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Posts tagged ‘mid-century design’

Oct 10

Period Kitchens: The ’50s and ’60s

50s kitchen

The ’50s and 60’s kitchen was all about “modern conveniences” and new manufactured finishes that made the latest looks more affordable for a growing post-war family.  The look was sleek, with minimal ornamentation and increasing use of wood veneers, laminates and manufactured finishes.

Full Overlay Cabinets. Cabinets doors completely concealed the face frame behind it.

ClaypoolCraven_1962_Kitchen_A_12_P_ProThis 1962 whole house remodel features a Mid-Century Modern inspired kitchen with full overlay doors and drawers, simple hardware and strong, simple shapes. Design by Anne De Wolf.

Slab Doors. Simple, flush un-ornamented doors were popular, creating clean lines and simple shapes.

 

BrownAllen_1957_Kitchen_A_8_P_ProThis Saul Zaik home features full overlay slab doors in the kitchen with wood edged laminate counter tops. Lines were kept simple to keep the focus on the dramatic ceiling lines and large windows of this classic Mid-Century Modern home. Design by Brian Carleton, built by Arciform.

Wood Veneers. Manufactured finishes like wood veneers and laminates became very popular during this era, along with  counter tops that sometimes came with contrasting or matching wood, metal or laminate edging.

Jacobson_1961_Kitchen_A_1_P

This restored kitchen in the Alameda neigborhood integrated new cabinets alongside the existing cabinets. Exact replicas of the brass hardware were custom made for the kitchen and a new fridge was tucked behind panels that were designed to blend with the rest of the kitchen. Design by Anne De Wolf.

Jacobson_1961_Kitchen_A_4_P

 

Would you like to refresh your kitchen’s sleek Mod style? Our designers can help you integrate modern conveniences while including style elements that fit the era of your home. Schedule a design consultation to begin planning your own perfect kitchen here.

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Jan 21

Letting the Light In

We recently ran across this post from a client who used us to restore and replace a wall of glass windows in a gorgeous mid-century home by architect Frank Shell.

Here’s an excerpt from his description of the window project:

When we first moved in, a woman who owned a window company showed up and left a card with us and said that the previous owner had gotten her to quote some window replacement and she ended up emailing us the bid. Oh my god I’m so glad these people lost the house. They were planning on replacing all the windows with vinyl and putting up ugly plastic awnings. They wanted to take out the beautiful 12 foot all glass sliding door and replace with vinyl french doors. I truly believe that would have been a deal breaker, for us at least. In my mind that would have ruined the house and the cost to replace all the vinyl (not to mention the waste) would make it not worth it for us.

frank_shell_portland_window

With that said there were some windows that were in need of replacing. 7 windows had failed, meaning the insulation was not working. I think part of the blame was the lack of upkeep and the neglect of maintaining and/or replacing the roof. You can tell a failed window simply by the clarity of it. Over time it becomes cloudy with all the condensation gathering inside.

In the photo above you can see the windows being replaced. On the left is an old window that is cloudy. On the right there was a similar window but it has been removed.

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You can read the rest of this homeowner’s experience here. We were delighted to participate in the restoration of this quintessential example of the NW Mid-Century Modern style.

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Jan 18

Mid-Century Modern custom counter

Mid-Century Mahogany

Sometimes you uncover amazing materials in a home restoration… materials that demand to not only be lovingly restored, but honored with new design elements that tie the new and the old into a cohesive whole. That’s what happened when we discovered gorgeous mahogany trims throughout this mid-century modern beauty (that had suffered through some terrible ’70s updates).

ClaypoolCraven_1962_After_Entry_1

We restored the mahogany details and in the end they inspired a solution to a tricky design problem: How to maximize the visible light and extraordinary views of the great room and kitchen while still providing a focal point that created natural transition between one living space and the next. Our solution? create a brand-new cantilevered mahogany counter that is simultaneously richly luxurious, solid and built to last, but with a profile that feels lighter than air.

You are cordially invited to tour this mid-century beauty this March- it will be featured on the Tour of Remodeled Homes, March 9th and 10th, 2013. We look forward to having you join us!

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