Quick tips for a mid-century modern kitchen makeover
Mid-century modern style features bold patterns and beautiful hues - a wonderful way to bring the vibrancy of spring into your home this year.
We asked blogger, Cassie, from Cassiefairy to share her top tips for a quick and easy mid-century modern kitchen makeover. Read on, and find out how to bring spring indoors this season with dotcomgiftshop.
Mid-century modern describes architectural, interior, product and graphic design
Mid-century modern is a key trend for interiors right now. Even better - the era spans the 50s, 60s and 70s so there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re drawn to the milkshake pastels of the 50s, or the muted olives and oranges of the 70s geometric designs, it’s easy to make it work with your existing kitchen.
If you want to give your kitchen a mini-makeover, here are some quick tips on how to create a mid-century modern vibe.
Mix ‘n’ match
Dark green and grey give this mismatched tableware a cohesive feel
Image: MyBlueRinse.com
It’s perfectly acceptable (and much more authentic) to have mismatched designs in your modern home. In fact, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a full matching set of genuine mid-century crockery more than half a century on.
To pull off the mix-and-match style, choose items of a similar size and shape but in different colours and patterns. Lifestyle blogger Laurie, from My Blue Rinse, has used colour to curate a vintage look for her table with a collection of mismatched china patterns and retro fabrics.
Pictured above: Mid Century Poppy, Blue Tit, and Vintage Apple Glass Storage Jars - now £1.95 each, save £5.00.
Mix-and-match tableware is a great, low-cost way of getting a mid-century feeling in your home. You can have fun trawling car boot sales, online gift stores, supermarkets, charity shops and so on. And adding to your collection over time means you don’t need to splash out all in one go.
A quicker way to get the look is to mix old originals with brand new items. If you’re buying new, look for sale items like these storage jars from dotcomgiftshop in apple, bird and floral designs. They look great individually and, when grouped together on an open shelf or worktop, have real impact.
Clashing patterns
Clever clashing is key to the mid-century modern look
Don’t be afraid to clash patterns. In fact, the more colourful and extreme, the better! Interiors blogger Victoria from Apartment Number 4 says, ‘one way to add a hint of retro is to paper one wall in a statement wallpaper, tying the room together with a graphic addition.’
If that’s a step too far, why not paint a single feature wall in a bright colour and hang some framed retro tea towels? If you live in a rental property you don’t need to miss out. Revealing a burst of patterned lining paper whenever you open a cupboard will bring a smile to your face and surprise your guests. Use mid-century inspired wrapping paper for an instant lift.
dotcomgiftshop’s bag and flask are ideal for mid-century modern picnics
Repetitive prints in bold colours look great alongside geometric kitchenware designs. The key to pulling off a pattern clash is to make sure that at least one colour runs throughout everything to tie it all together. I’ve matched the 70s-style olive green hue in dotcomgiftshop’s floral shopper bag with the triangle pattern flask for my mid-century modern picnics!
Choosing colours
Pictured above: Classic Espresso Coffee Pot Pink - £4.95, was £16.95. Flamingo Bay Tea Towel - £4.95, Vintage Apple Oven Glove - £4.95
The wide range of hues in the mid-century colour palette will make it easy to work with whatever style of kitchen you currently have. And if you’ve inherited an old kitchen, it’s a great way to turn it into a feature.
If, like me, you’ve got coloured cabinets, choose patterns to celebrate them. I’ve channelled a 50s Palm Springs vibe by coordinating a fun flamingo print tea-towel and pink coffee pot with my turquoise kitchen units.
Pictured above: Vintage Ivy Cushion - £14.95
If you have classic white units in your kitchen you’ll need to inject some vibrancy to create the mid-century modern look. Pick out a colour from a set of retro patterned placemats or apple-print oven gloves to inspire you. Apply this colour to a painted feature wall, a blind for the window, some chair cushions or a tablecloth to brighten up the room and give it a sense of cohesion.
And if, like me, you find that you’ve fallen in love with this uplifting style, it’s easy to apply the same tips to the rest of your house. For a bright injection of 70s mid-century modern style I chose orange, olive and blue colours from old record boxes to inspire the decorating in my own home.