OUR WORK
Mid-Century Modern Kitchen and Mudroom Remodel in Ann Arbor Hills, Ann Arbor
The tightest spot in the house became a kitchen with room for two cooks.
THE STORY
What the homeowners wanted, and what we found.
WHAT THEY WANTED
These homeowners loved their mid-century kitchen, but it was the busiest and tightest spot in the house. They wanted it to have more breathing room and connect to the dining and family rooms. It was too small for two cooks, and some of the cabinets no longer worked in the tight corners.
WHAT WE FOUND
Circulation was very tight in the most active part of the house. The kitchen was too small for two cooks. The homeowners loved their mid-century cabinets, but they needed a refresh, and some no longer worked in the corners.
HOW WE DESIGNED IT
We moved the kitchen wall 10 inches into the mudroom, which made the corners work and gave two cooks room to move.
THE INSPIRATION
Those original mid-century cabinets meant a lot to the homeowners. The new design keeps their spirit with natural walnut and clean custom details. Most of all, the kitchen needed room to breathe.
THE PLAN
We removed the dining room hutch to open up the path through the house. A breakfast bar now connects the kitchen to the family room where a closet once stood. Moving the kitchen wall 10 inches into the mudroom made the corner cabinets work. In the mudroom, a stacked washer and dryer frees up room for a landing zone.
THE OUTCOME
How it turned out
Two cooks share the kitchen without bumping elbows. The breakfast bar keeps them connected to the family room. Food is easy to find in the walnut pantry, and the mudroom has a real place to land.
FINAL PHOTOS
The finished space.
AT A GLANCE
Remodeling a Mid-Century Kitchen and Mudroom in Ann Arbor Hills
A kitchen and mudroom remodel.
Ann Arbor Hills, Ann Arbor.
Walnut sliding pantry wall, breakfast bar where a closet stood, dining hutch removed, stacked laundry, custom-height cabinets.
THE FLOOR PLANS
What changed, and why.
We moved the kitchen wall 10 inches into the mudroom, which made the corners work and gave two cooks room to move.
BEFORE
AFTER
WHAT MAKES IT WORK
Three details that carry the design.
FEATURE 01
A wall of eight natural walnut sliding doors hides a roomy pantry. It's shallow enough that food never gets lost in the back.
FEATURE 02
A hanging cabinet above the breakfast bar has sliding doors that show more or less of the family room. Getting every detail right took close teamwork between design and construction.
FEATURE 03
Custom cabinets let us get creative with the details. The base cabinets are a custom height to allow a thicker counter, and a small reveal under the counter adds a crisp shadow line.
THE PROJECT
Remodeling a Mid-Century Kitchen and Mudroom in Ann Arbor Hills
AT A GLANCE
A kitchen and mudroom remodel.
Ann Arbor Hills, Ann Arbor.
Walnut sliding pantry wall, breakfast bar where a closet stood, dining hutch removed, stacked laundry, custom-height cabinets.
THE STORY
These homeowners loved their mid-century kitchen, but it was the busiest and tightest spot in the house. They wanted it to have more breathing room and connect to the dining and family rooms. It was too small for two cooks, and some of the cabinets no longer worked in the tight corners.
HOW WE DESIGNED IT
We removed the dining room hutch to open up the path through the house. A breakfast bar now connects the kitchen to the family room where a closet once stood. Moving the kitchen wall 10 inches into the mudroom made the corner cabinets work. In the mudroom, a stacked washer and dryer frees up room for a landing zone.
