kitchen advice Archives - MidMod Midwest

Why are mid-century kitchens?

19 min readAspirational mid-century kitchens inspired the kitchens we live in and love today.

In all seriousness … why ARE mid-century kitchens? We’ve chatted before about the history and socioeconomic drivers of the era. And about the default layout of an MCM kitchen and why it doesn’t work for our modern lives so well. But what were those mid-century modern folks really … going for? One thing that made them what they are was …

The TV kitchens that served as backdrops for our favorite mid-century TV families! These show kitchens often included features missing for the builder basic kitchens of the time (and still missing in many of our ranches!)

After all, an average mid-century ranch, the kitchen was seen as a one-person space. A kind of a home office for a homemaker. In a TV show kitchen, it had to be a place where two people could hold a conversation! That’s something we like in a kitchen today!

So let’s dig into how aspirational mid-century kitchens influenced – and didn’t – the kitchens we live in and love today.

Psst !!! Before we dig into some SPIFFY and fun MCM kitchens of TV history … quick shout out for your best resource for updating your own mid-century kitchen to mid-century or modern glory. Don’t forget to save your seat for the Mid-Century Kitchen Clinic!

Micro-masterplan Your Way to Your Perfect Kitchen

12 min readMy master plan process was created as a path to managing a full house remodel, but you can still use the five D’s develop to micro-masterplan any space.

A masterplan might sound like something you use for a BIG home improvement project. That’s true. But it is also something you can use at ANY Scale. Today let’s talk about how to micro-masterplan any thing in your home!

My master plan process was created as a path to managing a full house (or at least very significant) remodel. You begin by dreaming about your ideal home and the life you envision in it and move through each step until you have a full vision for your home.

The five steps follow in order and you are able to plan until you feel ready to tackle your renovation.

Sounds just like real life, right? Nope.

The Lazy Genius Kitchen

13 min readI’ve talked about Kendra Adachi’s Lazy Genius philosophy before and this week we’re joining her in the kitchen. You can start lazy genuising your kitchen as you plan your update!

In her fantastic new book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, Kendra Adachi lays out a system for creating a kitchen that has and does everything you need. The lazy genius kitchen isn’t really a book about remodeling. Nor is it explicitly a cookbook or an organizing book or a lifestyle guide. It’s some of all of those things. And, perhaps, it’s better than any of them could be on their own.

Adachi’s advice is to think about the way you want to live in your home. And if you know me at all, you know this is absolutely where I believe every project in architecture should begin. So, let’s talk about how you can be a lazy genius about your kitchen update. And create the kitchen that’s perfect for YOU.

the Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi on a yellow background

The perfect Mid-Century Kitchen Update … for YOU

15 min readThere’s no right answer to how to update a Mid-century kitchen – there’s only the right answer for you. But here are some helpful MCM update strategies to keep in mind!

I can’t tell you the right way to update your MCM kitchen; the right choices you make in a mid-century kitchen update are going to be based on your life, your home, your needs. So … are you ready to make those calls for yourself?

Quick Kitchen Update Ideas to try Right Now

13 min readDon’t have time or the budget to plan something big for your kitchen right now? Create a kitchen you love with a Level One quick kitchen update while you wait.

Don’t have time or the budget to plan something really big for your kitchen right now? You can still have a kitchen you love while you wait with a Level One quick kitchen update.

Spot Your REAL Kitchen Problems … then use Design to Solve Them in a Mid-sized Remodel

14 min readMake sure you’re solving the RIGHT kitchen problems with your remodel! Let’s talk about common underlying MCM layout issues and solve them at the right scale.

Is your kitchen actually too small or does it just feel too small? What Kitchen problems are you really trying to solve with your remodel? Let’s make sure you know the answer!

Yes! Your Kitchen Remodel DOES Need a Master Plan

16 min readWant a kitchen remodel that perfectly suits your home ,and balances good bones, good layout, and good looks for great design? You need a master plan.

A good kitchen remodel is more than pretty new appliances and tile. It really needs to work on a number of levels. It needs to be sturdy and safe, it needs to be practical and it still needs to look lovely. That’s a lot to keep track of. Which is why – like every home remodeler – you need a master plan to get the kitchen planned the right way! Today we discuss how to put together a master plan for your remodel, what it is good for along the way and what it needs to include to do the job right!