This 1956 John Calder Mackay home had been poorly renovated in years past. We kept the 1400 sqft footprint of the home, but re-oriented and re-imagined the bland white kitchen to a midcentury olive green kitchen that opened up the sight lines to the wall of glass facing the rear yard. We chose materials that felt authentic and appropriate for the house: handmade glazed ceramics, bricks inspired by the California coast, natural white oaks heavy in grain, and honed marbles in complementary hues to the earth tones we peppered throughout the hard and soft finishes. This project was featured in the Wall Street Journal in April 2022.

house-25

dwarf

Modern Dark Grey Kitchen with Adriatic in Lead Walnut

UltraCraft Cabinetry

Door Style: Adriatic in Lead Walnut Vertical - Designer: PS Modern - Photographer: Ketchum Photography

Groove Pad Studio Apartment

Sustainable Home

The live edge countertop, reclaimed wood from an urban street tree, creates space for dining. The compact kitchen includes two burners, a small sink, and a hotel room sized refrigerator. photos by Michele Lee Willson

Mid Century Modern Kitchen

HOMEpossible

The 1960's atomic ranch-style home's new kitchen features and large kitchen island, dual pull-out pantries on either side of a 48" built-in refrigerator, separate wine refrigerator, built-in coffee maker and no wall cabinets.

Upper East Side

Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

This project was a full-gut renovation on a Upper East Side Apartment combination.

Short North Kitchen and Dining Room Remodel - Columbus, OH

Kitchen Kraft

Lake Sawyer Remodel

Malone's Landscape Design | Build

Open architecture with exposed beams and wood ceiling create a natural indoor/outdoor ambiance in this midcentury remodel. The kitchen has a bold hexagon tile backsplash and floating shelves with a vintage feel.

Studio - Paris 5

Cécile Humbert - Design d'intérieur

Cuisine noire avec plan de travail en bois massif et étagères. Ouverte sur le salon avec délimitation au sol par du carrelage imitation carreaux de ciment.

Newport Beach MidCentury Modern Home

Anthology Interiors

Beautiful, expansive Midcentury Modern family home located in Dover Shores, Newport Beach, California. This home was gutted to the studs, opened up to take advantage of its gorgeous views and designed for a family with young children. Every effort was taken to preserve the home's integral Midcentury Modern bones while adding the most functional and elegant modern amenities. Photos: David Cairns, The OC Image

Olathe MCM

Stumpff HomeWorks, LLC

Los Gatos Treehouse

Cathie Hong Interiors

This 1960s home was in original condition and badly in need of some functional and cosmetic updates. We opened up the great room into an open concept space, converted the half bathroom downstairs into a full bath, and updated finishes all throughout with finishes that felt period-appropriate and reflective of the owner's Asian heritage.

Kitchen in Brooklyn Townhouse, New York NY

Arsight

Welcome to a world of refined taste in this Brooklyn Brownstone Townhouse residence in New York, where Arsight has constructed a kitchen that exemplifies luxury. The splendid brownstone floor anchors a bespoke kitchen adorned with luscious wood accents, embodying ageless sophistication. Crown molding and meticulous millwork heighten the ambiance, while tastefully arranged shelves display your gourmet essentials. The marble backsplash imparts a hint of grandeur, blending harmoniously with the extensive use of natural elements. Stainless steel and wood features complete this kitchen's style and utility narrative.

CHAMBLEE Clean and modern kitchen

Rosa Moreno Kitchens

480 MacDonough St

German Kitchen Center (Queens)

WOODLAND KITCHEN

Kate Roos Design LLC

The available space for the kitchen was long and narrow. An efficient galley layout with a large island provided improved function and flow in this two-cook kitchen.

1 Bay Ceiling + Wall Mounted Collector's Shelving Unit

Amuneal Manufacturing Corp.

Amuneal made the Rolling Kitchen Ladder and matching Collector’s bar shelving unit for the Great Room style kitchen in this Aspen, Colorado home. The wall + ceiling mounted bar shelving unit creates tall vertical space for bottle and stemware storage. Each glass shelf includes a brass bottle rail stop. The Ladder features quiet glide rolling hardware with rails in patinated aluminum for light weight and ease of use, and curved handle grips wrapped in black hand stitched leather as well as peened textured treads with warm brass tread noses.

Cocina

Eleuve Interiorismo

Bold Colors

R Jones Designs, Inc.

Midcentury Single-wall Kitchen 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!