Decorating With Turquoise: The One Color Every Mid-Century Modern House Needs

When you’re decorating a mid-century modern home, color can be just as important as shape and style. The right shade can transform an average room into a retro haven.

I’ve tried a rainbow assortment of colors in my house, and there is one color that always works for creating a mid-century mood: turquoise. That irresistible aqua is somehow vibrant and peaceful all at once.

Turquoise manages to feel serene without being dull. And it’s decidedly mod.

This article is a love letter to all things turquoise. Read on for several ideas for implementing turquoise into your home, with the corresponding paint colors and accessories linked below the photos so you can recreate the looks.

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That Turquoise Front Door

Don’t you love a door that catches your eye with a fun color? A turquoise door stands out against a brown house, but it can also look sharp against a white or gray house. Turquoise on white says Palm Springs to me. It creates the feeling that you’re lounging poolside with a drink in your hand (yes, please).

Sherwin Williams Cooled Blue | Sherwin Williams Shagbark | Sputnik style wreath DIY | Bowtie wall sconce | Starburst escutcheon

Mod Planters and Stands in Blue and Green

You can carry the turquoise color throughout your home with planters. This makes it easy to keep fairly neutral walls and furniture while adding impactful colors on a smaller scale. Turquoise effortlessly works with contrasting colors, tying olive green and orange together while complementing the plant foliage.

P.S. All of the plants pictured are easy to keep alive with little maintenance. Not Pictured: The lemon and lime trees that refused to stay alive in my non-tropical PNW home.

Plant stand | Olive green planter | Orange bullet planter

Small Turquoise Accents With a Big Impact

These parrot string lights bring on the kitsch in the best way. They echo the colors of the Eames book, with little pops of turquoise. On the bottom shelf a trio planter adds more turquoise to the mix.

The parrots were supposed to be for my future tiki bar. But since it could be a little while until I build that, I obviously had no choice but to display the parrots in the living room immediately.

Parrot string lights | Eames: Beautiful Details book | Turquoise trio succulent planter no longer available (here’s an alternative)

Aqua Bathroom Joy

Mid-century bathrooms often lean in to a single color, like the 1950s all pink bathroom and tub look. Those color heavy bathrooms are gorgeous retro time capsules. But if you want a bathroom that dials back the color just a bit, a light aqua paint can honor the mid-century style in a fresh and modern way.

This bathroom got a facelift with Benjamin Moore Robin’s Nest. It’s several shades lighter than the Cooled Blue above, making it a good option for interior walls where you don’t want the color to be quite as loud as the front door.

Benjamin Moore Robin’s Nest | Rejuvenation Astron pendant light

Guest Room Anchored in Turquoise

Bedding and throw pillows offer a low risk way to experiment with color. This cat-themed bedroom has vanilla walls with a gray linen bed.

Most of the personality comes through in the bedding and cat pillows, which are easy to swap out. The bedspread is darker than the turquoise paint colors above but still feels like it’s from the same family. It ties in without being too matchy.

Cat pillow | Orange cat pillow | Embossed circle bedspread no longer available (here’s an alternative with embossed squares)

Bring on the Mid-Century Turquoise

I’m a big fan of color and have lots of favorites depending on the situation. When it comes to home decor and design, turquoise is my top choice, especially in a mid-century home.

If your home feels like it’s missing something, give it a splash of turquoise. It might be just what you need to set that mid-century modern vibe and bring your decor together.

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