Design Advice
May 11, 2022

6 Ways to a Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Transformation

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, especially when it comes to designing and renovating your kitchen. We are talking about the revival of Mid-Century modern kitchen decor in those beautiful ranch style Calgary houses built during the ‘50s.

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Kitchen design is a part of finding your own personal style, and the Mid-Century modern kitchen provides so many flexible design choices that work with a variety of preferences. Whether you are thinking of classic or innovative design, this style will work for you!  

Here are 6 ways to update your Kitchen to add as much or as little Mid-Century Modern as you like!

 

1. Mid-Century kitchen cabinets

Mid-century modern design is all about efficiency, maximizing space, and the strategic use of colour. Consider making clever use of the open shelving to store your belongings in a cool way that looks chic among other things like white or wood tones. Mid-Century Modern kitchen cabinets with Acrylic White, an easygoing white cabinet lacquered look finish, is the top choice of designers and architects. Try bold colour combinations, for example, make your whites pop by mixing them with funky Shangri-La orange or red leather cabinets, which give off an elegant yet casual tone perfect when you want something clean but still edgy!

Mid-Century kitchen cabinet
Acrylic White mixed with wood makes a perfect Mid-Century Modern kitchen cabinet

2. Add Natural Element

Mid-Century Modern kitchen is all about using natural materials. Natural Stain is an easy and cost-effective way to give your space that 1950s vibe without using hardwood or engineered veneer elements. Choose natural stains in maple, oak, walnut, alder, and cherry for the rich elegant look you want. You can also create a Mid-Century Modern kitchen island with natural stone countertops having outstanding textures.

Add Natural Element for Mid-Century kitchen
Mid-Century Modern design is all about using natural materials
“Eventually everything connects — people, ideas, objects…the quality of the connections is the key to quality per se…I do not believe in this ‘gifted few’ concept, just in people doing things they are really interested in doing. They have a way of getting good at whatever it is.”Charles Eames

3. Hardware

Put the finishing touches on your cabinets by adding retro-look handles. Sleekly profiled knobs and pulls that get 50s-inspired style will have you longing for a time when life was a little simpler and more practical.

Hardware for Mid-Century kitchen
Put the finishing touches on cabinets by adding retro-look hardware
Hardware for Mid-Century kitchen
Our Mid Century Modern handles are supplied by Marathon Hardware

4. Furnishing

With the machine aesthetic, modern furniture easily came to promote factory modules, which emphasized the time-managing, efficient ideals of the period. Modernist design was able to strip down decorative elements and focus on the design of the object to save time, money, material, and labour. The focus of modern design lay heavily upon simplicity, visually pleasing aesthetics alongside function with the goal of capturing timeless beauty in spare precision.

Furnishing for Mid-Century kitchen
Modern furniture design focuses on aesthetic and function

5. Tile

Adding a Mid-Century inspired tile backsplash to your design is a wonderful way to incorporate this style. Bright colours, geodesic shapes, and interesting patterns were all the rage in the ’50s. Use bright colors or take a minimalist approach using geodesic shapes and patterns.

Tile for Mid-Century kitchen
Choose backsplash in bright colours or minimalist geodesic shapes and patterns as shown here

6. Lighting

Lighting is an inexpensive and effortless way to dramatically change your space. Windows are a great way to bring in natural sunlight and make your house feel more open. For the most amount of light possible, consider sheer drapes or blinds that can be retracted when needed!

Lighting for Mid-Century kitchen
A natural sunlight space or add the lighting fixtures with geometric forms, sleek lines

The mid-century modern lighting fixtures are inspired by European and Scandinavian designs. Designers play with geometric forms, sleek lines from new materials like plastics as well as traditional ones like wood, brass, and steel.

RESOURCES

Articles

Avenue Magazine – Inside Laura Atkins' Mid-Century Modern Home In Wildwood
Atomic Ranch – We "Lovett": A Look Into A Wendell Lovett Original
Curbed – 20 charming midcentury kitchens, ranked from virtually untouched to full renovated

Mid Century Documentaries

EAMES: The Architect and The Painter – Trailer
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman (2008)

Kitchen design is a part of finding your own personal style, and the Mid-Century modern kitchen provides so many flexible design choices that work with a variety of preferences. Whether you are thinking of classic or innovative design, this style will work for you!  

Here are 6 ways to update your Kitchen to add as much or as little Mid-Century Modern as you like!

 

1. Mid-Century kitchen cabinets

Mid-century modern design is all about efficiency, maximizing space, and the strategic use of colour. Consider making clever use of the open shelving to store your belongings in a cool way that looks chic among other things like white or wood tones. Mid-Century Modern kitchen cabinets with Acrylic White, an easygoing white cabinet lacquered look finish, is the top choice of designers and architects. Try bold colour combinations, for example, make your whites pop by mixing them with funky Shangri-La orange or red leather cabinets, which give off an elegant yet casual tone perfect when you want something clean but still edgy!

Mid-Century kitchen cabinet
Acrylic White mixed with wood makes a perfect Mid-Century Modern kitchen cabinet

2. Add Natural Element

Mid-Century Modern kitchen is all about using natural materials. Natural Stain is an easy and cost-effective way to give your space that 1950s vibe without using hardwood or engineered veneer elements. Choose natural stains in maple, oak, walnut, alder, and cherry for the rich elegant look you want. You can also create a Mid-Century Modern kitchen island with natural stone countertops having outstanding textures.

Add Natural Element for Mid-Century kitchen
Mid-Century Modern design is all about using natural materials
“Eventually everything connects — people, ideas, objects…the quality of the connections is the key to quality per se…I do not believe in this ‘gifted few’ concept, just in people doing things they are really interested in doing. They have a way of getting good at whatever it is.”Charles Eames

3. Hardware

Put the finishing touches on your cabinets by adding retro-look handles. Sleekly profiled knobs and pulls that get 50s-inspired style will have you longing for a time when life was a little simpler and more practical.

Hardware for Mid-Century kitchen
Put the finishing touches on cabinets by adding retro-look hardware
Hardware for Mid-Century kitchen
Our Mid Century Modern handles are supplied by Marathon Hardware

4. Furnishing

With the machine aesthetic, modern furniture easily came to promote factory modules, which emphasized the time-managing, efficient ideals of the period. Modernist design was able to strip down decorative elements and focus on the design of the object to save time, money, material, and labour. The focus of modern design lay heavily upon simplicity, visually pleasing aesthetics alongside function with the goal of capturing timeless beauty in spare precision.

Furnishing for Mid-Century kitchen
Modern furniture design focuses on aesthetic and function

5. Tile

Adding a Mid-Century inspired tile backsplash to your design is a wonderful way to incorporate this style. Bright colours, geodesic shapes, and interesting patterns were all the rage in the ’50s. Use bright colors or take a minimalist approach using geodesic shapes and patterns.

Tile for Mid-Century kitchen
Choose backsplash in bright colours or minimalist geodesic shapes and patterns as shown here

6. Lighting

Lighting is an inexpensive and effortless way to dramatically change your space. Windows are a great way to bring in natural sunlight and make your house feel more open. For the most amount of light possible, consider sheer drapes or blinds that can be retracted when needed!

Lighting for Mid-Century kitchen
A natural sunlight space or add the lighting fixtures with geometric forms, sleek lines

The mid-century modern lighting fixtures are inspired by European and Scandinavian designs. Designers play with geometric forms, sleek lines from new materials like plastics as well as traditional ones like wood, brass, and steel.

RESOURCES

Articles

Avenue Magazine – Inside Laura Atkins' Mid-Century Modern Home In Wildwood
Atomic Ranch – We "Lovett": A Look Into A Wendell Lovett Original
Curbed – 20 charming midcentury kitchens, ranked from virtually untouched to full renovated

Mid Century Documentaries

EAMES: The Architect and The Painter – Trailer
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman (2008)

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