Making Old New: A Modern Kitchen Renovation in a Mid-Century Home

Wednesday, January 25th, 2017

Many of our renovation clients appreciate the character of their older homes, but want to refurbish certain rooms that are much too out-of-date for their liking. This is the story two Riverbend homeowners knew all too well. When they first walked through this 1960’s home, they fell in love with its vintage style and charming woodwork; however, there were some things they knew just had to go, particularly the kitchen. The kitchen was originally built with all wood paneling, dark wood cabinets, dingy yellow linoleum, and wallpaper that had been out-of-style for decades. The layout was awkward and did not allow for comfortable everyday living, much less entertaining family and friends. The placement of the laundry room was also inconvenient as it was essentially in the kitchen, just behind another door. Riverbend Kitchen Before 2

Because their home already had great personality, the homeowners wanted to maintain its mid-century look, meaning that the kitchen’s new design had to flow with the rest of the home. In order to accomplish this, all of our designs had to be period-appropriate with an edge.

“Ashley Jones did an excellent job walking us through our design options. She gave us the freedom to pick and choose the finishes we really liked and gently steered us away from styles that didn’t fit the look we wanted.”

Demolition was first thing we did. Our crew knocked down walls, making the kitchen and dining room one big space, cut out a window to bring in more light (saving the original marble windowsills), and moved the laundry room to the utility room downstairs. Because the kitchen is the hub of a home, we also opened up the small doorway that led into the den, which made both rooms feel more inclusive. We tore out the linoleum in the kitchen, the carpet in the dining room, and prepped the floors for new hardwood floors. Riverbend Kitchen Progress

After the demolition phase was complete, we began to rebuild. We moved wiring and plumbing to accommodate the new kitchen layout. After drywall was finished and painted, we installed beautiful navy painted cabinets, quartz countertops, and a subway tile backsplash.

Since we took care of the kitchen’s cramped U-shape, we were able to add a large island with bar stool chairs and hung crystal clear light fixtures above.

Kitchen islands are very popular in open kitchens like this one. Not only do they function as an extra work surface where you can prepare and eat meals, they provide visual separation and facilitates a traffic pattern, which is an excellent benefit for homeowners who enjoy hosting. We laid oak hardwood to match the rest of the home’s flooring and used gold finishes (like the kitchen faucet pictured below) that paired well with the other hardware in the home.

We know our clients have plenty of options when choosing a renovation contractor, so we’re always honored when we’re invited into their homes. We went ahead and asked these Riverbend homeowners what was it that made McCamy worth trusting and this is what they said:

“We had done some general research before choosing McCamy, but we didn’t look at other contractors because we knew what we were after. We were familiar with McCamy’s reputation in the community and heard about them through friends and industry contacts. When we met Grant and Ashley for the first time, they were professional, yet approachable and courteous. McCamy more than met our expectations, particularly in the way they troubleshooted small issues along the way. We have and will continue to recommend them. In fact, our next door neighbors chose McCamy to renovate their home right after ours.”

Does this story sound like yours? Did you buy an older home and are ready to renovate? At McCamy Construction, we make old homes look new while maintaining the character you love. As Knoxville’s “Best of the Best” 2016 Remodeler, we are committed to high quality standards. If you love what we did here in Riverbend, check out this kitchen remodel in Lenoir City or schedule an appointment to talk about your big plans in-person.