Inspiration for a large midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Raleigh with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Mid Century Modern in Point Loma

Inplace Studio

Custom Walnut Kitchen by Inplace Studio
Large midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors and with island.

Cooperstown Cottage Style Kitchen Remodel

Bruce Hall Home Center

Design ideas for a small midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors 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.

Sunset Aveune

RS | MANNINO Architecture + Construction

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, coloured appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Beacon Hill Mid-Century

Ore Studios

Lauren Colton
Small midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Verdi Place - ADU

Blue Horse Building & Design

Photo of a small midcentury single-wall open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, multi-coloured floor and grey benchtop.

Reforma en un vergel

Cáliz Vázquez Arquitectura interiorismo

Inspiration for a midcentury l-shaped kitchen in Alicante-Costa Blanca with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Bingham Farms Midcentury

Maison Birmingham

The main goal of this renovation was to update an authentic mid-century home to suit a modern lifestyle, while still maintaining the original character and aesthetic of the home. To create a more open, family friendly space also suitable for entertaining, walls between the kitchen, dining room and living room were removed to create an open area to house the 360-sq.-ft. kitchen. Upon demolition, it was noted that some areas of the original tongue and groove ceiling had aged much differently than the rest of the ceiling. Rather than stain the areas and cause them to age differently, we opted to apply oil to darken the wood so that it will all continue to age at the same pace. Balancing new materials and tones with the existing abundance of wood was challenging, but in the end the balance was achieved with custom cabinetry in both white and anthracite matte lacquer, which is complemented by a custom floating walnut buffet in the dining area. Keeping the island and perimeter base cabinet finishes the same made the space feel more open, and presented the opportunity to create a dark focal wall for the refrigerator and pantry. These custom anthracite matte lacquer cabinets provide a striking yet subtle contrast with the white and wood, while incorporating well concealed pantry storage with microwave, as well as a Sub-Zero refrigerator. In lieu of a typical exhaust hood, downdraft ventilation was installed in the island, and pendants were omitted to keep the space open, but also more consistent with the original design of the home. Brass globe sconces were installed on either side of the sink to bring in warmth, and frame the view of the gorgeous greenery outside. This Project was a fantastic collaboration with Lauren Combs of The Neat Method Michigan Proudly Featured in Detroit Home October 2017 Photography by Boswell Hardwick

Walnut, Spray Painted and Liquid Metal Kitchen, Chiselhurst, Kent

Chamber Furniture

An amazing social space incorporating the kitchen, an island to seat 6, a liquid metal bar, wine storage and a 10 person dining table. All the furniture was over-sized to suit the scale of the room and the 3 metre high ceilings.

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.

Arden Park Mid-Century Streng

Nar Design Group

This mid-century modern kitchen was developed with the original architectural elements of its mid-century shell at the heart of its design. Throughout the space, the kitchen’s repetition of alternating dark walnut and light wood uses in the cabinetry and framework reflect the contrast of the dark wooden beams running along the white ceiling. The playful use of two tones intentionally develops unified work zones using all modern day elements and conveniences. For instance, the 5’ galley workstation stands apart with grain-matched walnut cabinetry and stone wrap detail for a furniture-like feeling. The mid-century architecture continued to be an emphasis through design details such as a flush venting system within a drywall structure that conscientiously disappears into the ceiling affording the existing post-and-beams structures and clerestory windows to stand in the forefront. Along with celebrating the characteristic of the mid-century home the clients wanted to bring the outdoors in. We chose to emphasis the view even more by incorporating a large window centered over the galley kitchen sink. The final result produced a translucent wall that provokes a dialog between the outdoor elements and the natural color tones and materials used throughout the kitchen. While the natural light and views are visible because of the spacious windows, the contemporary kitchens clean geometric lines emphasize the newly introduced natural materials and further integrate the outdoors within the space. The clients desired to have a designated area for hot drinks such as coffee and tea. To create a station that could house all the small appliances & accessories and was easily accessible we incorporated two aluminum tambours together with integrated power lift doors. One tambour acting as the hot drink station and the other acting as an appliance garage. Overall, this minimalistic kitchen is nothing short of functionality and mid-century character. Photo Credit: Fred Donham of PhotographerLink

Esherick Kitchen Remodel

EHDD

photo by: Bruce Damonte
Inspiration for a midcentury kitchen in San Francisco with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Mid-Century Modern Pied-A-Terre

Julie Schuster Design Studio

With our changes, now the cabinetry and granite backsplash balance with the scheme and show to advantage.
Design ideas for a small midcentury single-wall open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, brown splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances and medium hardwood floors.

South Yarra

Siobhan Donoghue Design

The kitchen redesign with a new eat-in kitchen nook with built-in banquettes upholstered in leather. To add an element of fun we played with the tufted button colours. Subtle details are something we love to add to projects to create layers of interest in each space. Its important to keep spaces fun. The natural light in this space is spectacular.

Locke Residence

Dillon Kyle Architects (DKA)

Casey Dunn Photography
Design ideas for a large midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Houston with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Midcentury Kitchen

Design ideas for a midcentury galley kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Mid-Modern kitchen remodel

John Webb Construction and Design

Re-purposed cabinetry, this Mid-Modern kitchen remodel features new cabinet walnut flat panel fronts, panels, and trim, quartz countertop, built in appliances, under mount sink, and custom built open shelving.

Woodland Ridge

FrankFranco Architects Inc.

Photo of a midcentury kitchen in Toronto with a double-bowl sink, dark wood cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Coquitlam Townhouse - Kitchen

PlaidFox Studio

Photo Credits: Tracey Ayton
Photo of a small midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Vancouver with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, solid surface benchtops, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Midcentury Kitchen with Stone Slab 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!