Kitchen of the Week: Mad for Mod Makeover
White and walnut cabinets and turquoise picket tile give a 1960s Florida kitchen fresh midcentury modern style
When a color-loving Florida couple moved from a coastal location to a 1960s-era concrete-block house in town, they knew their new home’s bland, boxed-in kitchen would have to go. Working with Epoch Solutions, with whom they’d teamed up on a previous remodel, they replaced it with a combination kitchen-bar-dining nook that’s at once suited to contemporary living and true to the home’s midcentury modern bones.
After: Here’s the new kitchen, photographed from the same vantage point.
(Scroll to the bottom of the story to see the new floor plan.)
Removing interior walls, vaulting the ceiling and swapping dark granite for white quartz countertops opened and brightened the entire space. Replacing the yellowish wood floors with light, large-format porcelain tiles throughout the house also had a brightening effect and was more dog- and pool-friendly to boot. With the walls gone, there’s both more light coming into the kitchen and a clear view out to the front yard’s new courtyard and midcentury-modern-style breeze-block fence.
The gorgeous rug was made by a woman the homeowner met while traveling in Morocco.
Countertop: Caesarstone in Organic White
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(Scroll to the bottom of the story to see the new floor plan.)
Removing interior walls, vaulting the ceiling and swapping dark granite for white quartz countertops opened and brightened the entire space. Replacing the yellowish wood floors with light, large-format porcelain tiles throughout the house also had a brightening effect and was more dog- and pool-friendly to boot. With the walls gone, there’s both more light coming into the kitchen and a clear view out to the front yard’s new courtyard and midcentury-modern-style breeze-block fence.
The gorgeous rug was made by a woman the homeowner met while traveling in Morocco.
Countertop: Caesarstone in Organic White
Shop for runner rugs
The backsplash, which mixes several shades of picket-shaped turquoise tiles, was one of the first things the homeowners selected for the kitchen, Hoeksema says. The elongated hexagon shape is a popular choice in a variety of kitchen styles right now, but in this color, stacked vertically, the tiles set the kitchen’s contemporary-meets-midcentury modern tone.
Meanwhile, the delicate white-and-gold, five-pendant linear chandelier from Royyo that lights the new island has energy-efficient LED technology and a contemporary look that’s also vaguely space-age-y. The cabinets’ matte gold Hafele cabinet hardware coordinates with the light fixture’s metal finish.
The homeowner chose the lighting as well as the counter-height stools and matching dining chairs, whose wood frames echo the black American walnut island. The slab-front perimeter cabinets, meanwhile, are painted white — a classic midcentury white-and-wood combo.
Tile: Watercolors picket in O’Keefe by Lunada Bay; faucet: Brizo; cabinetry: Lauriermax
Meanwhile, the delicate white-and-gold, five-pendant linear chandelier from Royyo that lights the new island has energy-efficient LED technology and a contemporary look that’s also vaguely space-age-y. The cabinets’ matte gold Hafele cabinet hardware coordinates with the light fixture’s metal finish.
The homeowner chose the lighting as well as the counter-height stools and matching dining chairs, whose wood frames echo the black American walnut island. The slab-front perimeter cabinets, meanwhile, are painted white — a classic midcentury white-and-wood combo.
Tile: Watercolors picket in O’Keefe by Lunada Bay; faucet: Brizo; cabinetry: Lauriermax
Before Photo
Before: Another view of the original layout shows how the kitchen was squished into a box in the corner.
Not only did the walls cut off flow and conversation between the kitchen, living and dining spaces, but they blocked views and access to sliding doors that open to an in-ground pool and a golf course beyond it.
Not only did the walls cut off flow and conversation between the kitchen, living and dining spaces, but they blocked views and access to sliding doors that open to an in-ground pool and a golf course beyond it.
After: With the walls gone, Hoeksema could extend the kitchen cabinetry across the back wall and meet a new corner banquette, which conceals additional storage space. (Hoeksema calls them “sneaky drawers.") The nook’s round tulip-style table and smooth wooden seat make it easy to slide in and out for casual meals.
One special detail in the custom cabinetry is the walnut box set into the upper cabinets. LED puck lights show off the homeowners’ prized alabaster bowls inside, and an uplight highlights a glass vase sitting atop it.
“It really does feel like you’re in an art gallery, but not a cluttered art gallery,” Hoeksema says. “Every piece has a very specific place [and] there’s a story about everything.”
One special detail in the custom cabinetry is the walnut box set into the upper cabinets. LED puck lights show off the homeowners’ prized alabaster bowls inside, and an uplight highlights a glass vase sitting atop it.
“It really does feel like you’re in an art gallery, but not a cluttered art gallery,” Hoeksema says. “Every piece has a very specific place [and] there’s a story about everything.”
Looking toward the other back corner, you can get a better sense of how the remodeled kitchen now connects to the outdoors and the rest of the open-concept living and dining area. (Here’s a shot of the wall opposite the kitchen.)
Another creative custom cabinetry feature is a bench on the far end of the kitchen island. It creates an aesthetic balance with the walnut box, Hoeksema says, and has drawers for storage. And since it’s the height of a standard seat, it’s a great place for guests to sit while they engage with the rest of the room.
Before and After: 5 Kitchens With Midcentury Moxie
Another creative custom cabinetry feature is a bench on the far end of the kitchen island. It creates an aesthetic balance with the walnut box, Hoeksema says, and has drawers for storage. And since it’s the height of a standard seat, it’s a great place for guests to sit while they engage with the rest of the room.
Before and After: 5 Kitchens With Midcentury Moxie
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That perch comes in especially handy during parties, when the host is mixing libations at the new bar, pictured here. Just a few feet from the island, the bar has a wine fridge and custom pullouts for liquor bottles. Zoom in to see the white, mod-looking dimensional tile backsplash.
In the homeowners’ beloved turquoise hue, the bar’s vibrant countertop coordinates with the exterior door trim and the backsplash. By ThinkGlass, it was the husband’s must-have after he saw it in Epoch Industries’ showroom, Hoeksema says. And like the rest of the kitchen, the final look was a hit.
“When we were able to present it for the first time, they were like, ‘Ahh!’ ” Hoeksema says. “They were blown away.”
In the homeowners’ beloved turquoise hue, the bar’s vibrant countertop coordinates with the exterior door trim and the backsplash. By ThinkGlass, it was the husband’s must-have after he saw it in Epoch Industries’ showroom, Hoeksema says. And like the rest of the kitchen, the final look was a hit.
“When we were able to present it for the first time, they were like, ‘Ahh!’ ” Hoeksema says. “They were blown away.”
The new kitchen’s floor plan. The bottom faces the front yard; the top opens to the pool area.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple and their dog
Location: Bradenton, Florida
Size: 312 square feet (29 square meters); 12 by 26 feet
Designer: Ann Marie Hoeksema of Epoch Solutions
Before: As seen here, the previous kitchen was galley style, with interior walls separating it from the dining and living spaces.
Ultimately, the renovation extended to the whole house, overseen by local contractors Ross Built Construction. But it all started with a simple kitchen drawing.
“They were going for something light, bright and modern but with the warmth of wood tones,” says designer Ann Marie Hoeksema, who often looks to Houzz for inspiration. “The homeowners have great pieces of art and have a great eye for design, so they really picked all of the furnishings and we did all of the built-in cabinetry.”
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