Nearly two decades ago now, Susan and her husband put a letter in the mailbox of this eastside home: "If you have any interest in selling, please reach out." But really, who would give up a Flansburgh House? Fast forward to 2020, when the house went on the market! By then it was clear that three children and a busy home design studio couldn't be crammed into this efficient footprint. But what's second best to moving into your dream home? Being asked to redesign the functional core for the family that was. In this classic Flansburgh layout, all the rooms align tidily in a square around a central hall and open air atrium. As such, all the spaces are both connected to one another and also private; and all allow for visual access to the outdoors in two directions—toward the atrium and toward the exterior. All except, in this case, the utilitarian galley kitchen. That space, oft-relegated to second class in midcentury architecture, got the shaft, with narrow doorways on two ends and no good visual access to the atrium or the outside. Who spends time in the kitchen anyway? As is often the case with even the very best midcentury architecture, the kitchen at the Flansburgh House needed to be modernized; appliances and cabinetry have come a long way since 1970, but our culture has evolved too, becoming more casual and open in ways we at SYH believe are here to stay. People (gasp!) do spend time—lots of time!—in their kitchens! Nonetheless, our goal was to make this kitchen look as if it had been designed this way by Earl Flansburgh himself. The house came to us full of bold, bright color. We edited out some of it (along with the walls it was on) but kept and built upon the stunning red, orange and yellow closet doors in the family room adjacent to the kitchen. That pop was balanced by a few colorful midcentury pieces that our clients already owned, and the stunning light and verdant green coming in from both the atrium and the perimeter of the house, not to mention the many skylights. Thus, the rest of the space just needed to quiet down and be a beautiful, if neutral, foil. White terrazzo tile grounds custom plywood and black cabinetry, offset by a half wall that offers both camouflage for the cooking mess and also storage below, hidden behind seamless oak tambour. Contractor: Rusty Peterson Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Sarah Shields

Corian Kitchen Island with mid-century style bar tools

No.54 Interiors

Custom made mid-century style kitchen with Oak Veneer, Birch Ply and Green Formica. Blush Aga and Corian Worksurfaces in Whitecap.
Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in West Midlands with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, glass tile splashback, coloured appliances, vinyl floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Modern Frontier- Texas Ranch House

Mary Anne Smiley Interiors

Danny Piassick
Inspiration for an expansive midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, beige splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and no island.

Rio Del Mar Kitchen With Natural Lighting and Wood Cabinetry

Talmadge Construction, Inc.

Natural lighting plays a major role in the overall ambiance of this midcentry kitchen remodel, and the natural lighting in this space accentuates the wood grain throughout the cabinets and the flooring. The green glass backsplash also lights up with the natural lighting, adding a stylish dash of color to the room.

Hardwood

Barnards Carpet One Floor & Home

Prairie Grove color Portabello
Design ideas for a large midcentury galley open plan kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface benchtops, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and multiple islands.

ENUGU

Wood Works Brighton

We were commissioned to design and build a new kitchen for this terraced side extension. The clients were quite specific about their style and ideas. After a few variations they fell in love with the floating island idea with fluted solid Utile. The Island top is 100% rubber and the main kitchen run work top is recycled resin and plastic. The cut out handles are replicas of an existing midcentury sideboard. MATERIALS – Sapele wood doors and slats / birch ply doors with Forbo / Krion work tops / Flute glass.

Modern Kitchen Remodel

Marcia Moore Design

ASID award for kitchen design. Suzy Gorman Photography
Photo of a small midcentury l-shaped kitchen with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Eichler Renovation

Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

Design ideas for a small midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, solid surface benchtops, metallic splashback, black appliances, stone tile splashback and porcelain floors.

Braeburn Mid Century Modern, Houston, TX

Victoria Sheffield

Midcentury modern kitchen with white kitchen cabinets, solid surface countertops, and tile backsplash. Open shelving is used throughout. The wet bar design includes teal grasscloth. The floors are the original 1950's Saltillo tile. A flush mount vent hood has been used to not obstruct the view.

Mid Century Modern Kitchen Remodel

House of Refined Design

Same exact angle as Before picture but we knocked down a wall between kitchen and dining room to open room up. Glenn Johnson Photography
Small midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and medium hardwood floors.

480 MacDonough St

German Kitchen Center (Queens)

Mid-sized midcentury single-wall eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Mid Century Lodge

Great North Interior Design

Kitchen Detail
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island and white benchtop.

Custom Mid-Century Kitchen

Able And Baker

This is an example of a 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 Potters: Open Plan Oak Veneer & White/Pink Laminate Plywood Kitchen

Wood & Wire

Wood & Wire - Oak veneer and white laminate, handleless plywood kitchen. Aqua and Pink highlights.
Large midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in Manchester with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, blue splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island and white benchtop.

Glencoe Modern Glass House

Mason Miller Architect

Detail shot of refrigerator surround photo by Tyler Mallory
Design ideas for a midcentury kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Moss Hill House

place architecture:design

Clean lines and a refined material palette transformed the Moss Hill House master bath into an open, light-filled space appropriate to its 1960 modern character. Underlying the design is a thoughtful intent to maximize opportunities within the long narrow footprint. Minimizing project cost and disruption, fixture locations were generally maintained. All interior walls and existing soaking tub were removed, making room for a large walk-in shower. Large planes of glass provide definition and maintain desired openness, allowing daylight from clerestory windows to fill the space. Light-toned finishes and large format tiles throughout offer an uncluttered vision. Polished marble “circles” provide textural contrast and small-scale detail, while an oak veneered vanity adds additional warmth. In-floor radiant heat, reclaimed veneer, dimming controls, and ample daylighting are important sustainable features. This renovation converted a well-worn room into one with a modern functionality and a visual timelessness that will take it into the future. Photographed by: place, inc

Fairview Mid-Century Modern Kitchen

Kitchen Inspiration Inc.

This is a Design-Build Project by Kitchen Inspiration Inc. Custom Cabinetry: Sollera Fine Cabinetry Countertop: Porcelain Countertop Hardware: Top Knobs

Textured Curves

Space Craft Joinery

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.

MULLICA HILL KITCHEN

ABBA Systems International LLC

COLONIAL STYLE KITCHEN WITH CERAMIC LARGE FORMAT TILES, AND SOLID STONE COUNTER TOPS.
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, green cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

College West

Borrelli Design+Cabinetry

Our recent job in the College area features a mid-century up-date. The Cabinetry is quarter sawn ebony and gloss white acrylic. A Miele appliance package consisting of a refrigerator, speed-oven, coffeemaker, wine storage, 36″ range and concealed hood was chosen to add sophisticated functionality to this kitchen. The other noticeable finishes are the quartz counter-top and Dawn Kitchen & Bath Products, Inc. 16 gallon stainless steel sink. All products and finishes were chosen from our show room. One stop kitchen remodel source.

Midcentury Kitchen with Solid Surface Benchtops 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!