A Mid Century Modern Kitchen Renovation: a house log

Ruthy’s kitchen makeover immediately got our attention, since it is a style of house (and therefore kitchen) that we do not frequently come across here in Richmond. So we were totally digging the dose of Pacific Northwest that she and her husband Andy sent us (via Tacoma, WA) along with a stylish shot of mid-century modernness. We enjoy sharing kitchen diversity whenever we can, so we thought it was truly interesting to see their choice of dark cabinetry without any upper cabinets at all. Here is her story:

Hi The house team! I hoped to send over some info about our newly remodeled kitchen. We absolutely enjoyed the open floor plan of this mid century modern home…

… but we did not enjoy the original cabinets and counters.

To say I enjoy being in the kitchen now is an understatement. I in fact enjoy cleaning it.

We chose to go with Ikea cabinets. The main reason we went with Ikea is because they had the style I hoped (flat front, not shaker) for an affordable price (we paid about $2,500). I was nervous about designing the kitchen with no upper cabinets, but I enjoy how it turned out, and truly enjoy using drawers instead.

I truly, truly hoped quartz countertops, but if you have not noticed, we have countertops for days. It simply would’ve cost way too much money. After doing a ton of research, I chose to go with acrylic. (I was sold after reading that you folks had the same countertops but a distinct brand). The quite best price we found was at Lowe’s for their Allen + Roth brand at $33 a square foot.

We debated about the sink. I hoped stainless steel and Andy hoped an integrated sink. I had done some research on integrated sinks and the results were 50/50. People enjoyed it or hated it. Andy won the debate, and so far we have had zero problems keeping it clean. I use a magic eraser every now and then and a swift spray of bleach once a week and it is still sparkling white.

Your posts helped so much in choosing our appliances and countertops! Thank you! -Ruthy

This kitchen totally rocks my socks. I know, did you ever think you’d hear me say that about a kitchen without white cabinets? My horizons are expanding people. It is official. I think my go-to parts are that big expansive backsplash and the exposed range hood without any other cabinets around it. Meanwhile Sherry loves the integrated sink, the planked wall, and that strong cabinet hardware. Feel free to play the go-to part game with us. Oh and Ruthy’s got some more pics and links (including her full review of the Ikea cabinets) on her journal if you’d like to know more. Thanks for sharing, Ruthy!