These two architectural styles, modern and mid-century modern, have a lot in common. They are, however, two distinct styles that date from different periods. Mid-century modern design, as the name implies, became prominent in the mid-twentieth century (around 1920s-1950s to be precise). The phrase ‘modern architecture’ is widely used nowadays to refer to this era, but the term ‘contemporary’ refers to what we actually consider to be modern nowadays.

Although the core concept behind each of these styles is the same, namely, improved utility, they do have some key variances.

Cabinet style:

Mid century cabinets are known for their sliding doors. In this era, frameless cabinets are very popular. The mid-century style is dominated by sleek, smooth, and flat designs.

While contemporary styles have a similar appearance, the fundamental distinction between the two is the construction material. While wood and wood veneer are the most common materials in mid-century modern cabinets, with glass used on occasion, contemporary styles allow for more variety by employing different types of materials such as fibreglass, stone, and other natural materials. If you have a small kitchen and are looking for modern cabinets for sale, choosing frameless cabinets will be a wise choice.

Color:

Cabinets in the mid-century modern design are painted in bright and cheerful colours like burnt orange, lime green, powder blue, and brown. Colorful wallpapers with bold and brilliant prints were very popular in the kitchen.

Warm neutrals, on the other hand, dominate the scene in current style. In the case of a postmodern or contemporary kitchen, monochrome wall paint is paired with grey, white, or black cabinets. Having said that, two-toned cabinets, or a splash of colour among a sea of whites and greys, have made a hopeful comeback in the last two to three years.

Architecture:

Both designs are sparsely ornamented, although the contemporary design is considerably more so. Postmodern or contemporary kitchen cabinets, which were inspired by the industrial revolution, have a stark and clean style with a lot of horizontal lines, including horizontal hardware fittings.

Mid-century contemporary kitchen cabinets, on the other hand, allow for slopes and arches for better integration with the rest of the room or the outdoors.

The kitchen layout:

Because the utility of the cabinets varies depending on the layouts, the kitchen layouts of the respective age play a significant part in cabinet styles.

Open kitchens, for example, are more prevalent in the mid-century design. People chose to have a built-in dining area in the kitchen during this time period. As a result, they used to have a lot of enormous cabinets to store not only the culinary products but also the cutlery.

However, instead of a full-fledged dining room, consumers nowadays prefer breakfast bars. As a result, the requirement for big and many cabinets is decreased.

Finish and texture:

On the surface, the clean finish and sharp aspect of mid-century cabinets and contemporary modern cabinets are practically identical. Mid-century modern cabinets, on the other hand, have a lot more texture and finish variety than contemporary modern cabinets. Midcentury modern cabinets have wood grains, backsplashes, and pops of colour, whereas contemporary modern cabinets lack the texture variation present in midcentury modern cabinets, despite having a wide selection of materials.

Lighting:

When it comes to mid-century modern kitchens, the lighting designs are just as whimsical and bright as the colour schemes. Pendant lighting in a variety of hues is a defining feature of this era. These pendant lights come in a variety of hues, including various shades of orange, blue, red, and green. In the mid-century style, Nelson bubble lamps are also highly popular.

Under cabinet lighting is highly common in the postmodern and contemporary styles. Aside from that, daylight and monochrome fluorescent lighting are employed extensively to emphasise the minimalistic approach that is popular in current design.

Accessories:

In terms of accessories, the attitude of mid-century modern style is more peppy and lively. People used to have many types of elements in their kitchen cabinets in the mid-century, such as pottery pots and jugs, as well as plastic, which was widely utilised at the time. In the kitchen, there were numerous types of plastic materials, such as seats and utensils, as well as many types of wood products. As it states, a mid-century modern kitchen is the ideal location for a wacky accent.

Modern kitchens have a consistent and decent design. People are accustomed to using stainless steel things such as glass and everything, and they are using consistent seats and matching lights. In a modern kitchen cabinet, you’ll find mostly simple but decent products.