Reimagined Cozy Mid-Century Kitchen

Tour Type

Virtual Only

Michaela Menke | Cabinet Design Studio

Studio Manager and Lead Designer

Cabinet Design Studio is where you want to start if you are planning renovation project or if you are building a house from scratch.

We lead with design in everything we do. Each space is curated specifically around the needs of each client. Every client works with a designer to ensure their vision becomes reality; great design provides long term value. We want your space to not only be beautiful but also function specifically for you and your family’s needs.

Cabinet Design Studio strives in helping clients achieve their layout goals OR to help clients see a vison they may have not even thought of to begin with.

We specialize in cabinetry, but can also help with countertops, tile, hardware, and many other aspects in the building/remolding process.

We also partner with outside designers or contractors within Omaha to help bring together any project.

Our end goal to create an enjoyable experience by guiding our clients through every step of the process from start to finish.

PRO Partners

Gitt Construction, Inc.

Project Details

The Challenge

Our clients had been searching high and low for a diamond in the rough house that they could turn into a home. They found a house in the perfect location, the only problem was the dated and cramped U-shaped kitchen.
However, they could see the vision of an open concept mid-century inspired kitchen with lots of color and warmth. They needed a major overhaul complete with a wall removal, several layout changes, updated lighting, and new flooring. The biggest challenge with this project was working with-in the existing width of the spaces. We took out a wall between the dining and living room to add length, but we could not make any exterior changes.

The Vision

The space needed to be able to host large parties and serve as a multifunctional area to accomplish both everyday mornings with the kids and larger gatherings with friends and family.
We needed to have an open floor plan concept with a kitchen, dining space and living room.
A large island with uninterrupted countertop for food prep and room for at least 5 at the island comfortably was ideal. We had to be intentional with storage to make organizing easy and create a layout to include full size range plus oven-micro combo all while staying with in the mid-century feel for the home. The idea was to create two distinct zones: one for prep, cooking and hosting, and two: a space for kids and visitors to be in the kitchen but not in the way.
The goal was to make the space warm, inviting and homey with touches of soft green and varied wood tones.

The Solution

We had to be strategic with the appliance layout to make sure we could accommodate the two-zone requirement. By keeping all the appliances and plumbing confined to the two “legs” of the kitchen, we were able to create a barrier out of the island to give her a host side and visitor side.

By making the back storage cabinets only 15” deep and using a cabinet depth fridge we were able to accommodate an island with full depth cabinets and plenty of seating. We designed the island to allow for full 24” depth cabinets and added a large wall of floor to ceiling pantry cabinets. We also made sure to include several large drawer bases and specific cabinet organizers to keep everything easily accessible and reachable.

By combining products with lots of texture and dimension with several tones of green and warm wood tones we were able to create the mid-century feel the client was aiming for.
We were even able to sneak in a bar area for entertaining in the dining area.

The Results

Our clients came to us with several specific wants and needs. Overall, they were concerned about being able to fit all their desires into one multi-use space. We were able to work through all the difficulties and challenges to create a mid-century inspired kitchen and dining room tailor made for their family. The end result showcased a harmonious blend of greens, wood tones, mixed metals and plenty of textures. This main floor is perfect for everyday life as well as hosting large gatherings with the people that mean the most to our clients.