Tile by Style: Midcentury Modern Kitchen Tile

If names like Knoll and Saarinen get your heart racing or your drink of choice is a martini, you’ll doubtless love midcentury modern kitchen tile. But even if none of these ring a bell, chances are you’re no stranger to this iconic design style.

Making waves in the 1940s and reaching the height of its popularity in the 1960s, the staying power of midcentury modern design is rooted in nostalgia while still feeling fresh and new. Midcentury architecture is an eclectic mixture of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture, the Arts and Crafts movement, and the International and Bauhaus movements.

Taking various elements from these movements such as the truth to materials, simplicity in form, and transparency in design, it also incorporates trends of the period like bright colors, bold patterns, and “modern-day” (at least for that time) amenities to achieve an aesthetic that is both contemporary and eclectic.

Midcentury Architectural Elements & Materials

In order to create a strong relationship between the indoors and the outdoors, midcentury homes typically feature floor-to-ceiling windows and open floor plans to create a seamless transition between the home’s interior and exterior. Held up by post and beam structures, the homes are often topped with low-sloping gable roofs that appear to echo the surrounding landscape.

A blend of industrial building materials and natural design elements common in the Arts and Crafts movement are frequently found in midcentury exteriors and interiors. Exposed steel beams, sheet metal walls, concrete slabs, and stone foundations might comprise the exterior, while wood floors are finished to highlight the natural beauty of the grain.

Tile for the Midcentury Modern Kitchen

There are a variety of ways to put your stamp on your midcentury kitchen. Although the design style is known for sleek lines and minimalist details, its beauty lies in its versatility. By mixing in a hint of pattern and a splash of color, a beautiful midcentury modern kitchen tile installation can incorporate just the right amount of retro flair while still staying true to the iconic design’s core principles.

Color

What’s mid-mod without a little mod-inspired funk? When it comes to color, really anything goes. Kitchen backsplashes are the best place to showcase our personality, so don’t be afraid to embrace bold colors with your kitchen tiles. Complement your vibrant backsplash with equally colorful appliances or light fixtures to really nail the look.

Patterns

For purists who want to stay true to midcentury modern’s sleek and streamlined aesthetic, a straight-set design maintains order and echoes modular silhouettes. Consider elongated subway tile like the kitchen below, which, when stacked, feels like an extension of the straight lines found throughout midcentury homes.

A dose of texture from natural materials like our Glazed Thin Brick can make a big impact and keep a midcentury kitchen from feeling too one-note. This stunning kitchen features turquoise San Gabriel Brick on the floor and in a vertically stacked row across the backsplash.

Straight-set can also come in different shapes – like versatile squares. Here, it accentuates the retro look of this beautiful midcentury kitchen, standing out among the walnut flat front cabinetry.

Mosaics

When it comes to always on-trend midcentury modern kitchen ideas, a mosaic tile backsplash is right up there. Reminiscent of Bauhaus cubism, the diamond Escher pattern gives a three-dimensional effect to the backsplash below with high contrast grout and a bold blue glaze color.

Go Graphic

Graphic design took an innovative turn from the 1930s onwards, and its influence can be seen in midcentury modern’s bold shapes and high-impact hues. So don’t be afraid to hold back when it comes to pattern and color in your kitchen design as the Handpainted Tile backsplash here demonstrates – you’ll be staying true to midcentury modern style while breaking up the straight lines that dominate its structural elements.

Geometric tile is another great option for a midcentury backsplash. We love how our interlocking Chaine Homme pattern in olive green simply pops against the kitchen’s cabinetry and stand out against the terrazzo countertops and kitchen island.

Flooring

With backsplashes making such a big statement, you might want to keep things a little calmer underfoot. Concrete and hardwood are great choices for your midcentury modern kitchen floor.

Alternatively, incorporate large-format tile in a color that’s complementary to your tile backsplash. We love how David Quarles IV paired an oversized sunny yellow hexagon tile with his chartreuse subway tile backsplash.