An Open Floor Plan Updates a Midcentury Home

Tension rods take the place of a load-bearing wall, allowing this Cincinnati family to open up their living areas

Erin Carlyle July 10, 2018

Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.

Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More

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Brian Brockman and Amanda Brinkman-Brockman fell in love with a midcentury home and bought it — but joke that despite their love for the house, they wanted to change pretty much everything about it.

The Cincinnati home’s kitchen, dining room and living room were separated, and the couple wanted a more open floor plan that would give their kids space to hang out and play nearby while they cooked. The kitchen looked retro, and the homeowners preferred modern finishes. The couple had grand plans for renovating. But first they had to tackle a load-bearing wall that stood in their way.

Parisi Images

“After” photos by Sarah Parisi Dowlin of Parisi Images; “before” photos by Dawn M Smith

Project at a Glance
Who lives here: Brian Brockman, a real estate broker, and Amanda Brinkman-Brockman, a homemaker, and their two children, Henry, 6, and Clara, 3
Location: Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati
Size: 1,200 square feet (111 square meters), including a kitchen of 300 square feet (28 square meters)

Watch now: See how Amanda and Brian’s remodel came together

Carved mango wood vase: Circa Asia; Jora retro side chairs: Safavieh

Before Photo

Finding a Way to Eliminate a Wall

Before. The wall on the right separated the living room from the kitchen and was load-bearing, meaning it played a critical structural role in the home’s architecture. The couple’s architect proposed replacing the wall with a system of steel tension rods stretching across the home’s 30-foot span. It would become a visible element of the design.

Not sure whether she would like the look, Amanda turned to Houzz to find photos of similar solutions. Two photos, one of a Denver kitchen and living area and another of a Northern California space, gave the couple the confidence to move ahead.

Read more about removing load-bearing walls

Parisi Images

After. This photo shows the living room after the renovation. To orient yourself, note the beams on the ceiling angling up to the right. (The wood ceiling was covered with drywall to make room for new wiring that meets electrical codes.) The steel rods, painted a matte black, eliminate the need for that load-bearing wall.

The homeowners modernized the fireplace by replacing the old mantel with a ceiling-high white surround.

Laundered linen throw in indigo: Pine Cone Hill

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Here’s a full view of the new open-plan space from the living room. As you can see, the steel rods are a visible and modern part of the design, and no walls separate the kitchen, dining and living rooms.

Behind the living room on the left is a partially enclosed office, where Brian or Amanda can work and still be close to the rest of the family.

Watch now: See how this open-concept space took shape

Before Photo

Inspired Houzz: An Open Floor Plan Updates a Midcentury Home

An Open Kitchen With a Pantry Close at Hand

Before. The couple wanted a completely different look for their kitchen, with streamlined, modern cabinetry. And they wanted to get rid of the room’s closed-in feel.

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After. Here is the current kitchen, viewed from the same angle but from farther back. The family members spend most of their time here together when they are home, Amanda says.

Engineered quartz counters in pure white: Caesarstone

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The couple wanted to have a pantry area close to the stove so that Brian, the primary family chef, could quickly grab spices and supplies when he’s cooking. But they wanted to avoid the potentially cluttered look of an open pantry. Amanda had an idea that it could be hidden. She found photos of an Australian kitchen with the design she imagined and used them to convey her idea to the architect.

This photo shows the result: The refrigerator wall hides an open pantry area. Brian can easily walk from the stove on the left to the pantry, where he can quickly gather ingredients.

Cooper dining chairs in walnut: Modway Imports; porcelain floor tile: Floor & Decor

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Here’s a peek inside the pantry area, where the family stores spices, cookbooks, pots and serving dishes. The counter to the left is a convenient place to keep the microwave and other small appliances out of sight, leaving the counters in the main part of the kitchen blissfully clear. The drawers beneath the counter hide a deep fryer, blender, slow cooker and more.

Two-piece salt and pepper grinder set: Menu

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Another big priority for Brian was a powerful vent fan to pull out cooking smells. This was especially important since the new open plan meant odors could easily permeate multiple areas of the home.

Both Brian and Amanda loved the idea of walnut veneer cabinets, and Amanda was wowed by the portfolio of cabinetmaker Don Justice, whom she found on Houzz. Justice built the modern flat-panel cabinets, book-matching the fronts so that the wood grain continues across them.

The drawers to the left of the stove contain measuring cups and mixing bowls, and those to the right hold pots, pans, spatulas and whisks. Brian has his most frequently used cooking tools close by.

Porcelain backsplash tile: Floor & Decor; range hood: ProLine Range Hoods

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New Layout Lets Everyone Help With Meals

The family preps meals at the island, which contains the sink, dishwasher and trash pullout. The drawers at the end nearest the kitchen table hold everyday dishes, giving the kids a direct path to set and clear the table.

The new layout gives the couple and their children three options for meal seating. The first is the eat-in kitchen table, seen in the background, which is where they eat most often. The family also can eat at the formal dining table or the island bar.

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A mirror above the credenza near the dining table reflects the light from the exterior door.

Aria rectangular mirror in gold: Varaluz

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“It’s exactly what we wanted,” says Amanda, pictured with Brian and their children, of the renovation. “We got to pick every single thing. It feels so comfortable and so us.”

Watch now: See how Amanda and Brian renovated to get their dream home

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