This kitchen has fresh mid-mod style
August 30, 2024
Past perfect: Interior designer Erin Hodges brings a Barclay Downs kitchen back to its mid-mod roots.
by Cathy Martin | photographs by Dustin and Susie Peck
The ’90s-era renovation of a midcentury Barclay Downs split-level left the kitchen feeling dark, dated and out of sync with the rest of the home. The homeowners — a young family of three — wanted something lighter, brighter and more open.
“The space didn’t work well — it was very traditional with stained cabinetry that didn’t match the style of the house,” says interior designer Erin Hodges, who led the kitchen renovation along with Dominion Remodeling. Hodges launched Edenn Design, specializing in kitchens and baths, about four years ago after working in residential and commercial construction and for a custom cabinet manufacturer.
“One of the main goals was to open it up for the homeowners — to make it feel brighter and more modern, but also match the style of the existing house.”
To begin with, the design team removed a low wall and narrow doorway between the kitchen and an adjacent sunroom, allowing natural light to stream in. Next, the footprint was reconfigured for a more family-friendly flow. Previously, the cooktop was in the corner. To make it more accessible, a small window was removed to create a spot for the new range and stainless-steel hood that’s at the center of the workspace.
ISLAND GOALS: “Everyone always wants an island, and to work with the homeowner’s budget and the confines of the space, we had to embrace an asymmetrical approach to keep things feeling balanced,” Hodges says.
“Bringing it into the center really opened up the space and made that prep area and work triangle a lot better,” says Hodges. “Luckily for us, the sunroom that the kitchen opens into lets in so much natural light that you don’t miss the window at all.”
A small island with limited storage was replaced with a larger one featuring custom wood accents to tie in with the original wood paneling in the adjacent family room.
Cabinets were finished in a high-gloss lacquer for a modern, sleek look, and the blue tile backsplash in a vertical grid adds interest while playing up the midcentury feel.
“I feel a strong responsibility to preserve original architecture when it exists, partly because it’s rare in our area to find something that is not relatively new construction or a home that hasn’t already been updated,” Hodges says. “This renovation was a great opportunity because the kitchen had already been changed, but they had left other original elements intact, so there was no guilt about ripping out the kitchen and starting over. We were able to honor the spirit and style of the home while improving and updating the homeowners’ space.” SP
A COHESIVE STYLE: “I always want the design to feel integrated with the rest of the home, and I think the connection and flow between spaces is very important,” says interior designer Erin Hodges. “Achieving this usually requires updating some architectural elements while mixing the style of the existing spaces with the homeowner’s personal taste… In this case, they purchased a midcentury home and also appreciate midcentury style.”
