Kitchen

Original serving hatch opening into the dining room. Mugs & salt/pepper shakers by Orla Kiely add character and colour along with a 70s vibe.

My modern kitchen is yet to materialize, but no matter: it is still a vastly improved space from the seemingly unredeemable one we found when viewing the property : 1980s cabinets and garish wall-tiles, underscored by lino in questionable taste. Its saving grace was an original serving hatch to the dining room and a double sink. However, we had other projects which needed to take precedence, so a full kitchen refit was not the first item on our agenda and there was nothing for it but to 'make do and mend'. Not to mention scrub, bleach, clean, and scrub again. We then positioned all our nice pieces - some old, some new - a retro table and 1950s curtains and hoped for the best.
The result was surprisingly pleasing: the white backdrop of the kitchen came to life when we added colourful accessories, making a jolly space in which to cook and have breakfast, and the cheerfulness of the room made waiting on a new kitchen quite bearable. Posh fabrics, kitchenware and effects create an illusion of refurbishment, and add interest and sophistication. All told, the kitchen is quirky, pleasant, bright and workable (though the fridge is too small and we had to have a dishwasher fitted as there was none) so there is no hurry. It may well be the room we tackle last of all.

On a kitchen windowsill, a 1950s painted wooden caterpillar has undergone a metamorphosis from childhood toy to objet d'art...

Tips & Ideas

You don't need to spend a fortune to achieve a good mid-century modern look. If you can't fork out for a complete refit or need to delay for practical reasons, create a more glamorous look by buying some expensive accessories instead. Placing them in prominent positions on shelves or work surfaces (+ fabrics like curtains/tea cloths /towels) will help give an illusion of luxury.
So whilst buying pieces from Orla Kiely or Marimekko or your favourite local ceramicist (many do fabulous retro or Scandinavian style designs which marry well with mid-century) might seem indulgent on a shoestring budget, it can inject new life and style into the home and is far less expensive than a kitchen refit. Moreover, items like mugs, tea towels, nibbles bowls and storage jars, etc. can be collected over a period of time and don't need to be bought all in one go if the cost needs to be spread; Often, it is possible to buy them in the sales if you are patient enough.
And don't forget to look out for mid-century original china and accessories at every opportunity, (Hornsea, Wade, MidWinter, etc.) as this will give an authentic air and they can sometimes be found at reasonable if not bargain prices in second hand shops or on eBay.
Moreover, in keeping with the principle of re-purposing, many a mid-century item which has seen better days or can no longer be used for its original intent (e.g. a leaky but beautiful teapot which could be used as a planter or utensil holder) can be snapped up inexpensively but will look none-the-less beautiful in its new life on your kitchen windowsill or shelf.
It's possible to go for a mid-way solution and give the kitchen a budget makeover by replacing just cabinet doors, as long as the units themselves are structurally ok. Go for flat-fronted designs to make wiping clean easier and dirt collecting less likely (unlike our 1980s door fronts!) Many companies offer a full service including re-tiling etc based on replacing cupboard fronts only and/or work surfaces as required, saving a lot of money compared with a complete refit.
If kitchen units/work-surfaces are satisfactory but the room itself is lacklustre, the transformative powers of a fresh coat of paint and new lino/flooring, fabrics and curtains or blinds cannot be overestimated !

PHOTO RIGHT: Most modestly-sized kitchens can't afford to waste valuable space so it's necessary to prioritize things which serve a useful purpose; that doesn't mean they can't look good though! The cupboard on the right houses a medley of storage jars, oven-to-table-ware, and serving bowls, comprising the Poole Pottery Seed Packet design of our wedding list, vintage Pyrex and Orla Kiely; all have two main things in common apart from a mid-century flavour: they look great and are useful too!

Lived in, not just looked at !

n the photo below, a reproduction Russel Wright melamine platter, from Magpie-Line, combined with tomato/red Hokolo stacking tea set, sit prettily on a mid-century teak sideboard, perfectly comfortable in their setting. Whilst most mid-century original artefacts are perfectly user-friendly (after all, they were made to last and thanks to the mid-century emphasis on form and function, are usually tactile and practical too!) there can be an understandable reluctance to risk more valuable items in day-to-day use especially if they are irreplaceable. Including newer or contemporary objects in a mid-century or Scandinavian style , is a realistic and achievable way of creating a mid-century modern home which is practical as well as pretty and which includes items which can be used rather than just looked at!

Under-racks for shelving extend the available space and more frivolous or less frequently pieces can be put higher up.

Curtains
There is something undeniably inimitable and funky about 'the real thing' when it comes to mid-century fabric.
So whilst some of our room designs have benefited from curtains in stunning colours or designs made to measure in modern materials, the kitchen, with its 1950s pink-formica table and its serving hatch and colourful palette, was crying out for some indulgent retro reality. Let your space decide! Remember it is partly your home which dictates its decorative needs to you, and one must have the wisdom to observe and listen.
Here, hand-me-down 1950s curtains with a transport theme, originally intended for a child's bedroom, look just as good in our mid-century styled kitchen. And we were amused to see the same fabric displayed in the Science Museum!

pyrex dishes, poole pottery, orla kiely storage jars, mid-century kitchen ideas, space-savers

Blue pines sugar shaker, Clarice Cliff, teal teapot, John Lewis value range from House, Devon Pottery, mid-century and mid-century modern kitchen ideas

mid-century modern style kitchen, mid-century kitchen, Avalon sideboard, teak sideboard, Hokolo stacking tea set, russel wright reproduction from www.magpieline.co.uk

Kitchen

A mid-century Kitchen