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Mid-Century Modern kitchen ideas

Walnut or teak-veneer slab doors with long horizontal grain are the starting point, often paired with a white worktop and a splashback in a colour straight from the 1950s and 60s: teal, mustard or burnt orange. Lines stay low and horizontal, handles are slim brass bars or integrated wooden pulls, and a globe pendant hangs over a round table on tapered legs. It suits people who want warmth and some colour in the kitchen without going rustic, and it sits naturally in post-war houses and flats.

Try Mid-Century Modern on a photo of your kitchen

Palette

• Walnut brown (#8a5a38)
• Deep teal (#2e6a6d)
• Mustard (#c8982e)
• Warm white (#f0ebe0)

Key pieces

• Walnut or teak-veneer flat slab doors
• Long horizontal brass or timber pulls
• Vertical-stack tiles in teal or mustard
• Globe or dome pendants in opal glass or brass
• Tapered-leg stools or moulded shell chairs
• Round pedestal or tapered-leg breakfast table

Materials and finishes

• Walnut and teak veneer
• White solid-surface or terrazzo worktops
• Glossy rectangular wall tiles
• Brushed brass
• Cork or warm terrazzo flooring

Tips

• Put the colour in one place, either the splashback, a single run of base units or the stools, and let the wood do the rest. Three bright colours on cabinetry tips the room into a theme.
• Real walnut veneer changes tone in sunlight, so order every front from the same batch and expect the doors near a window to mellow faster than the rest.
• Run wall cabinets and a slim open shelf at the same height along the wall to stress the horizontal lines. In a short kitchen this makes the room read wider.

What to avoid

• Plastic or chrome bistro furniture
• Ornate mouldings and cup handles
• Cold blue-grey paint

Questions

Which worktop suits walnut mid-century cabinets?

A light worktop balances dark veneer. White solid surface, pale terrazzo or a white quartz with a slim edge all work and stand up to daily use. Laminate in white or a warm speckle is a period-correct budget option. Heavily veined marble competes with the wood grain, so it is best left out.

Can I mix brass and stainless steel in a mid-century kitchen?

Yes, as long as one leads. Make brass the visible accent on handles, pendants and the tap, and keep stainless steel for the sink, oven and extractor, where it reads as appliance rather than finish. Two metals is the limit; adding black or copper as well starts to look accidental.

More kitchen styles

• Scandinavian kitchen ideas
• Japandi kitchen ideas
• Minimalist kitchen ideas
• Industrial kitchen ideas
• Boho kitchen ideas
• Modern Farmhouse kitchen ideas
• Coastal kitchen ideas

Mid-Century Modern in other rooms

• Mid-Century Modern living room ideas
• Mid-Century Modern bedroom ideas
• Mid-Century Modern bathroom ideas

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