Kitchen of the Week: A Celebration of Midcentury Modern Splendor
A designer upgrades a kitchen while honoring the home’s iconic Deck House architecture
While touring this classic Deck House in Hendersonville, North Carolina, a couple imagined highlighting its midcentury modern splendor and making it their full-time home. “The kitchen was not in good shape, but they had a vision and they have impeccable taste,” says their interior designer Dawn Driskill. She guided them through a renovation that opened up the kitchen while preserving and embracing the post-and-beam architecture and midcentury spirit of the iconic prefabricated home.
Before: “It was kind of Mediterranean and weird,” Driskill says of the existing kitchen. The house had a mostly open plan, but the kitchen was closed off from the adjacent family room and dining room. The result was that it was dark and missing out on some of the mountain views. Also, the finishes were dated and the storage didn’t suit the couple. “They love to cook together, and having a gourmet kitchen was really important to them,” Driskill says.
After: Driskill and Edwards were careful to preserve the original signature Deck House architectural elements. These included the posts and beams, mahogany windows and tongue-and-groove ceiling. “The recessed lights on top of the trim moldings are also a classic Deck House feature,” Driskill says.
They replaced the original track lighting with more updated, less obtrusive fixtures. The prefabricated construction posed some challenges, however. “It was very tricky to add the electrical because of the way the house was prefabricated,” Driskill says. “The house came prewired, and there was no space to install wiring between the ceiling boards and the roof.” Instead, they had to carefully conceal the new wiring in channels that match the colors of the ceiling and beams.
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They replaced the original track lighting with more updated, less obtrusive fixtures. The prefabricated construction posed some challenges, however. “It was very tricky to add the electrical because of the way the house was prefabricated,” Driskill says. “The house came prewired, and there was no space to install wiring between the ceiling boards and the roof.” Instead, they had to carefully conceal the new wiring in channels that match the colors of the ceiling and beams.
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They opened up the kitchen to the other public spaces — the family room is on the left and the dining room is on the right. This meant the designers needed to create a kitchen space that was attractive enough to be viewed from the other rooms. They avoided adding upper cabinets within sight of those rooms, to maintain an airy and uncluttered look. And they designed a beautiful range hood with proportions to suit the space.
Rich alder cabinetry stained to look like walnut fits with the midcentury era. So do the streamlined countertops, drawers and hardware, which are also pleasing to the eye. The base cabinets all have drawers instead of doors. They have inserts and pullouts to accommodate items such as china, glassware, utensils, herbs, oils and spices.
The left side of the kitchen is a casual seating area for reading and taking in the view out the adjacent glass doors.
Rich alder cabinetry stained to look like walnut fits with the midcentury era. So do the streamlined countertops, drawers and hardware, which are also pleasing to the eye. The base cabinets all have drawers instead of doors. They have inserts and pullouts to accommodate items such as china, glassware, utensils, herbs, oils and spices.
The left side of the kitchen is a casual seating area for reading and taking in the view out the adjacent glass doors.
Because the homeowners love to cook together, they needed plenty of prep and counter space. The designers added the main sink beneath these windows, with the dishwasher in easy reach. They installed a second sink near the wall ovens and a coffee bar at the end of the room.
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The island houses an induction range. This type of range has a sleek and unobtrusive look.
The designers widened the opening on the left side of the kitchen. It leads to a walk-in pantry and the garage entry to the home. This changed the experience of entering the house through the garage, something the homeowners do daily. “The wider opening makes it feel like you are walking right into a larger open space from the garage,” Driskill says.
The designers widened the opening on the left side of the kitchen. It leads to a walk-in pantry and the garage entry to the home. This changed the experience of entering the house through the garage, something the homeowners do daily. “The wider opening makes it feel like you are walking right into a larger open space from the garage,” Driskill says.
On the side of the island facing the living room, a beverage fridge makes it easy for guests to grab a drink while staying out of the cooking and prep zones.
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Classic midcentury modern Cherner stools and PH pendant lights honor the architecture.
After: A new peninsula provides a sense of separation while allowing for an open view.
The team was able to preserve the home’s original hardwood floors, weaving in new pieces where needed.
The team was able to preserve the home’s original hardwood floors, weaving in new pieces where needed.
On the other side of the opening, a wall hides two wall ovens from the dining and family rooms. In the corner is the coffee bar. Corner drawers maximize storage below.
The coffee bar is conveniently located near a prep sink. “These two travel all over the world. They love eclectic art and they love to find treasures on their trips,” Driskill says. Open shelves give them some display space for favorite things.
The backsplash is a handmade 3D ceramic tile with a groovy 1960s look. “We kept referring to this house as the Mod Squad house and to this tile as the Mod Squad tile,” Driskill says.
Backsplash tile: Galactica Mosaic, Walker Zanger
The backsplash is a handmade 3D ceramic tile with a groovy 1960s look. “We kept referring to this house as the Mod Squad house and to this tile as the Mod Squad tile,” Driskill says.
Backsplash tile: Galactica Mosaic, Walker Zanger
After: The new island has a sleek minimalist look. The countertops are quartz with square edges.
The homeowners opted to make the area beyond the island a sitting area rather than an eat-in space to keep the view more open.
The homeowners opted to make the area beyond the island a sitting area rather than an eat-in space to keep the view more open.
The appliance wall on the left side of the kitchen provides separation from the dining room. This gives the dining room a more formal feel while also adding some coziness. The wall also helps block the view of the fridge from the other rooms.
“They are amazing people and wonderful cooks. They have impeccable taste and were willing to spend money to do it right,” Driskill says. “It felt so good to bring this house back to all it was meant to be for them.”
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“They are amazing people and wonderful cooks. They have impeccable taste and were willing to spend money to do it right,” Driskill says. “It felt so good to bring this house back to all it was meant to be for them.”
See more photos of this house
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two dogs
Location: Hendersonville, North Carolina
Size: 700 square feet (65 square meters)
Designers: Dawn Driskill and Betsy Edwards of The Design Gallery
Contractor: Chandler Ward of Paramount Building Services
Deck Houses are currently made by Acorn Deck House Co., the result of a merger between Acorn Structures and Deck House in 1995. Acorn Structures was founded in 1947 with the goal of creating prefabricated homes with more traditional-style architecture. Deck House’s roots go back to 1959, when the founders were interested in using prefabrication technology to produce midcentury modern architecture. Signature elements of a Deck House include an exposed post-and-beam structure, mahogany windows and signature tongue-and-groove ceiling decking. When the two companies merged, they became Acorn Deck House Co.
Soon after that 1995 merger, this Deck House was shipped from Acton, Massachusetts, to Hendersonville, North Carolina, and assembled on a site with spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. When this couple bought the house more than 20 years later, the closed-off kitchen and other spaces needed to be upgraded.
They moved in and began planning a renovation that would celebrate the architecture’s midcentury modern roots, working with Driskill and her colleague Betsy Edwards. They moved out when construction began, and the renovation took between four and five months. Now they’re here full time, enjoying cooking together while taking in the mountain views.
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