Our clients, Mary and Ken, met us at a home show. After evaluating whether to move to a one-story home, they decided that they loved their location and their neighborhood such that it was going to make sense to continue aging in place in their 1950s two-story home. However, the only bathroom was on the second floor, and the kitchen was closed off and outdated, including even the original 1950s cabinetry. Mary and Ken wanted a bathroom on the main level for everyday convenience and in case of illness or infirmity. As we designed, we recognize that it was not possible to install a full bathroom, so a powder room was chosen instead.

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A remodel of a 1950s Kitchen with a Viking Range, Cambria Countertops, and Northern Classic cabinetry.

An Open Concept Design

The 1950s kitchen had one beloved update. A 36-inch Viking six-burner gas range and a matching vent hood was installed in a 1990s update. These high-quality products were prepared to continue their useful life in the next generation of the kitchen. Going back to standard appliances was not an option. Another goal was to help the kitchen be more connected to the rest of the house. A non-load-bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed to create a more open floor plan, and a peninsula cabinet provides a comfortable serving area. Because we added a second window in the kitchen, the peninsula is also the perfect place for an under counter microwave unit, freeing up more wall space for additional cabinetry. This peninsula area provides just enough room for two seats so that the home now has both its formal dining room and a less formal area for Mary and Ken.

Kitchen wall paint is Sherwin Williams Honey Bees

Space Saving Features

An additional inconvenience and wasted space was a door leading from the kitchen to the back porch. It was redundant to a French door in the dining room and took up valuable floor space, preventing the last 3 ft of cabinetry from reaching its logical end. This door was removed to extend the kitchen and provide a pantry cabinet.

Four Burner Viking Range and Viking Range Hood.

The kitchen has Northern Classic cabinetry with the Langlade door style.

The flooring is Adura Flex 18x18 Luxury Vinyl Tile in Athena Corinthian Coast.

Manhattan 2nd Avenue, 2.8 x 12, half-brick pattern backsplash tile with Bostik Vivid Bone grout.

Natural Light From Two Windows

There were two windows in the existing kitchen. Both remain in the new plan, the back window providing natural light and a cheerful view for a great countertop work area. The rear window was replaced, converting from a double-hung to an awning window, to give the most wide-open view to the backyard.

Two existing windows in the kitchen Provided needed light. The back window was replaced with an Andersen 400-series awning window.

A Highly Functional Kitchen Design

Another feature of the kitchen is the artistic composition of backsplash tile and floating shelves. The workspace has a floating shelf that runs continuously above the window, and a pair of smaller shelves provide a termination point for the backsplash tile consistent with the other cabinets. On the opposite side of the room, backsplash tile extends to the soffit, concealing the range hood's ductwork. On one side, open shelving extends from the range hood to the cabinetry. On the left side, because it is an open corner, no shelving was placed there to keep the most open appearance possible. Instead, the homeowner hangs her frequently used cooking utensils, as this truly is a cook's kitchen.

Tje foyer light fixture is a Four Light Semi-Flush Mount in Midnight Bronze by Nuvo Lighting.

Northern Classic cabinetry has a Maple, Harvest stain.

The Cabinet hardware is Amerock Highland Ridge Knobs and pulls in Dark Oiled Bronze.

Sharp Microwave Drawer in Stainless Steel.

Custom built floating shelves by our carpenter Kelly Lawton.

And A New Powder Room

We carefully combined two closets in order to create a main level powder room. A small amount of space was taken from the generous living room in order to make a new coat closet and provide a small amount of extra width for the powder room. This created a better proportion for the living room, while ensuring that the powder room fit comfortably. In order to meet building code, we needed to provide a new, wider door rather than reusing one of the original narrow doors. We carefully matched the classic look of the home, using pine for the door and baseboard to get a color similar to the original trim. A basketweave floor pattern was chosen, perfect for this size of room. At the same time, the mosaic backsplash and floating shelves provide a contemporary pop of style within this powder room, and the vanity light fixture lives comfortably in the realm between classic design and modern industrial. The most important thing is that the clients now have what they desired: a main level bathroom and remodeled kitchen, which will allow them to age in place for the foreseeable future.