Baby blue and white kitchen with a large island for cooking and storage

How do you improve on midcentury modern? Lincoln Lighthill Architect’s extensive renovation of an early 60's, Eichler-esque home on Twin Peaks answers the question by picking up where the original house left off, with simple but important updates that reimagine this unique home. By replacing punched windows with walls of glass, removing interior walls and opening up a 40’ wide living space with a large steel moment frame, inserting skylights at key locations to bring light deep into the interior, and cantilevering a steel and timber deck off the front to take in the spectacular view, the full potential of the original design is realized. The renovation included an inside and out rethinking of how the home functions, with new kitchen, bathrooms, and finishes throughout. A comprehensive energy upgrade included efficient windows, LED lighting and dimming controls, spray-foam insulation throughout, efficient furnace upgrades, and pre-wiring for a rooftop solar system.

Manheim Township Kitchen Remodel

McLennan Contracting, Inc.

Mid-century modern kitchen remodel with flat panel wood cabinets, floating shevles, green tile backsplash, quartz countertops, and cork floor

Casiano Road Kitchen / Brentwood, CA

Architrave Interiors

Alexandr Kotsoban Photography

Bedford Village

Erika Jayne Design Build

Tired of the original, segmented floor plan of their midcentury home, this young family was ready to make a big change. Inspired by their beloved collection of Heath Ceramics tableware and needing an open space for the family to gather to do homework, make bread, and enjoy Friday Pizza Night…a new kitchen was born. Interior Architecture. Removal of one wall that provided a major obstruction, but no structure, resulted in connection between the family room, dining room, and kitchen. The new open plan allowed for a large island with seating and better flow in and out of the kitchen and garage. Interior Design. Vertically stacked, handmade tiles from Heath Ceramics in Ogawa Green wrap the perimeter backsplash with a nod to midcentury design. A row of white oak slab doors conceal a hidden exhaust hood while offering a sleek modern vibe. Shelves float just below to display beloved tableware, cookbooks, and cherished souvenirs.

Kitchens

Carina Vaz Interiors

Example of a minimalist concrete floor open concept kitchen design in Dallas, TX with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz countertops and white tile backsplash,

Mid Century Modern Kitchen that's Connected to Nature

Normandy Remodeling

No space was left untouched as we maximized the functionality of this kitchen. Even a slim area adjacent to the refrigerator became an attractive way to store canned goods.

SKYCROFT KITCHEN

Kate Roos Design LLC

Transitioning to a range top created an opportunity to store pots and pans directly below.

Airole Way

Hello Kitchen

Retro Modern Kitchen

Quality Cut Design | Remodel

Mid-century modern kitchen with brass accents maket his space retro, yet modern. The custom tile and backsplash over the funky colored cooktop/oven make the smaller space look bright and vibrant. Mixing the wood tones and white on both the cabinets and the countertop keeps your eye guessing. This home-bread baker got the bread oven of his dreams, too.

Post Modern Bungalo

REDinterior

Wayzata Mid-Century Modern Whole Home Restoration

Thompson Construction

Mid-Century Modern Restoration

Midcentury Kitchen

Mid Century Modern Kitchen Renovation

kellydesigns

renovated kitchen , open walls, added penisula, access to DR, beautiful colorful mid century tiles from Sonoma tile

Fenton Midcentury Modern Inspired New Build Home

exactly.

Mid-Century Modern Rehabilitation

Herron Horton Architects, Inc.

Kitchen with walnut cabinets and screen constructed by Woodunique.

Peninsula with Sink in Updated Mid-Century Modern Kitchen

MAK Design + Build Inc.

Bloomington Flansburgh House

Susan Yeley Homes

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

Pemberton

Haynsworth Custom Homes

Stunning midcentury-inspired custom home in Dallas.

Midcentury Kitchen with White 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!