Kitchen of the Week: Colorful Boost for a Midcentury Kitchen
A designer found on Houzz brings a happy vibe and a touch of Palm Springs to a homeowner’s 1956 Pacific Northwest space
A mutual love of color and a vintage aesthetic brought a homeowner and a designer together to rethink a 1950s kitchen in Edmonds, Washington. When the homeowner found Kirk Riley Design on Houzz, she’d already been assembling Houzz ideabooks with inspiration photos and knew she wanted a cheerful kitchen in her 1956 home. Heather Kirk helped her realize the vision. “We asked, ‘How do you make a happy kitchen?’ It was a mutual love for this vintage home that had been cared for, the two of us saying yes to color, yes to dogs coming through and people using the space,” Kirk says. “It had to be high-functioning for sure.”
Before: The 1950s-era kitchen had basic fixtures and finishes, including a scalloped valance over the sink, poor lighting and a nonfunctioning refrigerator for which coolant was no longer available. Kirk knew it could all be improved.
“As a designer, I’m quick to forget about the soffit, inadequate lighting, linoleum flooring, small divided sink and the window covering, as it all can be fixed,” she says.
“We started with a time capsule that had been well cared for, but things were done. They did their time, they were loved and we wish them well, and now it’s time to move on and it’s OK.”
“As a designer, I’m quick to forget about the soffit, inadequate lighting, linoleum flooring, small divided sink and the window covering, as it all can be fixed,” she says.
“We started with a time capsule that had been well cared for, but things were done. They did their time, they were loved and we wish them well, and now it’s time to move on and it’s OK.”
After: Kirk and the owner collaborated to create a fresh take on a midcentury kitchen, resulting in a lightened-up space with fresh colors. “The fun part was she was open to color and appreciative of that process, determining what color to use. Asking ‘How about orange?’ means we’ll just neutralize everything else, to have it not be too overwhelming,” Kirk says.
White PentalQuartz counters were a sunny option to contrast with the color of the walls and range. “White gloss adds to the fresh feeling, with light bouncing around even on gloomy days,” Kirk says. The island is topped with the same quartz and, instead of seating, it has “a ton of storage,” Kirk says.
Paint was the final selection in the process, Kirk says, with the decision focusing on a shade of robin’s-egg or Tiffany blue. They narrowed it down to two samples and the winner was Forget Me Not from Benjamin Moore.
White PentalQuartz counters were a sunny option to contrast with the color of the walls and range. “White gloss adds to the fresh feeling, with light bouncing around even on gloomy days,” Kirk says. The island is topped with the same quartz and, instead of seating, it has “a ton of storage,” Kirk says.
Paint was the final selection in the process, Kirk says, with the decision focusing on a shade of robin’s-egg or Tiffany blue. They narrowed it down to two samples and the winner was Forget Me Not from Benjamin Moore.
The designers chose a 6-by-7-inch dimensional hexagonal tile to replace the previous backsplash. “The original pink backsplash had a dimensional pattern in the pink tiles. We didn’t need to replicate that, but when we found these hexes that came in dimensional, it was a throwback tie-in. We were trying to pay homage to vintage tiles but in a cool modern way,” Kirk says.
The team chose an orange Bertazzoni induction cooktop range, which Kirk says “is super cool and easy to use.” She says installing a low-profile vent hood above the range instead of an oversize one was “one of the small victories.” It was an important feature because it allowed the owner to keep storage above the range. “It makes a big change in day-to-day life. We prioritized storage and still got a sleek hood,” Kirk says.
Backsplash tile: Mini Hexa in Ice White, matte and gloss finishes, WOW
Shop for tile on Houzz
The team chose an orange Bertazzoni induction cooktop range, which Kirk says “is super cool and easy to use.” She says installing a low-profile vent hood above the range instead of an oversize one was “one of the small victories.” It was an important feature because it allowed the owner to keep storage above the range. “It makes a big change in day-to-day life. We prioritized storage and still got a sleek hood,” Kirk says.
Backsplash tile: Mini Hexa in Ice White, matte and gloss finishes, WOW
Shop for tile on Houzz
The microwave is in a cabinet that reflects the space’s midcentury aesthetic, more similar to furniture than a standard kitchen cabinet. “That was the goal,” Kirk says. “We’re still in the kitchen and knew she needed a microwave for reheating but wanted it a little out of the way. This gave her a great space for prepping and serving without being at the main kitchen island.” The design team customized the cabinetry by putting table legs on it.
Here’s a closer look at the ceramic wall tiles above the cabinet that holds the microwave. Kirk used a mix of matte and gloss tiles to add even more dimension to the wall.
The team created a dry bar area in the dining room, adjacent to the kitchen. They had considered a wet bar, but storage was a priority so they installed a built-in dry bar instead. “I saw a blank wall in the adjacent space and said, ‘Hey we can give you more storage,’ ” Kirk says.
The floor plan shows the kitchen at the top and the dining room with new built-in cabinetry at the bottom.
The homeowner says she loves the functionality and feeling of space, which didn’t exist before the remodel. ”Every day I am grateful for feeling like the outside, nature, is right there, with the amazing island and its room to spread out and prep and even do projects that I could never have done before,” she says.
Kirk appreciates that it was such an easy collaboration. “She was very open to what it should feel like,” she says. “She’s a very happy person and loves going to Palm Springs, so we dropped a touch of Palm Springs in the Pacific Northwest.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
The homeowner says she loves the functionality and feeling of space, which didn’t exist before the remodel. ”Every day I am grateful for feeling like the outside, nature, is right there, with the amazing island and its room to spread out and prep and even do projects that I could never have done before,” she says.
Kirk appreciates that it was such an easy collaboration. “She was very open to what it should feel like,” she says. “She’s a very happy person and loves going to Palm Springs, so we dropped a touch of Palm Springs in the Pacific Northwest.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A single woman, her two grown children and a dog
Location: Edmonds, Washington
Size: 159 square feet (15 square meters)
Designer: Heather Kirk of Kirk Riley Design
Builder: Birrenkott Construction & Remodel
The new kitchen got a complete overhaul, during which Kirk and the homeowner worked together closely, using Houzz ideabooks for inspiration. “All my projects start with design planning consultation, and at that meeting I say I’m assigning homework, so tell them to go create their inspiration on Houzz. That’s how we start all our projects,” Kirk says.
Everything in the kitchen is now new, except the window over the sink and the baseboard heating. There’s a larger refrigerator, a wider and deeper sink with water filter and oak flooring that ties in with adjacent rooms. “We started with a bright and fresh color palette, maple cabinetry, new oak floors — and it really came together when we went appliance shopping,” Kirk says. “I asked, ‘Do you think you can do a colored appliance?’ ” With the owner’s love of the midcentury vibe of Palm Springs, Kirk knew the answer would be yes.
Find a kitchen designer near you