Ruthy’s kitchen remodel caught our eye right away. It’s a style of home—and therefore a kitchen—that we don’t often see around Richmond, so the Pacific Northwest vibe she and her husband Andy brought from Tacoma, WA felt refreshingly different. Their mid-century modern aesthetic and bold choices stood out, especially the decision to use dark lower cabinetry with no upper cabinets. Here’s Ruthy’s account of the renovation:
Hi John and Sherry! I wanted to send over some info about our newly remodeled kitchen. We absolutely loved the open floor plan of this mid century modern home…
… but we didn’t love the original cabinets and counters.
To say I love being in the kitchen now is an understatement. I actually enjoy cleaning it.
We chose Ikea cabinets. The main reason we went with Ikea was the style I wanted—flat-front rather than shaker—and the affordability. Our cabinet spend was about $2,500. I was nervous about designing without upper cabinets, but I love the final result and prefer using deep drawers for storage.
I really wanted quartz countertops, but the scale of our counters made that cost-prohibitive. After researching alternatives I chose acrylic countertops. The best price we found was Lowe’s Allen + Roth at about $33 per square foot, which fit the budget and delivered a clean, continuous look.
We debated the sink choice—stainless steel versus an integrated sink. Online reviews were mixed, but Andy preferred the integrated option. So far it’s been easy to maintain: occasional magic eraser touch-ups and a weekly bleach spray keep it bright and clean.
John and Sherry’s posts were really helpful when we were choosing appliances and countertops—thank you!
This kitchen is a fantastic example of how a bold, streamlined approach can transform a space. The lack of upper cabinets opens the room while the dark lower cabinets anchor it with strong mid-century character. The expansive backsplash and the exposed range hood become striking focal points without competing cabinetry. The integrated sink, the planked wall, and the choice of cabinet hardware are small details that pull the whole look together. If you want more details, Ruthy has additional photos and a full review of the Ikea cabinets on her blog. Thanks for sharing your project, Ruthy!