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Katy Popple’s clients were just as adamant about what they wanted to change in their Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, kitchen as they were about what they wanted to keep. There was no way the existing rickety cabinets were going to suit their needs as a growing family, but the dark wood stain was totally their vibe. Plus, it went with the rest of the wood in their home nicely.
So, Popple popped off one of the doors, took it to her cabinet maker, Myers Custom Woodworks, which was hard at work on the new cupboards for the space, and asked if they could recreate the finish. “They can match anything,” says the designer. The biggest compliment the homeowners get now is when guests come over and assume the lower cabinets are original to the kitchen. “They loved the mid-century feel and wanted to keep it authentic, but we were eager to make it more functional for family and for entertaining,” says Popple.
Ahead, the designer shares how they preserved the space’s retro ways while still making it their own.
Open Sesame
While the non-load bearing wall separating the kitchen and dining area allowed for extra upper cabinets, Popple knew the partition had to come down if she was going to achieve any sense of flow in the house. “It was making the kitchen feel too small,” says the designer. Demolishing it was an easy task, and it made way for a spacious island that’s prime for family dinners and hosting.
Get In Formation
The wood cabinet stain wasn’t the only thing these homeowners were eager to recreate in their reno. They also wanted to emphasize curves—a theme throughout the house (even the only staircase in the house is a spiral). Popple updated the vent hood but mimicked its elongated silhouette and rounded edges. “Because it’s bound by that window above it, a regular hood would have looked really small,” she says. The designer played around with a few different arced handle sizes for the cabinets and landed on ones that were two inches in diameter. “The answer is always chunkier,” she says.
Bet Big on Primary Colors
From the beginning, Popple’s clients requested a terra-cotta-hued countertop based on an inspiration image they’d seen of a kitchen with a reddish-orange surface. The designer called on a local father and son team, Outlaw Studios, who specialize in cement surfaces, templating it out and pouring the molds off-site so there are no messes on install day. The cost, surprisingly, came out to the same as a mid-range quartz.
With the countertop set in stone, the designer began playing around with other cabinet colors in her 3D models to see what hue would work best with the terracotta. “I threw in blue and I was like, ‘This is where we’re going,’” says Popple, who turned the vision into a reality using Sherwin-Williams’ Bluebird Feather.
Set Up a “Command Center”
The cabinet that looks like a second fridge is actually what Popple calls a “command center.” “I do it for a lot of families,” she says. “It’s a catchall space.” When you open up the pocket doors, there is a vast nook with shelves and outlets—in other words, plenty of room for school papers, keys, calendars, and seasonal cards. Other storage elements she always incorporates in her renos? Loads of drawers, a pull-out trash can, vertical dividers for cutting boards and sheet pans, and silverware dividers.
Create a Mini Cafe in Your Pantry
When Popple first visited her client’s house, she noticed that they really, really love coffee. So, during the remodel, she took what was once just a plain pantry closet and built out a mini-bar where they can keep their Moccamaster as well as an under-counter fridge for cold beverages. Because the pantry shares a wall with the powder bathroom, it was easy to link up to the existing plumbing and add a sink (hot water tap included).
Pick Pendants That’ll Spotlight Your Bulbs
The Schoolhouse globes that now hang over the kitchen island fit right in with the home’s mid-century style, but that’s not the only thing that drew Popple’s clients to them. The white glass allows them to put Phillips Hue LED bulbs in there and change the colors of the fixtures, depending on the mood they’re in. “This was all their idea and I love it,” she says. She added extra ambient lighting in the form of under-cabinet strips that also link up to the smart system. All the colors of the rainbow are welcome in this kitchen.