Kitchen Tour: An Improved Layout and Midcentury Style Add Warmth
Red birch cabinets, teal details and a new breakfast area with a drinks station have energised this updated space
Things this couple love – nature and midcentury style – were absent from their basic blue-and-white kitchen. So they asked designer Amy Tangorra of Our House Design+Build and her team to help overhaul the space and channel their preferences through fresh materials and finishes.
New red birch cabinets and a splashback of creamy white rectangular tiles set in a vertically stacked pattern add midcentury style. Amy also took down a wall to improve the connection between the kitchen and breakfast area, whose banquette and coffee bar featuring teal, leaf-shaped tiles give a nod to nature.
New red birch cabinets and a splashback of creamy white rectangular tiles set in a vertically stacked pattern add midcentury style. Amy also took down a wall to improve the connection between the kitchen and breakfast area, whose banquette and coffee bar featuring teal, leaf-shaped tiles give a nod to nature.
Before Photo
Amy took down the wall, improving the connection between the two spaces and freeing up room for a larger island with increased seating, storage and prep space. New white oak flooring in a satin finish also helps tie the spaces together. “Both parents work at home, and it makes the connection with the kitchen so much better,” Amy says.
A new built-in stainless steel double door fridge-freezer with LED lighting replaced the old fridge in the same location.
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A new built-in stainless steel double door fridge-freezer with LED lighting replaced the old fridge in the same location.
Find kitchen designers near you.
Red birch cabinetry with a bespoke stain sets a warm midcentury tone for the updated kitchen. “I think it reflects their personal tastes better and the cabinetry is more aligned with the midcentury style they had in mind,” Amy says.
The splashback features 5cm x 20cm matt off-white ceramic tiles in a vertical stack that lends a midcentury look. Pewter-coloured grout makes the tiles stand out.
“The configuration of the splashback is in line with that midcentury style,” Amy says. “I think we wanted to keep it classic and quiet, but there’s still some interest with those tiles.”
The splashback features 5cm x 20cm matt off-white ceramic tiles in a vertical stack that lends a midcentury look. Pewter-coloured grout makes the tiles stand out.
“The configuration of the splashback is in line with that midcentury style,” Amy says. “I think we wanted to keep it classic and quiet, but there’s still some interest with those tiles.”
The two large, bell-shaped pendant lights have a matt finish that complements the wall tiles. Leather straps add a modern touch. The 3m-high ceiling also includes new LED lights, which were digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to highlight other details in the kitchen.
An upgraded 80cm under-mounted single-bowl black composite sink pairs with a matt black single-handle pull-down tap. A new stainless steel dishwasher with a bar handle sits to the left of the sink. Floating wood shelves lighten the look and offer a spot to display collectibles and quickly access everyday dishes.
An upgraded 80cm under-mounted single-bowl black composite sink pairs with a matt black single-handle pull-down tap. A new stainless steel dishwasher with a bar handle sits to the left of the sink. Floating wood shelves lighten the look and offer a spot to display collectibles and quickly access everyday dishes.
The interior side of the island has a microwave drawer and storage. A stainless steel freestanding 90cm induction range cooker sits beneath an extractor fan hood fashioned from the same red birch as the cabinets.
A warm white-on-white luxury polished quartz with warm grey cross veining was used for the worktops. “They chose that quartz because the colour and pattern was evocative of what they’d seen during their travels to Africa,” Amy says.
The cabinet drawers have oil-rubbed bronze pulls. Knobs in the same finish were used for the cabinet doors.
The cabinet drawers have oil-rubbed bronze pulls. Knobs in the same finish were used for the cabinet doors.
In the now open breakfast area, a blue-green banquette coordinates with teal chairs surrounding a midcentury-style tulip table with a bronze base. “The banquette itself has an angled corner, so the table lends itself to that shape,” Amy says.
A modern mustard yellow pendant light adds another touch of colour. “They were very adventurous when it came to lighting,” Amy says. “They wanted something different that not everybody else has.”
A modern mustard yellow pendant light adds another touch of colour. “They were very adventurous when it came to lighting,” Amy says. “They wanted something different that not everybody else has.”
Opposite the banquette is a new built-in beverage station. “There was nothing there before,” Amy says. “It was an under-utilised space.”
The station features a built-in dual-zone wine fridge, a copper prep sink, a beer tap and open shelves for glassware and mugs. The splashback consists of teal handmade leaf-shaped tiles that coordinate with the banquette and dining chairs and provide the nod to nature the homeowners wanted.
A soapstone-look engineered stone worktop gives the area a touch of drama. Reeded glass doors on an upper cabinet introduce a textured detail. “It obscures the view of what’s behind the glass a little bit and also adds interest to the cabinet,” Amy says.
A soapstone-look engineered stone worktop gives the area a touch of drama. Reeded glass doors on an upper cabinet introduce a textured detail. “It obscures the view of what’s behind the glass a little bit and also adds interest to the cabinet,” Amy says.
Before Photo
This floor plan of the former kitchen shows the compact island (centre) and the wall (centre left) that separated the kitchen and breakfast area (left).
The after floor plan shows how Amy kept the main components in the same locations, but with the wall removed she was able to add a larger island and improved connection between the two spaces.
“It really does reflect their personal taste and style much better,” she says.
Tell us…
What do you like about this kitchen redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
“It really does reflect their personal taste and style much better,” she says.
Tell us…
What do you like about this kitchen redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A couple with two school-age children
Location Melrose, Massachusetts, USA
Size 34 sq m
Designers Amy Tangorra (lead designer), Alex Scovell (space planning) and Paige Lewin (finish selections) of Our House Design+Build
Photos by Joyelle West Photography
The layout of the former kitchen worked fine, but the blue-and-white style didn’t reflect the homeowners’ personalities. Plus, a wall between the kitchen and breakfast area forced a compact island size.