15 Midcentury Modern Kitchens We Love

Kitchen designs circa 1950s and 1960s were all about light-colored walls, pastel design accents, flat paneled cabinets, and appliances with rounded corners and shiny metal handles. Of course, slipping entirely back into these midcentury designs is not necessarily the way to style your kitchen, but it might be fun to incorporate a few elements from a bygone era into your modern kitchen.

One of the best places to start with a midcentury kitchen design is the wall color. Think pale yellow and green when choosing your color. Pale colors will pair well with white or light wood cabinetry as well as a backsplash made from light-blue or white tiles.

If you decide instead to incorporate color on the cabinets, then you may want to opt for white or cream-colored walls. Popular painted cabinet colors in the midcentury would have been pale blue, green and yellow. These cabinets are best accented by a muted backsplash and wood floors in order to keep the design unique rather than overdone.

Of course, your space might also be better suited for a more understated take on this kitchen design, incorporating sleek white and dark wood surfaces paired with kitchen seating and light fixtures that have a midcentury vibe. Choose retro-inspired lighting to complement a kitchen island or pub-style stools that have the rounded, smooth design common to midcentury-era furniture.

The open, contemporary kitchen is truly the heart of the home with space to gather around the stunning marble kitchen island and an integrated breakfast area. Comfortable chairs and banquette seating surround the soapstone dining table, while sleek wooden cabinets are clad in waterfall marble countertops.

A modern, minimalist and midcentury-style kitchen with natural materials. The homeowner loves white and initially wanted an all-white kitchen. But because she feared that it would be hard to maintain with her two kids, she went with natural walnut cabinets instead, along with a few white cabinets and white countertops. “This way she would not have to feel as though her kitchen had to be in perfect condition,” says designer Kristianne Watts.

A trio of pendants with geometric patterns are the star players in this midcentury modern open plan kitchen.

This California kitchen features an earthy palette made up of natural elements that add texture and interest. A long, paneled wall offers open and closed storage and gives a nod to the home's midcentury modern architecture. A stone fireplace wraps around to service both the kitchen and living area. The design team removed a wall to open up the kitchen, adding this center island with a quartz waterfall-edge countertop.

This attractive midcentury modern kitchen features a stainless steel apron sink as well as a white kitchen island that provides extra dining space. The contractor removed walls and flipped the kitchen layout but maintained existing plumbing lines to reduce costs. The colorful wallpaper between two cabinets in the dining area complements the orange range, and sleek white slab cabinets help modernize the space to prevent it from becoming "kitschy."

An eye-catching light fixture embodies this eat-in kitchen's midcentury-modern style. An oversized island acts as a casual dining spot as well as extra meal-prep space.

This updated kitchen features colorful cabinets and a nod to the midcentury style. The large island provides plenty of prep space and has three stools where guests can engage in conversation with the chef.

The design team removed a wall to open up this California kitchen, revealing a ceiling-height window that ushers in loads of natural light. A modern island was added in the renovation and features a waterfall edge and shiplap detail. Four natural wood barstools allow for ample seating and tie in with the white oak cabinetry. Soaring ceilings support rustic-modern pendant lights that add to the room's organic vibe.

This kitchen, seen on HGTV's Fixer Upper, brings a fresh take on the decades old midcentury modern style. The gorgeous window wall brings in plenty of natural light and the pendant lights over the island make this a standout kitchen.

This kitchen has sleek white cabinets and a midcentury-style dining table. The wood details bring added warmth to the mostly white space and create a visually interesting statement piece.

The large island brings useful countertop space to this open design kitchen. A pair of circular chandeliers bring a cool, industrial influence to the midcentury modern style. Charcoal gray bar chairs pull out the gray coloring in the tile backsplash as well as the exposed beams overhead. Glass doors allow natural light to flood the room and intensify the bright, airy look.

The dining room and kitchen area of the Wrobel home opens to the living room, and has a new, fresh mid-century feel after host Christina Anstead's renovation, as seen on Christina on the Coast.

To give this warm, woodsy kitchen an energetic mid-century modern vibe, designer Magued Barsoum chose custom-colored cast concrete for the swoop of island countertop. Backsplash tiles in a similar turquoise tone create the perfect backdrop for a collection of richly hued ceramics.

Beautiful woodgrain cabinetry brings a warm look to this sharp design. A blood orange accent wall highlights the warmth to create a bold contrast to the white surroundings. A clear seat barstool and flower petal light fixture add fitting final touches for the midcentury modern style.