I love it! When I bought my house my downstairs bath was originally that color tile and I embraced it with funky retro wallpaper in grey and turquoise. If I didn't have a leaking shower I could have kept it forever.

Find a rug that pulls in the color and embrace it. If you can, get a SS fridge to match.

edited to add: I would not paint the cabinets. They are mid century like the tile. You will lose the whole aesthetic if you paint.

Go to spoonflower.com and enter "atomic turquoise", seek patterns with black accents and order samples. Wallpaper, as opposed to a solid color paint, will make all the difference to achieve a very "hip vibe".

Here's the look I'd go for with that turquoise. Paint all the cabs black (satin finish for a soft glow) and add under cabinet LED lighting.

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Kitchen rug--more turquoise, more gold color to go with cabinets!

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If you're open to keeping the cabinets as they are, I'd paint the walls and the backs of the glass cabinets the same color as the tile, or just one shade lighter. Maybe the stained finish on the cabinets can just be renewed. I don't think it makes sense to spend the time and money to paint the cabinets while keeping the green tile. The least expensive option for updating the kitchen is likely putting in a white quartz countertop, but that only makes sense if the cabinets are in great shape.

Just a thought, but why don't you send the cabinet doors out to be refinished and do the trim areas yourself? I think you have a unique, amazing kitchen.

thank you all for these great comments! I do think the kitchen has a lot of potential. My concern about the cabinets is that they don't quite coordinate with the floor or the ceiling. too many shades of brown. Also - they are just 3/4 in plywood with stain. they are not nice. I would love to work with the counter to make it look fresh, but ultimately I will never get the nice finished wood look from these cabinets

Are your drawers and cabinets in good shape? If so, you replace just the drawer faces and cabinet doors. If you like wood tones, that will allow you plenty of options.You can either have the cabinet boxes veneered or painted. Mid-century houses do sometimes have wood doors over painted boxes. If it were my house, I'd paint the cabinet boxes turquoise, do the doors in a wood finish that goes with your ceilings, and end up with the happiest kitchen on the block. Also, please don't paint your original car decking ceilings - they're beautiful!

Two reasons why I'm suggesting coordinating your cabinet doors with your ceilings rather than your floors - first, the ceilings are original and the floors aren't and second, the cabinets and the ceilings are likely to be longer-lasting than flooring.

Paint SW Pure White

White will give you also a great break between the floor and ceilings. You can then get rid of the rug and if sometime possible get a stainless steel fridge. Even though the white will also look good with the white cabinets and walls

Consider something like this for the ceiling. Using a white, paint the beams. I suggest B.M. Sail Cloth because the contrast with the tiles will be softer.

Using the same white, paint the cabinets in semi-gloss.

Get a rug.

If this was my space and I wasn't about to do a major reno, I'd paint the cabinet boxes (frames) black and the doors and drawer faces white. (Or replace the plywood doors with MDF slabs painted white). Black handles. It will make it look more retro but in the best way, not in the "well that's dated" way. Then the wood on the ceiling are their own colour.

I couldn't find a kitchen that had the same look but here's an idea with black and white and image the beautiful turquoise added in. Very pretty!

Is the ceiling that special? Original? Stained or painted? If not I would paint it white ( same color as walls) and eliminate at least one wood tone. The floor has tones that match the cabinets. The floor would look great with a porcelain/ cement tile-look pattern that had one color that matched the tile. If you can't re-stain the cabinets in the same color, white paint would work or a really light turquoise shade that matched the counters.

Was thinking paint walls Navy if it wouldn't make the room too dark. I like the black cabinet idea though. The other thought was yellow so the gold idea is great with that leafy rug someone posted.

Is that a rolling cart on the right? It's adding one more wood tone. Ceilings are beautiful and I imagine they carry through the house. Don't touch those. When you said the wood was poor shape, I assume you mean the cabinets? The turquoise tile is very cute and can be worked with.

So... depending on your budget... 1. paint cabinets or replace fronts (white uppers w/ white walls, grey/ neutral lowers (to compliment the ceiling tones), 2. replace rug w/ a runner rug - coordinate turquoise and peach/ orange tones. 3. Suggest painting/ replacing cart, same white... or coordinating turquoise, contrasting peach/ orange if you are feeling bold. 3. replace fridge w/ stainless, 4. replace floors w/ new matte grey porcelain tile that coordinates w/ ceiling tones.

Please don’t paint the ceilings! I agree with the suggestions to see if the cabinet doors can be refinished. The tile color is so pretty. If you look at a color wheel, it is one of the best colors to pair with the warm wood tones. I also agree with the ideas about rugs. I added one in my kitchen and was surprised (and pleased!) at the difference.

I would also suggest a gray and white theme to complement these tiles. While the black and white concept can be very dramatic, it can also be difficult to live with on a daily basis. A mid range gray can soften your tiles, and help bring them into focus.

You are right. Too many wood tones in this kitchen. I live in a mid century and understand the issue with the wood cabinets that may look dated . Think about this option. The glass cabinets look to be in moderately good condition and don't have too much wood. Keep them and balance the wood by leaving the oven tower as is. Paint the remaining cabinets white. The real problem is the floor. Mid century kitchens did not have wood floors and yours compete with the ceiling and cabinets. I would replace the kitchen floors with a light to white tile. If that is not possible, then a room sized rug that covers the floor. The ceiling also does not match, and the wood-tone lowers the ceiling. Either paint the ceiling white and leave the wood beams (stained to match the cabinets)or painted the beams white also. A stainless refrigerator is a must, as the white one looks out of place and introduces one more jarring note.The table adds more wood also, might want to consider a stainless cart with shelving or wire baskets underneath I would suggest doing these things one at a time, and see how each change alters the dynamic in the room before proceeding with the next change. But the tile is beautiful and I would want to keep it also.

As many have already stated separately, if it were me, I’d put a few of the suggestions together: leave your ceiling as is, it is beautiful and I don’t think you had a question about them anyway; paint your cabinets a nice thick creamy white, maybe replace knobs with black to tie in your nice light fixtures and range hood; replace with SS fridge when you can; paint walls around window and under cabinets, either a couple shades lighter or darker than the tile colour, or wallpaper with the tile colour in it. Maybe add complementary coloured rug, and done! I’m sure you will love the results. Oh and if you don’t like the flat ‘plywood look’ of your cabinet doors, perhaps you can add a wood frame on top of existing before you paint, to resemble a ‘shaker style’ (no mitred corners). Good luck, I’d like to see the results of what you choose to do!

One more note, painting the ceiling would depend on whether the ceiling is continued in other rooms. If it is, then leave it alone and maybe replace the cabinets over the stove with open shelves to add a little more airspace in the room. I can't tell much about the lighting, but adding a turquoise light fixture might pull the color through the room. Maybe replace your window shade with a white, light filtering window shade to remove one more wood tone. I would not use black or navy as they are not part of a normal mid century palette and will make the room look smaller. If you do not like white tile for the floor a darker gray slate look floor might work too.

Your tile is so cute! I would paint the walls and upper cabinets white; this will lighten the room and help your white sink and refrigerator blend in. No need to change the ceiling, it is beautiful as is. The lower cabinets and the oven stack could be a darker color - a deeper turquoise or teal if you feel adventurous, or a safer midtone gray. I agree with others that your floor needs a change. If that's not in the budget, then a carpet as others have suggested or peel and stick tiles would be a good temporary solution; this should pick up some color from your lower cabinets, for example gray and white checkerboard if you chose gray cabinets, or a terrazzo look with some turquoise in it. With just a few tweaks you have the makings for a uniquely charming space!

I love your kitchen! I think if you paint all the cupboards a soft white (BM white dove) it would look amazing with the counters. Also, get a runner rug in a multi colour with turquoise and red and off white or something along those lines. Then it would tie in the turquoise counters. And replace the fridge with a stainless steel one and you're all set. Good luck!

The kitchen is lovely. What doesn’t work is the floors and pendants

You have excellent kitchen! Don't put all the blame on wood cabinets. Even if they are slightly old, it is very easy to restore them to their previous appearance without repainting them in a boring white colour. It seems you have a very busy look of the kitchen. I counted 4 types of wood surfaces / wood-looking surfaces, as well as multi-colored kitchen appliances, and a rug that doesn't match the overall look. Paint the ceiling white, use a larger rug to match the color of the tiles to level out the color difference between the floor and the cabinets. I would also change the hood to white or metal, in the photo it looks like black.

All white paint!!! You won’t believe the difference!

I love your kitchen. We worked with an architect and built an MCM inspired ranch. We had quite a debate as to whether to extend the wood floor into the open kitchen but in the end, we did. It works for us because ours is MCM inspired and not trying to be historically accurate as wood floors weren't typical in most MCM. I think you should refrain from painting the ceiling and instead think about having new doors/faces made for the cabinetry. Solid slab style if the frames can support. Your turquoise is gorgeous, perhaps look for atomic style wallpaper to fully embrace it. The tile looks very recent, like the wood grained look that's trendy. To me, that's what is messing up the vibe of your kitchen. Perhaps find 2 matching runners (with good grip under!) to break up the visual of the bottom wood cabinets from the faux wood flooring.

This has so much potential!!!! I’d go with repainting the cabinets white!

https://houseofturquoise.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Jane-Coslick.jpg

I love retro looks. Tried to get the photo here but best I could do

Love the color but I could not handle the grout lines and would be replacing tile and perhaps repurposing just as a backsplash or art something in the garden.

I’m hearing that you want to get the biggest bang for your buck so this is my suggestion. Paint all your cupboards white. If you can get a professional to do it that would be best, otherwise if you do it yourself don’t skip any pre-paint steps (light sanding & priming) in order to get a good finish. Change your door pulls to stainless steel to keep it fresh looking. I would then either paint only the back wall of your glass cabinet turquoise to match the counter tile or find a wallpaper with a small pattern in that colour. Leave your ceiling as is, it co-ordinates with your wood floor and will look good. As for the walls, paint them the same white as your cupboards. I believe that the combination of white and turquoise will feel fresh and clean and the wood tones on the ceiling and floor will give it an all around pleasant look.

With that lovely colored tile counter, I would consider a heavily distressed (white drybrush) finish on the cabinets and ceiling. A Shabby Chic style for the room using chalk paint and wax to achieve the right appearance.

Love the tile. Dont mind the cabinets. They can be cleaned up and touched up. I like the ceiling a lot. I hate the floor, but, a big rug, might help with that. A lighter turquoise on the walls would look good. It has the potential to be beautiful. How lucky you are that someone didnt destroy that beautiful tile. Too many bland dull kitchens, these days. Yours is the kind of kitchen, I could enjoy a cup of coffee in.

LOL! I would LOVE to have your kitchen! All in the eye of the beholder ! :)

Toning down the tile isn't going to happen. You either embrace it or remove it.

If it is in your budget have the cabinets or at least their doors professionally redone, then that would give you the best result, try checking out some vids on how to make wood cabinets look better without painting them. Temporarily remove the door handles and do some work yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD0tLXjaEzs

While I prefer the natural wood ceiling and beams, IF creating a lighter upper wall doesn't lighten up the room enough to make the "beachy" color a better fit to suit you, then, of course, you could paint the ceiling white -- along with the beams --

If, however, this is a DIY project and you do NOT want to refinish the wood with poly, you'd still need to clean any part of the cabinets you are going to paint -- and clean it thoroughly -- before painting the cabinets -- otherwise your paint job will not look good at all..

If the dark wood is the problem for you, then lightening up the upper half of the room above the cabinets could well change the vibe and likely make this "beachy" color a better fit within the room.

Unless you're changing the floor to a very light floor (I wouldn't) , my inclination would be to NOT paint the lower cabinets at all and paint only the part of the upper cabinets:

Paint all of the upper cabinets and doors on the end wall above the stove top the same white as the wall. You could leave the oven cabinet a natural wood as a balance to the glass front cabinet and, if you can replace the doors over the oven with glass doors, consider doing that ... or ... if you decide to paint the solid doors over the oven and its cabinet the same white color, stop at countertop level.

For the cabinets with the glass fronts, paint only the interior of the cabinets using that same color that you paint the walls.

Once the upper half of the room over the stove top and sink is lighter, would pause before deciding about painting the ceiling.

You might consider replacing the cabinet doors with slab front doors and paint the frames to match. Actually I looked again, and your doors are already "slab"! I recognize them as we had the same type plywood doors. I'd go lighter rather than dark, and maybe even include one accent cabinet door - orange, lime green, or gold were popular MC accents - like over the oven. I'm chicken with color so I painted my backslash the color of a tile I fell in love with to see if I would like it. I love the aqua - sort of lends a beachy vibe. I love your wood ceiling! DON'T paint it!! We had to paint ours because of water staining and remodeling that left "holes".

Check out houseofturquoise.com for some more ideas - but the consensus there seems to be white for the cabinets. If the floor is real wood, you could strip it and put on a colored stain.

The warm golden hue of your cabinets work well with the turquoise, however the rest of the wood tones in the ceiling and floors are competing. The most cost efficient solution to harmonizing the color palette will be painting the cabinets.

I like Silky White for the uppers and Park Avenue for the lowers by Behr. Silky White has putty undertones so it’s not glaring white, but still very fresh looking and works well in all kinds of lighting conditions. Both are neutrals with warm undertones that will complement the ceiling and flooring. Paint your kitchen cart as well!

It’s ok to marry modern with mid century, just look at what companies like North Star are doing with their darling retro appliances. (which would be the icing on the proverbial cake for your design scheme!) Best wishes for your project.

I love the turquoise!!! I think replacing the cabinet doors with new doors- either stained or painted- would be a cost effective way of updating If you can’t replace the cabinets entirely. If the turquoise is in good shape then embrace the look! If you replace it, then you just have an ordinary kitchen. Just my two cents’ worth.

Here's what your kitchen could look like if you painted your cabinets white and perhaps also painted your walls a very pale grey, just enough to bring out the white of the cabinets.

This is one of Houzz's Kitchen of the Week with brass pulls and lighting:

Could also be interesting to have the glass door painted black (white interior).

Don't paint the wood! First rule of MCM is if it's not painted, don't paint it. We did a light refinishing of the cabinets ourselves and added hardware that we got for free from a neighbor's remodel. Replaced the old orange formica countertops with new orange laminate. Covered the old vinyl floors with Marmoleum sheet flooring. Stools are original to the house but we had new, larger seats made for them. Light fixtures give off much more light than the originals and I think they work. And repainted the walls the same green that they were, although I'm thinking of painting them light blue. I love your tile!

2 refrigerators because I'm a personal chef.

Love your proposed plan. That wallpaper is inspired and hits so many points- Aqua to highlight tiles; trees to vibe with cabin theme; gray background so not too stark. Plenty of people suggested white cabinets but I think that is too stark for a cabin look. Also turquoise and white read too 50’s for me. A gray that tones with the paper would be kinder on the old girl too. Love your choices 👏👏

Hey @Claudia!

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