A Midcentury Kitchen With a Dior-Inspired Touch
Black and white finishes and graphic tile bring a refined look to this kitchen
Before renovating, the owners of this midcentury home in Vancouver, British Columbia, liked their kitchen’s layout but weren’t a fan of its finishes. The mostly white kitchen lacked personality except for the range hood, which featured a distracting mix of white, green and floral tiles. A renovation honored the home’s midcentury architecture while bringing the finishes into the current era, creating a space where the homeowners could entertain.
Photo by Janis Nicolay
Color palette. The homeowners gave Ansell wide berth to design, specifying only that they wanted to use black Caesarstone and some white. Ansell paired the black Caesarstone on the island with black-painted drawers and painted the toe kick beneath the white lower cabinets black — a treatment that makes the white cabinets above the toe kick seem to float. She continued the black-and-white theme with detailing on the end of the room’s two cabinet runs as well as in an adjacent sitting area. The designer found inspiration for the clean lines and refined feel of these details from the luxury brand Christian Dior. “In this kitchen we used black as a neutral,” she says. “The accent is more the wood tones.”
Counters. Both countertops have subtle veining that helps tie the two finishes together: The white features a dark veining, the black a light veining. The island has an induction cooktop.
Backsplash. The backsplash tile features a retro pattern that Ansell likens to a classic print used for Diane Von Furstenberg’s famous wrap dresses. “It was really important that we nail that backsplash in order to hit that midcentury look,” Ansell says.
Cabinetry hardware. The pulls on the island drawers are black, and Ansell placed them at the top of the island’s drawers so they blend in. The handles on the white cabinetry are a brushed nickel that stands out.
Counters: Vanilla Noir and Calacatta Nuvo, both Caesarstone; backsplash tile: Liaison by Kelly Wearstler Mosaics, Ann Sacks; find more black and white tile
Color palette. The homeowners gave Ansell wide berth to design, specifying only that they wanted to use black Caesarstone and some white. Ansell paired the black Caesarstone on the island with black-painted drawers and painted the toe kick beneath the white lower cabinets black — a treatment that makes the white cabinets above the toe kick seem to float. She continued the black-and-white theme with detailing on the end of the room’s two cabinet runs as well as in an adjacent sitting area. The designer found inspiration for the clean lines and refined feel of these details from the luxury brand Christian Dior. “In this kitchen we used black as a neutral,” she says. “The accent is more the wood tones.”
Counters. Both countertops have subtle veining that helps tie the two finishes together: The white features a dark veining, the black a light veining. The island has an induction cooktop.
Backsplash. The backsplash tile features a retro pattern that Ansell likens to a classic print used for Diane Von Furstenberg’s famous wrap dresses. “It was really important that we nail that backsplash in order to hit that midcentury look,” Ansell says.
Cabinetry hardware. The pulls on the island drawers are black, and Ansell placed them at the top of the island’s drawers so they blend in. The handles on the white cabinetry are a brushed nickel that stands out.
Counters: Vanilla Noir and Calacatta Nuvo, both Caesarstone; backsplash tile: Liaison by Kelly Wearstler Mosaics, Ann Sacks; find more black and white tile
Photo by Keith Henderson
A microwave is discreetly tucked into the lower cabinetry run. It’s hardly noticeable from other vantage points in the kitchen.
A microwave is discreetly tucked into the lower cabinetry run. It’s hardly noticeable from other vantage points in the kitchen.
Photo by Janis Nicolay
Open shelving. The shelves beneath and to the left of the upper cabinetry create interesting graphic lines across the accent wall and allow a clear view out the window, compared with a cabinet door that would swing out and block the view. The stain of the shelving matches the doors that provide access to the kitchen, which are original to the house.
Sink. The clients wanted a single-bowl sink that would hold large dishes and trays. To the right is a faucet that dispenses both hot and cold water. The counters run all the way into the windowsill, a choice Ansell made to increase counter space.
Open shelving. The shelves beneath and to the left of the upper cabinetry create interesting graphic lines across the accent wall and allow a clear view out the window, compared with a cabinet door that would swing out and block the view. The stain of the shelving matches the doors that provide access to the kitchen, which are original to the house.
Sink. The clients wanted a single-bowl sink that would hold large dishes and trays. To the right is a faucet that dispenses both hot and cold water. The counters run all the way into the windowsill, a choice Ansell made to increase counter space.
Photo by Janis Nicolay
Seating area. To tie the two spaces together, Ansell added the Dior-inspired outline to this seating area. She also replaced a small plug-in fireplace with the built-in electric one shown here. When it is just the two of them, the homeowners often eat dinner here.
Flooring. The flooring is engineered hardwood and was used throughout the home. The homeowners chose to keep it intact rather than change it during the renovation.
Seating area. To tie the two spaces together, Ansell added the Dior-inspired outline to this seating area. She also replaced a small plug-in fireplace with the built-in electric one shown here. When it is just the two of them, the homeowners often eat dinner here.
Flooring. The flooring is engineered hardwood and was used throughout the home. The homeowners chose to keep it intact rather than change it during the renovation.
Photo by Keith Henderson
Bar. Ansell introduced a bar across from the seating area. It has a beverage refrigerator, drawers for storing accessories and open shelving that echoes the style of the kitchen shelving.
Bar. Ansell introduced a bar across from the seating area. It has a beverage refrigerator, drawers for storing accessories and open shelving that echoes the style of the kitchen shelving.
Photo by Keith Henderson
This photo shows how the bar area relates to the sitting area and the rest of the kitchen.
Contractor: Alchemy Construction
More
Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
This photo shows how the bar area relates to the sitting area and the rest of the kitchen.
Contractor: Alchemy Construction
More
Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple whose grown children have moved out
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 345 square feet (32 square meters)
Designer: Kendall Ansell of Kendall Ansell Interiors
Project scope. The homeowners already had beautiful midcentury architecture in place with the angled ceiling, exposed rafters and high-flying windows. New cabinets and counters, a dramatic backsplash, wood accents and a Dior-inspired cabinet embellishment made the room feel special. The only layout change was moving the wall ovens from what is now the feature wall to the tall cabinet wall on the right of the island.
Cabinetry. The kitchen cabinets are painted maple wood. Most of the cabinet doors and all of the drawers are flat-panel (or slab), though the tall wall of cabinetry has Shaker-style doors. The upper cabinets on the accent wall open upward like a garage door. Designer Kendall Ansell chose drawers for the lower cabinetry to maximize space and for ease of access. “A lot of people would say ‘Why don’t you put a pullout in a cabinet?’” she says. “That can actually take up a lot of space and you lose square footage in your cabinet” due to space that gets eaten by the pullout shelf and rollers.
Range hood. The range hood is a stainless steel model that has been wrapped in a satin brushed black aluminum to give it a dark look.
Lighting. The pendants over the kitchen island are made from recycled cardboard. The white track lighting was in place before the renovation and Ansell wanted to keep it for its midcentury vibe.
Appliance wall. Both the wall ovens and the refrigerator are on the right wall of the kitchen. The refrigerator stands at the end of the run of cabinets and blends in with the wall thanks to its cabinet-paneled front.
Cabinet paint: Oxford White and Black Jack, both Benjamin Moore; range hood: Low Profile Canopy Island Hood by Jenn-Air, wrapped in Satin Brushed Black Aluminum, Wilsonart; pendants: Ausi8 Pendant Natural, Graypants