http://www.vintageinn.ca/2016/06/the-beautiful-world-of-1940s-linoleum-flooring/

@judyg designs Linoleum is definately up there in essential 1950's design elements in my view! But I am REALLY not a fan of linoleum,in a big way! Any other elements come to mind? (the site you linked has some great resources for inspiration! Thanks!)

I always think of the appliances - refrigerator with rounded edges, the range with the clock in the back, with matching salt and pepper shakers.

Definitely check out retrorenovation.com if you haven't already.

Based on my favorite childhood kitchens, circa 1947 and 1956:

Metal edging on the laminate countertop and matching 4-5” backsplash.

No tile backsplash up the wall.

Wallpaper.

Electric wall clock.

Pull-out cutting boards.

Flat-front cabinets.

Yellow.

White appliances.

Square asbestos floor tiles. Well, okay, forget the asbestos, use linoleum instead.

Thanks guys! I like the design cues of the electric clock and softer, rounded edges, and the flat front cabinets. What do you think about rounding the island off (like the attached picture), flat cabinets, definately a plug in clock, and black and white laminate floor. definitely not period correct, but I think it's period inspired.

Thanks! Hoping this is the home for many years to come. We are keeping the rest of the home period authentic, but not dogmatically, mostly because it's in such fantastic shape and we love the character it give the house and don't want to disturb it. For the kitchen though, we don't want authentic. We want it modern, and will customize it to our needs (big family) over authenticity, but I'd like to keep the "flavor" of the era. It's a contributing property in a historic district. I've been watching old 1950's "kitchen of the future" ads for inspiration

Sounds like great fun and you can still update but keep some of the vibe of the home.

Here are a few "inspirational photos". Look around here on houzz and get inspired!

Ballinger Award-Winning Retro 50's Fun Kitchen · More Info

Bright English Beach Cottage · More Info

Ft. Worth Historical Residence · More Info

Just because your home was built in the 1950s doesn’t mean that “mid century” is the most appropriate style for it. Mid century was a particular design trend, but does not and should no apply to all homes built during that era. Just giving this warning because mid century style is obviously having a major Renaissance right now - and it’s fine if you like it and want to use it. But if your house is truly colonial and you put a mid century kitchen in, then in five years when the mid century trend is over, your kitchen is going to look really dated.

It’s s Historic District. “Dated”’is what it’s all about. It’s a DESIRABLE attribute. “Modernized” by most people’s standards is mostly anathema to a historic district and the preservationist mind set that goes with purchasing a home with original details in a historic district. Restoration of existing should take precedence over gutting and changing. There ARE details that can cross generations and decades though..

St Charles metal cabinets are surprisingly “modern” with their organizers and details. Slab front is as well. They are no longer available. There are some imports filling that void now. Salvage metal cabinets from that period are being collected, restored, and powder coated. That’s the less expensive, but longer term way of getting the look right.https://retrorenovation.com/metal-kitchen-cabinets-history-design-faq/. 

Colored appliances that match the cabinets is another detail. Bluestar will match any RAL color. And they make great products. https://www.bluestarcooking.com/bluestar-color-options/

Corian is late MCM. Patented in 1968, and available in 1971. Designer White Corian is the Little Black Dress of the design world. It goes with anything, and is always appropriate. https://dps-coriantools.azurewebsites.net/?tool=color-tool&tab=hue|searchbar|linkgccp&region=na#

Add a terrazzo tile floor, and your kitchen is vintage and modern all at the same time. https://www.terrazzio.com/

Of course, none of this is budget makeover. The budget thing is to keep what is there, and just do some new appliances. Authentic vintage mid century modern is green, cheap, and authentic. Without you having to spend 150K on ”new modern”. Authentic is also pretty valuable and very sought after. Tread lightly on any changes! Develop that preservationist mindset that buying this house absolutely requires. If you want to eradicate that very functional existing kitchen, you probably bought the wrong house.

Join some MCM discussion groups. Haunt RetroRenovation. Learn to love the one you are with. Originality is pretty fabulous! And widely celebrated and lusted over.

My priority in an authentic midcentury kitchen would be to make sure a standard hieght kitchen table with chairs could fit within the kitchen proper.

To clarify, I love mid century design (I live in a 1951 midcentury home!) and if the house is truly of the mid century design style then yes these are all fantastic ideas. But if the house is historic because it is a colonial that happened to be built in 1950, then you have to be mindful of the home’s authentic character and style and not just stick “mid century” design in the house. Because “colonial” and “midcentury” are two very different styles.

To answer the OP's question, black iron hardware, and lots of it.

Wow! Great resources guys! thanks! @mad_gallica, can you link to an example of what you have in mind?

The easiest way to say "vintage" is with a vintage range. I have a 1948 O'Keefe and Merritt range in the kitchen of my 1948 house. I re-did the kitchen 3 years ago. Having been born in 1943, I well remember 1940's and 1950's kitchens and that's the last thing on earth I wanted!

But I also wanted to not do anything that would be jarring with the rest of the house. My house if filled with 18th& 19th century English antiques and is very traditional in style. So I opted for a simple, classic style in my kitchen (enclosed, not open). I used Shaker cabinets painted a very light gray, white Corian countertops (they were re-used), and honed marble large subway tiles for the backsplash. I already had wood floors in there - they have been the best choice with dogs.

It's modern and functional but respects the period of the house and it's decor. Plus I ADORE my 1948 stove!

But there is a difference between MCM, mid-century, and mid-century colonial. Or perhaps when I think of MCM, my thoughts lean toward atomic, or something like Rockybird’s kitchen on here.

Every house I’ve lived in dates from the late 1950s. Ranch, rowhouse, split-level, “farmhouse” (no, really, the model name is “Pennsylvania Farmhouse”). None of them are “atomic”, I suppose my first home was MCM but it was a subdued MCM. Classic Danish furniture for the most part, but not teak.

Our current house, traditional 2-story built in the late 50s I think (maybe early 60s), has the round end of the peninsula, with two shelves.

And my dollhouse kitchen cabinets look exactly like the green kitchen you showed, complete with the round-end peninsula! Grandfather made the dollhouse in 1933, it came to me in about 1960, I think I was the third or fourth owner, and I don’t know when that furniture was ”moved in”.

Mid century colonial would not have metal kitchen cabinets, or a “ modern” feel.

Often you can see such neo-colonial details in Hollywood movie kitchens, and TV shows of that era. I think Mad Men’s protagonist had such a kitchen in his house.

@ulisdone can you elaborate more on the different types of MCM? The home is definately colonial and definitely 1950s futuristic.

Re the appliances, I need modern appliances for their functions. I'm Sabbath observant and keep strict kosher so there are distinct advantages to granite too, so Corian and laminate are out. Other design cues are great and I REALLY appreciate all you've shared!

I don’t understand a mix of the two styles. You may have a more eclectically styled house, and so not really a Neo-Colonial.

I’ll try to post a photo from a tv set.

Elements to include: wood cabinets and trims, beadboards, scalloped and traditional trims, often knotty pine was used. This period of Colonial re-creation was a romantic vision of the past, thus the popularity of the rustic knotty pine as a substitute for the primitive.

Of course once style trends get picked up by the larger population, they tend to get cheapened and diluted. For example, the scalloped trim was utilized decades past the mid century.

wow! that's it! that is what it looks like. and there are hundreds of feet of knotty pine in the basement, but it is left natural and unstained (or stained very light to clear, I didn't really check it out, I just focussed on the colors). While we're at it, any suggestions for what to do with the knotty pine?

Stainless steel is the easiest authentic mid century counter surface to kasher. Pouring boiling water on granite or other stone can result in it cracking. https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/kosher-appliances/2039/countertop-pre-purchase-advice/

thanks for the tip! I didn't know stainless steel is authentic! Do you have any design inspiration from the. with stainless? I can visualize it fitting in well, and I do recall seeing stainless edging on laminate countertops in other homes from that era.

Not sure it is colonial per se but our mid century kitchen is certainly not the atomic type - light stained slab plywood (birch?) doors (partial overlay, partial inset, pillow edges). Hardware is hammered copper effect:

https://www.hardwaresource.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/398635-hammered-copper-h-hinge_500x500.jpeg

one thing I was wondering was going with a metallic backsplash. Any thoughts?

If you are considering stainless counters, you can get integral stainless sinks welded in, and even a "marine edge" to keep water from dripping. Integral backsplashes are also possible.

You would need to talk to a custom metal shop for those. For simple rectangular sections you may be able to get prefab counters from webstaurantstore.com or other restaurant supply stores.