How to update this mid-century kitchen?
This is the original kitchen in my 1965 mid-century home. We purchased the home 2 years ago and have been renovating it slowly ourselves. Our floors are hardwood and the backsplash is the original subway tile and it is in great condition. We found a box of extra tile in the basement and its Villeroy and Boch. The counter is white formica. The cabinets are structurally in excellent shape but there is a little bit of wear around a few of the knobs and some fading from the sun on one side of the island. The fridge is a subzero. The knobs and recessed light figures are all chrome. The pinch pleat curtains were probably replaced in the 80's and they are a really nice linen but I am kind of over the colors and would like something more contemporary. They do, however, open to cover both walls where they are situated.
We want to update the kitchen but stay true to the mid-century aesthetic of the home. What we've done so far: The hood used to be orange but we painted it with stainless steel spray paint and it looks really good. We replaced the kitchen faucet and the old cooktop with a new Bosch one. Other than that, we haven't done anything to the space. We cannot afford to gut it but we would like to update it--budget is about $10K.
Here are my questions.
1. Should we paint the cabinets or try to refinish them? I personally love the idea of gray cabinets but I'm not sure if they would work in my MCM home.
2. Any ideas on countertops?
3. What color for the walls?
4. Should we keep the chrome hardware on the cabinets?
5. Ideas on new window treatments? Should we have curtains or another type? I'm thinking geometric patterns for the fabric. We need light control as our kitchen faces due east.
6. What kind of light fixture should we put over the table?
7. The table is from our old house--any ideas on how to update it or should we get a new one--my dream table is a Saarinen tulip table for this space.
Our style is a warm contemporary. Thanks for your help!
We want to update the kitchen but stay true to the mid-century aesthetic of the home. What we've done so far: The hood used to be orange but we painted it with stainless steel spray paint and it looks really good. We replaced the kitchen faucet and the old cooktop with a new Bosch one. Other than that, we haven't done anything to the space. We cannot afford to gut it but we would like to update it--budget is about $10K.
Here are my questions.
1. Should we paint the cabinets or try to refinish them? I personally love the idea of gray cabinets but I'm not sure if they would work in my MCM home.
2. Any ideas on countertops?
3. What color for the walls?
4. Should we keep the chrome hardware on the cabinets?
5. Ideas on new window treatments? Should we have curtains or another type? I'm thinking geometric patterns for the fabric. We need light control as our kitchen faces due east.
6. What kind of light fixture should we put over the table?
7. The table is from our old house--any ideas on how to update it or should we get a new one--my dream table is a Saarinen tulip table for this space.
Our style is a warm contemporary. Thanks for your help!
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Black parsons chairs (leather) make a round table look more modern. I would go to Lowes or Home Depot or any lighting store to see what they have for a new light fixture.
http://www.cambriausa.com/our-collection/design-palette/
I would change 3 things. 1) your curtains. There are so many really nice fabrics available. If you can't find readymade curtains you like, a large fabric store in your area will either make curtains or refer you to someone who does. 2) your table and chairs. The Saarinen tulip is perfect. Of course, probably not in your budget, but a good replica will be. 3) Light fixture. I'd go with one very large white organic-shaped orb.
Deborah and Parisgirl1970--I really love that Bellingham countertop so I'm going to check it out. I was thinking of roman shades as well over all of the windows for a cleaner, simple look but I do like the softness of having some kind of drape. We definitely need something we can easily close because the sun is really intense and almost blinding in the mornings through the large window by the table.
orangecamera--do you have any pictures of the lighting fixture you described?
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I just love your kitchen the way it is! Mid century modern is just a fantastic style, and it seems that your kitchen was done right the first time. I do agree that a new table and chairs, window treatments, countertop and wall color would definitely give this kitchen a boost. One of the great things about mid mid century modern is just how fun it can be! I would go with a white countertop, either in granite, quartz or some other natural stone. I would, however, avoid a stone with too much natural striations, however, only because mcm is about very clean lines. Next I would choose a really fun fabric for the windows, to perhaps be made into roman shades or something similar. As for the paint color, I would choose a color that coordinates with the window treatments. It may be too bright for you, but I love this fabric, for the windows, with the light aqua color for the walls. Just an idea!
le into a modern dinning table in glossy black color and also change a simple design patern on your curtains but please choose a shocking favorite color of yours to make a statement on that area and more personnal....hope you enjoy it
If it were my place, I'd replace the hardware with concealed inset hings, giving everything a sleek, more up to date feel. You'd have to reduce all the door sizing - and I'd go to a cabinetmaker for this - but it's easily do-able and not too pricey.
I'd also probably update the drawer hardware from original 1950's quality to a Blum or Grass soft close undermount. Which might also mean replacing the drawer boxes. Again, not a huge thing to tackle, and the kitchen will FEEL and operate as a new one should.
Finally, I'd freshen up the hardware and put a top-treatment up to the ceiling (crown, or some sort of stepped flat stock) - the six inch flat up there is a bit off to me.
You've got a great kitchen.
Have you considered some Danish Modern type chairs to go with the one you have at the desk area? I love those and they are very comfortable and would tie in well with the cabinets.
DO NOT take paint suggestions over the internet, there are simply way too many variables that need to be considered in your home to help online.
My best advice to you would be to start with your countertops. If you want quartz, granite, concrete - whatever you want there will help you decide what colour the cabinets need to be.
I'm not a big fan of painting, even with proper steps you will only get maybe 3 to 5 years more life out of them when painting. It just doesn't last.
Your kitchen really looks to be in excellent shape - why not replace countertops, backsplash, knobs, flooring, light fixture and done! Beautiful new kitchen...
All the lighting recommendations made so far could also work beautifully.
The dining room fixture might be replaced with something more spiffy.
Largely the issue is everything is so dark. The cabinets don't look bad at all (at least as far as I can tell in the photos) so you might refinish them or might not. New knob hardware may be all you need. If the hinges are good I would not mess with them though I might paint them.
The darkness can be improved by changing the drape colors and getting lighter furniture in the dining room. Also if you take the facing off the fridge and make it stainless it will lighten things up a lot. I think white would be too garish, but brushed steel would probably be OK with the existing cabinet color.
Under cabinet lighting would go a long way towards brightening the kitchen up. Another way to really dramatically improve lighting is to put lights (e. g. single tube fluorescent fixtures laid in their side with the bulb towards the wall, and laid on top of white floor tiles) on top of the cabinets so the ceiling is washed with indirect lighting. You may need a 2 or 3 inch board stained to match the cabinets at the top of them to make sure the tacky looking back of the light fixture on top of the cabinet can not be seen by a person standing in the kitchen or dining room. Depends a lot on the geometry of the room that I can't tell from the pictures. It's easy and cheap to get a fixture and tube and just wire it up to a plug, put it up there, and see how it looks.
If you do this with fluorescents, make SURE to get ones with a really good color rendering index (CRI) and intended for kitchen and bath use. Regular or worse yet 'shop light' tubes will make the people look dead and the food look rotten. Expect 4' tubes to cost about $10 each.
I would suggest a new countertop largely for the purpose of extending the island and counter as much as you can - which might only be a foot or so - because you don't seem to have a lot of countertop area. If you are patient and good at fiddly work you can make really quite nice, flat, seams not at all apparent countertops out of granite tiles you can buy for not too much at 'big box' home improvement stores. There are also larger tiles intended for making counters, you might explore those. You can get some fairly light colored granites. Note that granite is HARD and glass or ceramic things put down on it too hard, or dropped, will break where you practically have to slam them into the much softer formica for that to happen. Also marble needs constant sealing and is easy to damage with vinegar or lemon juice or some salad dressings, and is easy to stain. Granite needs some sealing, may stain depending on exactly what you get, and needs to be cleaned scrupulously all the time to look good. If you are not up for the scrupulous cleaning, don't mind no shine, and still want stone look around for 'noned' or matte finish tiles.
One big advantage of using a synthetic countertop material in the sink area is you can get the drainboard made an integral part of the countertop. A disadvantage is cost, both in the material itself and in that the vendors won't let you DIY.
To extend the counter and island can be as simple as putting crosshatched wine rack material at the ends of the cabinets and extending the countertop another foot or so. In theory you could incorporate a breakfast bar at the end of the island, but with the table right there it seems pointless to do that. Probably better to get the extra space and save it for prep work.
This links shows painted cabinets that very close to yours: http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/testimonial-gallery.php
http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/
http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=208
http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=101
http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=208
http://rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=350
http://rustoleum.com/
I like the long curtains at the table doors. Maybe with rings to match your knobs. I would choose glass light medium size over the table with some mottled effect on the frame to coordinate with the window coverings and put it on a dimmer switch. I like our floating luxury vinyl surface on my kitchen floor, very soft compared to former tile to stand on. I would recommend taking your time deciding and try to decide on designs and colors you can live with for a long time. That's why I suggested colors that remind you of the outdoors. Have fun designing, and best of luck.
The Corian counters you chose are very nice and true to the era (granite is not). Furniture and fabric need an overhaul, that's right. But please DO NOT PAINT the cabinets. There are already more than enough kitchen remodeling projects gone wrong, style-wise.
Good luck!
Thanks for sharing. Your cabinetry looks like it's in excellent condition- I'd say consider refacing it. There is no sense in replacing cabinets that are structurally sound, especially if you're planning to stay true to the style. We offer cabinet refacing, and getting that grey that you like would be no problem. You can learn more about what we offer through our services here- http://www.granitetransformations.com/southjersey/cabinet-refacing-page
I'd replace the hardware to match your faucet (not sure what you chose for the faucet- brushed nickel?) From there, I'd also consider installing recycled glass countertops. We can do this for you also, without demolition! You can learn more about those services here- http://www.granitetransformations.com/southjersey/products/recycled-glass-countertops/
I really like your subway tiles, they're in good shape and that is a look that's trending right now. How about painting the kitchen a grey as well? I like the attached color from Benjamin Moore.
Lastly, a geometric pattern for the window treatments would work very well. You could find something that's white and grey to tie your color scheme together.
Good luck, and thanks again for sharing!
All I can think is tear down the walls and open it up.
There is great natural light and this could filter into other areas. If there is a dining room on the other side of that wall, I can assume its not used everyday. Taking out that wall will make it an everyday spot and open up the current table area for expansion or softer seating.
We did this to our MCM a few years ago and love it. We live in this area all day long.
I happen to have this kitchen. My 1965 slant-roofed ranch really has all it's original bits, including a stainless drop-in range which has "dashboard" controls that look like the interior of a Ford Galaxy 500 of the same year. I have Formica counters that have the pattern of a birch forest from 1000 feet in the air. Took me a while to figure out what that pattern was, but how cool is that?
Still, I'd tear it out in a heartbeat. I know! Sacrilege! It's just that I know I can make it function better and look better. Luckily for you preservationists out there, I can't afford to do everything I want to do. But I spend a LOT of time thinking about it, and over the 8 years I've owned the house, my plans for the room have become more modest, to fit my time and $$ constraints.
So, with that in mind, I think you can get a whole lot of bang for even less then $10K.
The layout of this kitchen is pretty great, and there's a lot already there that works quite well. The white countertops are fine, and laminate, you may have already discovered, works really well. Because you have a lot of counter, replacing it would eat a lot of your budget. So I say: don't. The subway tile, I'm afraid, was probably not an original material. But it's there, and you like it, and changing it would create a mess. Work with what you got.
I actually think the fixture over the table is fine. I think the curtains are great in a lot of ways, but the easiest swap out to change the room is to dump them. I mean, give them to the Goodwill. (I love finding the great old linen curtains in thrift stores from when people had the courage to hang crazy patterns on their windows.) Those windows are great, so I don't know why you'd want to cover them at all, unless the sun is too much. If there are privacy issues, plant a screen outside, somewhere between you and them. Roll-down solar shades soften the glare, protect your furniture, and provide an instant modern feel.
My big gesture would be to swap only the upper cabinets for Ikea, using the white glass "Rubrik" door. The one they just discontinued is the best one, because it was solid opaque white glass. The new one has a white edge with a frosted center, but it's good, too. On the oven side, use four horizontal cabinets; and use 30" high vertically oriented cabinets on either side of the fridge. These should top out AWAY from the ceiling. This will give the impression of a higher ceiling and allow light to move around more freely. The lower cabinets, and the fridge and oven "towers" need to be stripped and refinished. Not painted. Do some experimenting to see what color you want the wood to be. Just taking off the old gummy finish will do a lot to make you feel you have new cabinetry.
The other huge thing is to swap those ceiling fixtures for recessed cans. I know these square fixtures, and they are awful. You can't squeeze enough light out of them! I also know they have a huge housing in the ceiling, so when you remove them, you'll have big holes to patch. So what I'm suggesting in the removal of the upper cabinets and the lights is that you'll be needing a good drywall guy or gal to patch it up. That may be your biggest expense. Use the 4" Halo or Juno line-voltage renovation housings with white baffle trim from the big box stores. You need a bunch of them, and these are the best value. Use a par-halogen flood for best light, until LED floods become better and more affordable. Do not use fluorescents!!!! They make you, me, and your kitchen ugly. (Don't get me wrong. They have their place.)
I'd estimate that's about $4K in materials, including the solar shades. The cabinet refinishing is the wild card because it's all labor, so consider doing it yourself if you're into that kind of thing.
Here's a pic of my kitchen.... Dreaming of demolition......
Jeff
http://www.cambriausa.com/en/our-collection/design-palette/Cardiff-Cream/
brings in a bit of gray and the subtle pattern feels "authentic" to that style.
I'm not a MCM fan ... but think your kitchen is pretty great and love that you want to work with it, instead of against it.
I could see a chartreuse green paint for the walls, and window coverings and chair upholstery with some chartreuse and gray, taupe to carry that into the dining area.
Your dining set is more the issue in keeping the "feel" - What about a wood table chair set, rather than the classic white tulip? More danish modern.
As for the windows near the table, a heavy antique bronze rod with some sort of neutral panel framing each window would soften the linear appearance. Also, a large hem 12inches), a different fabric on the bottom or an accent border running vertically coud complete a budget conscious make over.
1) "sketch" what you've already selected
2) allocate funds already "spent"....
3) the decisions you've made already will "drive" a budget comstraint which must be consistent with your "comfort zone", thusly I'd suggest that the "knobbage" for the cabinetry (can) be a major element and need consideration early as it can describe the entire ethos of your proposal
Good luck!!!
Second call a cabinet professional and explore refinishing your cabinets in a lighter wood tone. Over the yrs. cabinets darken especially when people smoked like chimneys in the house. I like your choice for the counter tops and love the back splash. When I moved out of my mcm home 3 yrs. ago the new owner refinished the cabinets and I was so surprised by the result. The kitchen was large with a large island and the cost was so low compared to what new cabinets would have cost. Add new hardware and hinges to upgrade. It cost me more to replace the cabinets in my "new" mc home with a much smaller kitchen than it did for them to have the others professionally refinished.
Third replace the lights!! I bet the kitchen is really dark at night. I would go with recessed halogen lights for the brightness. I would also install under counter lights to task areas. They are not hard to do and there are new ceiling fixtures with baffles to hide where the lights had been.
I would go with white appliances because I like them better than stainless steal which shows smudges and finger prints so bad. You should be able to replace the front of your refrig for not that much either or ask the cabinet man about refinishing it. But there again I would change it to white just for the clean appearance and to help brighten up the kitchen which seems so dark.
I like your table but agree if you want to go really mcm you need a tulip with a glass top and chairs that look like they came out of the Jetsons home. Go to Overstock.com and look at what they have.
Can't wait to see what you choose to do!
I have some ideas for your questions below.
1. Should we paint the cabinets or try to refinish them? I personally love the idea of gray cabinets but I'm not sure if they would work in my MCM home. - I THINK GREY GLOSS WOULD LOOK AMAZING
2. Any ideas on countertops? - DARK CHARCOAL? OR TO SAVE MONEY KEEP YOUR WHITE FORMICA
3. What color for the walls? - SOFT WHITE
4. Should we keep the chrome hardware on the cabinets? - YES I WOULD
5. Ideas on new window treatments? Should we have curtains or another type? I'm thinking geometric patterns for the fabric. We need light control as our kitchen faces due east. - ALUMINUM SHUTTERS, TOTALLY COOL
6. What kind of light fixture should we put over the table? -SOMETHING BIG BOLD AND ROUND
7. The table is from our old house--any ideas on how to update it or should we get a new one--my dream table is a Saarinen tulip table for this space. -CHARCOAL PAINT WOULD BE A GREAT CHEAP AND CHIC, OR AS IT IS, IS NICE AND WARM AGAINST POTENTIAL WHITES AND GREYS AND CHARCOALS.
Hope you like my ideas. Good Luck!
Cheers,
Dena
you are lucky to have original tile, and i would totally keep it! i would also keep those beautiful counter tops. i think you could do some really effective things by simply updating the hardware on the cabinets, possibly painting them, changing out the curtain pattern to a chunkier m.c.m. pattern, replacing the table and chair with some m.c.m. furniture and putting in a new light fixture. even the fixture you have now would work, but if you are going to spend the $10K, then i would go for something really unique... a statement piece for lighting.
it's really such a great space as is! that fridge rocks!!!
my only other suggestion is something along the lines of a vintage style new oven and range top from a company like big chill or north star or smug.
here is a wall unit oven from big chill that i would love to get for our kitchen if we get this house...
http://bigchillfridge.com/products-page/stoves-hoods/wall-oven/
what a great kitchen you have. i think no matter what you do with it, it's going to turn out quite nice.
if you type in "mid-century modern" in the search field on houzz, you'll come up with thousands of photos of beautiful m.c.m. homes and kitchens for inspiration and ideas.
Our ceiling light fixtures (not the one over the dining table) are glass and chrome (not tacky plastic) as someone had thought, but they give off very little light--I will investigate replacing them but really only for that reason. They are very true to the period.
JRWQUATTRO--our space beyond the pass through is the family room. If we had the funds, I would DEFINITELY take out this wall as you have done. Your renovation looks beautiful! I think what we do now will be a 10-15 year plan and then perhaps later, we will take out the wall and gut the kitchen.
SIXZERO6 design--love your ideas and you know what I'm talking about with the lights! You're so right about the formica--it wears great! A little soft scrub with bleach and it looks like new. I think we will keep the cabinetry but look into refinishing it. The doors actually have matched grains and it looks like it might be walnut.
LESSISMORE--the greens would work very well in our home. Danish Modern is definitely a look that I like. GEORGIA--thanks for the link to your ideabook. I had no idea that Big Chill made wall ovens!
Our kitchen sink faces due east so morning light is not an issue--it actually gets too sunny in there! It's nighttime lighting that is the issue so I'll investigate adding undercabinet lighting.
light control in the area around the table is an issue as it faces due east, it can get very hot there in the summer. I will investigate modern types of sun shades. I love the look of roman shades but our ceilings are only 7 1/2 feet in the kitchen so I was thinking drapes would make it look taller.
BTW..our home is in Rochester, NY. There aren't a lot of MCM homes here and a lot of professionals aren't familiar with the MCM aesthetic. I'm trying to learn as much as I can myself so my choices are correct for the home. I've attached a picture of our great room (on the other side of the wall ovens) so you can see a room that's nearly finished. The third picture is our entry.
If refinishing the casework and doors - which is great, particularly if you've got grain matching - instead of hiring a "house painter" call your local custom cabinet shops and find out who they outsource their cabinet finishing to. I respect both trades, but there is a big difference between them, and a cabinet finisher will have better suppliers, color-matching, and equipment to make those look flawless.
First of all, in that era kitchens were custom, so the doors and drawers won't likely be replaced in any big box store. Also, since the kitchens were built on site, they did not use boxes, so it is not possible to just replace one component. You would destroy the integrity of the cabinetry.
If you want to upgrade the functionality, you could put pull out shelves behind the cupboards.
I know those glass and chrome recessed lights. You might open them up, give the glass a good cleaning and see if you can use brighter bulbs, perhaps directional (such as floodlights). Undercabinet lights can brighten up a room, too, without adding any competing styles to what you already have. If you do change the recessed lights, there are many simple styles which could work well. Flipping through some old 1950's-1960's Architectural Digests in the library might show other period options (though kitchens weren't featured much in those days) such as the classic hanging spheres (1970's, but close) that provide better overall illumination.
I love the light fixture you chose for the breakfast area. Once you get it installed, take down the drapes to get a good look at the space. If you can get the Saarinen tulip table, that'd be perfect. It was made in several finishes, including a walnut top, but I like the white version for its grace and style.
Your house is truly lovely. It's a great design and looks like it has moved into this century with minimal need for redesign.
http://hardware.myknobs.com/?style=kbackplate&color=Chrome
Then you could spend major bucks on the Saarinen table.
cheesy show... but awesome house! we love the double front doors. you have a gem of a house there... should be in a magazine!
Saarinen would be perfect here, although I didn't realize that marble might have a staining problem so maybe the R&B inspired mdf top - the matte finish won't cause the new light fixture to mirror off the table and blind you. (R&B would be a good bet for quality and warranty repair/replacement for the same look, with more top choices). Or, if your space could support it, how about an oval one for more seating? You'd need to move the fixture and find a good quality replica due to cost. I have a 54" round glass chrome tulip by Calligaris (Planet?) - only problem is scratches due to kiddos. Otherwise, great choice for $900 if you don't mind frequent dusting. Ours has many little kiddie toeprints on the base :)
I would just play with the hardware - buy a couple examples, photoshop them on all the cabinets.
For the commenters: I think the original poster already decided on Corian and the light fixture.
If you can get away with a small table, how about the Ikea Docksta 42" tulip for $199, or CB2 for same cost? R&B all white in 48" is $700. No worries about the wear and tear and can have lots of fun with inexpensive chairs. So many fun replicas of the modern classics these days! (Maybe long skinny "menu" board on the wall behind the table for the restauranteur?)
I would be much happier with this kitchen, than a "run of the mill" mass produced nondescript "modern" kitchen. (and I am a kitchen designer!) ;-)
1. Installed Corian Counters (Rain Cloud). This included the installation of a new under mount sink. We love both the Corian and the new, deeper stainless steel sink.
2. Installed the West Elm Chandelier
3. Stripped all of the wallpaper (horrible as they were glued directly to the plaster) and painted (BM Revere Pewter). Also painted the ceiling.
4. Purchased a Charlie Harper print, had it framed, and hung between the windows
5. Purchased a new runner.
6. Removed the drapes
Here's what we have left to do:
1. replace dining set (Sue So--your set is beautiful! I think we will stay clear of the glass as it would never stay as clean as I would like. The table we have there is 48" and it fits but barely, 42" would be more comfortable but we're not sure if it would be too small. I love R&B but there isn't any near us so shipping is a consideration. Funny, I was just checking out the tables at R&B last week when I happened to be in Chicago on business.) Also thinking of doing something really fun with the chairs--maybe green or orange?
2. replace wall ovens/microwave (will likely delay this for a year or two or until they stop working)
3. Order new window treatments (we need light control in the summer)--leaning towards some type of shade as I'm loving the really clean aesthetic.
Bookwench--your kitchen sounds lovely, too!
But I'm very jealous - my tract home can't really carry full on MCM so enjoy!
It's the big windows that I love so much - never thought my mom's kitchen was so big - about 10 * 14' - but she had big windows just like yours. All my more modern homes have had such piddly small windows!
Enjoy your new-for-you space!