitchens and Baths

Photography by Treve Johnson Photography
Mid-sized midcentury galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, no island, an undermount sink, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, grey floor, blue benchtop and glass tile splashback.

Custom Mid-Century Kitchen

Able And Baker

Mid-sized midcentury galley open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, black floor, white benchtop, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, mosaic tile splashback and slate floors.

The Room Illuminated Feature

Larkspur Lane Design

Detail of the built in shelves in the space once occupied by a sliding door into the front parlour (now my studio). We love midcentury teacups, kitchen canisters and paper ephemera. Colour makes me happy :) Photos: khansenphotography.com/

Mid-Century Modern Kitchen and Laundry Addition

IS Architecture

This is an example of a midcentury kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, marble benchtops and marble floors.

Mid-Century Fullerton Kitchen

John Padgett Design & Construction

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped separate kitchen in Orange County with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and no island.

Gallery

Benbow & Associates

Photography: David Dietrich
Inspiration for a midcentury eat-in kitchen in Other with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

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.

Midcentury Modern Remodel. Three spaces into one for this Kitchen

Classic Kitchens, Etc.

Where do we even start. We renovated just about this whole home. So much so that we decided to split the video into two parts so you can see each area in a bit more detail. Starting with the Kitchen and living areas, because let’s face it, that is the heart of the home. Taking three very separated spaces, removing, and opening the existing dividing walls, then adding back in the supports for them, created a unified living space that flows so openly it is hard to imagine it any other way. Walking in the front door there was a small entry from the formal living room to the family room, with a protruding wall, we removed the peninsula wall, and widened he entry so you can see right into the family room as soon as you stem into the home. On the far left of that same wall we opened up a large space so that you can access each room easily without walking around an ominous divider. Both openings lead to what once was a small closed off kitchen. Removing the peninsula wall off the kitchen space, and closing off a doorway in the far end of the kitchen allowed for one expansive, beautiful space. Now entertaining the whole family is a very welcoming time for all. The island is an entirely new design for all of us. We designed an L shaped island that offered seating to place the dining table next to. This is such a creative way to offer an island and a formal dinette space for the family. Stacked with drawers and cabinets for storage abound. Both the cabinets and drawers lining the kitchen walls, and inside the island are all shaker style. A simple design with a lot of impact on the space. Doubling up on the drawer pulls when needed gives the area an old world feel inside a now modern space. White painted cabinets and drawers on the outer walls, and espresso stained ones in the island create a dramatic distinction for the accent island. Topping them all with a honed granite in Fantasy Brown, bringing all of the colors and style together. If you are not familiar with honed granite, it has a softer, more matte finish, rather than the glossy finish of polished granite. Yet another way of creating an old world charm to this space. Inside the cabinets we were able to provide so many wonderful storage options. Lower and upper Super Susan’s in the corner cabinets, slide outs in the pantry, a spice roll out next to the cooktop, and a utensil roll out on the other side of the cook top. Accessibility and functionality all in one kitchen. An added bonus was the area we created for upper and lower roll outs next to the oven. A place to neatly store all of the taller bottles and such for your cooking needs. A wonderful, yet small addition to the kitchen. A double, unequal bowl sink in grey with a finish complimenting the honed granite, and color to match the boisterous backsplash. Using the simple colors in the space allowed for a beautiful backsplash full of pattern and intrigue. A true eye catcher in this beautiful home. Moving from the kitchen to the formal living room, and throughout the home, we used a beautiful waterproof laminate that offers the look and feel of real wood, but the functionality of a newer, more durable material. In the formal living room was a fireplace box in place. It blended into the space, but we wanted to create more of the wow factor you have come to expect from us. Building out the shroud around it so that we could wrap the tile around gave a once flat wall, the three dimensional look of a large slab of marble. Now the fireplace, instead of the small, insignificant accent on a large, room blocking wall, sits high and proud in the center of the whole home.

Pettit & Sevitt Revival

Light House Architecture & Science

Inspiration for a small midcentury galley open plan kitchen in Canberra - Queanbeyan with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and exposed beam.

Mid-Century Modern Panoramas

Jackson Design & Remodeling

Jackson Design and Remodeling
Midcentury kitchen in San Diego with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

PBH Colip House

PBH Design

Large midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and a peninsula.

Kipling Ct Residence

ArcWest Architects

This is an example of a midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and blue benchtop.

Stanford - Complete Renovation

EBCON Corporation

Complete Renovation Build: EBCON Corporation Design: EBCON Corporation + Magdalena Bogart Interiors Photography: Agnieszka Jakubowicz
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped separate kitchen in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Palm Springs - Alexander Butterfly Mid-Century Modern

Robert D. Gentry Photography

Robert D. Gentry
Mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a single-bowl sink, brown cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances and beige floor.

Complete Home - Mid Century

Craft Home Remodeling

Mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

mid century farm house

Tricia Hauser Tidemann

This is an example of a small midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Shoreline Kitchen

Fosmore Construction Inc

This dramatic makeover included a new 10' window replacing a door and smaller windows, all new cabinetry, new appliances and flooring. We removed the load bearing wall separating the kitchen and living room and kept the flow in the house surrounding the new island intact.

Midcentury Kitchen with Multi-Coloured Splashback 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!