Mid-Century but make it Prairie Style

I’ve known this family for well over a decade and was so excited for them when they bought this mid-century house! I was truly honored when they chose me to help them design a remodel of both the kitchen and main bathroom.  Their family had grown to capacity and their space needed to be more efficient. They also wanted it to better reflect their personalities and their love for Prairie style homes. Mid-century but make it Prairie?! Say no more!

Since the kitchen is on the main floor and visible from the main entrance, we’ll start there. The layout itself was not bad, but the refrigerator was cramping the range side and none of the cabinets were making the best use of the space. After ruling out a more involved remodel and keeping the main galley style but rotating the refrigerator to the adjecent wall to create more of a ‘U’ shape.  As you will see in the ‘after’ photo, the refrigerator is a bit more centered with with a tall pantry cabinet now to the left side. The angled cabinets along the pathway to the patio door provides maximum storage (for kids’ lunchboxes and dog gear!) while preserving ample clearance. Bonus: there’s now a perfect spot for a coffee station or drop zone to the right of the fridge!

So now that we’ve made the room function, we can make it pretty. We played around at the tile store and came up with a few ideas . . .

. . . before landing on just the right one!

And the result was truly transformational! Bringing the cabinets all the way to the ceiling draws the eye up, which makes the space feel taller and bounces natural light back and forth throughout the space. The new layout really opens up the space and makes it feel so much bigger. These photos are taken on a cloudy day; it’s hard to overstate just how much more open and airy this room feels!  With the kitchen being under the second story and north facing, making the space feel lighter was the top priority.

We accomplished this by grounding the space with a darker color on the floor and off-white base and wall cabinets. The dark hardware speaks to the tones in the cork flooring, as well as the ceiling fan. The variety of warm tones in the backsplash tile are also the mid-tones we were look for that sense of balance. Needing to keep the window trim stained to match the rest of the home, we could not have asked for a better complementing tile!

– – and now on to the bathroom – –

This room really just needed a little refresh. While there is a second bathroom in the lower level, this family of four largely shres this main bathroom. While the room has ample space, the cabinet and closet did not serve their storage needs well. We fixed that by adding medicine cabinet mirrors, re-configured double sink vanity, and converting the closet into a built-in linen cabinet.

Where the direction of the kitchen finish selections was a little unclear at first, the bathroom was the exact opposite. Going into the project with a desire for green cabinets – but not a sea of them in the kitchen – we both knew the bathroom was where those beautiful green cabinets would live. Pair them with a classic basketweave tile floor – with the accents in the absolute perfect shade of olive green?! Yes. Please.

Here’s how we imagined it with a rendering. . .

. . . and here’s the final outcome. Can you believe it?! I mean, it’s just dreamy.

I love how the plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware complement the basketweave tile from afar. The black accents in the mirror and lighting bring a real cohesion to the space. It’s hard to get a good angle of the new linen cabinet – can you see it reflected in the mirror here?

This view shows how the setback installation of the cabinet allows for more room for others to move about. It also showcases the affordable tub enclosure we found – it’s beautiful! If you have little kids and find yourself cursing the grout lines in your shower – know there is a solution!

Are you dreaming of your own kitchen or bathroom remodel? We can help!  You can choose from our basic kitchen + bathroom package with 8 standard items or customize your package to change / add catalog items. You can also add space planning or work with us in person if you are within 25 miles of Madison, WI!

Each of our designs come with a photorealistic image of the room, design narrative, and a clickable catalog. You can then do the work yourself or give a copy to contractors for comparable bids!