Colorful Accessories for a Mid-Century Modern Kitchen

Do you love having lots of color in your mid-century modern kitchen decor? I chose modern white for my new kitchen tile and sparkle laminate, to provide a minimalist backdrop for the LOADS of colorful accessories I knew I’d be layering over the top.

Mid-century kitchens often have bold color schemes, commonly sticking to a single color like vintage red or 1950s pastel green, pink or yellow. But you don’t have to commit to a single color. Try these fun accessories and small appliances to create a mid-century kitchen pulling from every color of the rainbow.

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Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Decor

Your kitchen is the perfect spot to display your Orla Kiely collection. Go for a mod clock like this George Nelson inspired option. And a bread box is the perfect spot to hide away clutter while showcasing your favorite color.

My uncle gave me this sweet kitty mug for Christmas, and I knew right away it would be a prominent part of my new kitchen decor. What I didn’t know was that it also comes in a series of expressions, like confused kitty and sarcastic troublemaker. Collect them all?

Cat Mug

Orla Kiely Storage Jars

Clock

Bread Box

Modern Kitchen Rugs

Throw down a solid color runner rug, or look for a funky pattern. Anti-fatigue mats are always nice when you’re on your feet in the kitchen. There are some modern options, or you can opt for a plain anti-fatigue mat and then put a stylish kitchen rug over the top.

Related: See the ultimate guide to mid-century modern decor

I chose this braided oval rug, which feels old-fashioned in a comforting way, and the bright turquoise color brings it to the modern side. It pairs well with my atomic cat rug that has found its final home in the kitchen, after bouncing around the house for years.

Braided Rug

Trellis Rug

Diamond Rugs

Vintage Kitchen Towels

The easiest way to add some color to your kitchen is to swap out the kitchen towels. And you have a lot of options.

Maybe you need a towel with attitude. There are endless sarcastic housewife tea towels to showcase varying degrees of drinking problems. One of my favorites asks, “Oops, did I buy wine again instead of milk?” Yes, turns out I did.

Retro Towel

Housewife Towel

Swedish Dishcloths

You might also like to make your own colorful DIY cloth napkins to dress up your dining room table.

Modern Pet Bowls for Stylish Cats

Hold on…I need to go adopt more pets so I can collect all of these mid-century modern pet bowls, especially this one that looks like a spaceship.

The pretty terrazzo style bowl is part of Jonathan Adler’s line of adorable pet products.

Spaceship Bowl

Terrazzo Style Bowl

Pink Pet Bowls

Retro Style Kitchen Appliances

There are retro style appliances in every shade of the mid-century rainbow, like a banana yellow stand mixer or a pastel green Smeg toaster. Mix and match or stick to one shade. Either way you’ll end up with irresistible color in your kitchen.

Smeg Toaster

Stand Mixer

Microwave

Tea Kettle

And the Cutest Mid-Century Faucet…

Eric tracked down this cute cute cute 1950s style faucet for our sink. At first I thought it might be a bit too old-fashioned for our very modern and modular sink. But I’m glad I came around, because this faucet is mid-century perfection.

Aptly named the “Dishmaster,” the faucet originated in 1948 as a state-of-the-art tool to revolutionize the domestic art of washing dishes. It was ahead of its time with a helpful dish-washing wand that distributes soapy water. And thankfully it’s still in production after 70 years, so you can get a new Dishmaster for your mid-century kitchen.

This faucet requires a four-hole sink. You can use a hole cutter to add holes in your sink if needed. We did it with 3-in-1 oil to smooth out the cutting, and it worked great.

Dishmaster Faucet

Whether you keep your color scheme on the simple side or go full rainbow, a few thoughtful mid-century accessories can transform your kitchen to a memorable, inviting space with tons of personality.