Mid-century kitchen redesign

8 years ago

We love our existing kitchen, but it is very much a mid-century kitchen. There's a ton of space taken up in the pantry (formerly laundry, which was moved to a large closet) that we would love to have as part of the kitchen. The metal cabinets are super cool looking, but not the most functional.

Existing kitchen layout:

Pics:

We aren't sure how we should lay out the kitchen. We could maintain the existing layout, or we could shrink the pantry/bath area to make the kitchen bigger. Or eliminate the pantry, rotate 1/2 bath, and have an L kitchen, or a kitchen with a dining nook in the bottom right. Or something else?

Then we aren't sure if we should just stick with the existing materials and design, or change it up. We've considered something like https://kerfdesign.com/ for new cabinets, but are worried that if we redo, we will remove a lot of the character that makes the kitchen cool.

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INTENSION design

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Oh! Love the character, the colors, the wood and those pendants!!!

But I do agree that the layout needs work. Without much information on what’s happening on the other rooms, the kitchen feels pretty closed up.

I would keep the pantry where it is, who doesn’t enjoy that much storage! And open up the kitchen to the adjacent room (maybe switching the living room with dining room if possible)

That will give you the opportunity to have a big island and show off the pendants and kitchen to the rest of the house. Now you can use the island as a focal point that was missing before.

Small quick sketches attached where red is lower cabinets and full height cabinets are in black. In one option I keep the sliding door to the outside and in the other one, I converted it into a smaller window and place the sink on that side.

Kerf design cabinets are perfect in my opinion, but I wouldn’t replace all cabinetry, and if possible I’ll try to re-use the original cabinets to keep the character of the kitchen that you have right now. Maybe do a combination of new and old cabinets. A modern retro kitchen!

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Comments (7)

User
8 years ago
Don’t touch that kitchen! It is great! Original metal cabinets are very valuable as well.
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Gargamel
8 years ago
Wow what a great kitchen! I'd leave it alone too.
cat_ky
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
OMG, its gorgeous. I wish it were my kitchen. I dont much like to cook, but, I sure would enjoy spending a lot of time in that kitchen. Dont change a thing. You could add a little bit off personality though, with a few things set out on the counters. It very much looks like a kitchen that no one ever spends time in.
friedajune
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
If you do decide to take down those beautiful cabinets, sell them on Craig's List. People would kill for that authentic mid-century Jetsons look, and will pay a lot for them. But I would leave them alone.
Joe T.
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Beautiful kitchen! Those look like the same brand of metal cabinets I refinished in a mid-century condo we had years ago. Your hood looks like a smaller version of the original Nutone hood in my current MCM kitchen.

Here's what I would do—

• Keep the cabinets
• Replace the flooring with B&W checkerboard
• Replace countertops, sink and faucet
• Find a fridge that fits the space better
• Get rid of the additional file cabinet in the desk area
• Add under cabinet lighting

Heck, as I read what I just wrote, it sounds almost like what I'm doing in the MCM house we bought a few months ago.
Phil Halley thanked Joe T.
K Laurence
8 years ago
Wow ... love it.