Mid-Century Magic: The Atlanta Kitchen That Got a Second Life
Gather around to see this striking before and after kitchen renovation. The client contacted Violet Marsh Interiors after finding our work online, and knew exactly what they wanted. They had purchased this mid-century modern ranch and had lived in the space for a few years and they were ready to renovate. See the original conditions below. Everything was a weathered wood and the cabinets were small and things bumped into each other. It was a bit dark and a bit drab.
It all started with their new fridge. They found the one below at some point and it had been sitting in their dining room waiting to be installed in a new kitchen. The assignment was to rethink the kitchen layout, using their new fridge keeping with the MCM aesthetic. They wanted an updated, modern kitchen that they could really use to crank out meals where two people could be working at the same time. We started with the floorplan as we always do and what we discovered during this process was that an island made less sense than a peninsula. The space is fairly small and the island was just hogging too much space and not giving enough return. A peninsula creates more space in the center between the cabinet walls and still provides counter seating. They were very excited about this idea.
Next we got to work on the elevations placing everything on their wishlist in the perfect spot. Clients finalize their appliances as we are designing their kitchen so we have exact dimensions and make sure we have ample room. In addition to the fridge they wanted wall ovens, floating shelves, and pantry space.
From there we add in the color, texture and materials. They had already identified a cabinet company they wanted to work with. These cabinets are premade and came in specific color options so we narrowed it down to pistachio green and timber and paired it with a really cool blue and green textural tile. Cabinet hardware is one of my favorite elements and I found these beauties at my favorite hardware shop.
In the before below you can see how the placement of the fridge was a challenge. You couldn’t use the fridge and open the dishwasher at the same time.
We added more lighting to the space too. A kitchen is for tasking so bright lights are important. They didn’t want to remove the ceiling fan but I am so glad they did! The length of the fan was too short and with the pendant lights it was just too busy— too many things hanging from the ceiling.
The renovated kitchen is cheerful and bright and easy on the eyes, but best of all it is functional. We snuck in some additional storage on the backside of the peninsula.
Going back to the before image below, I didn’t like how the cabinets were different heights and chose to raise the height altogether to better fill the space with those high ceilings.
Since the cabinets are premade and not custom, we could not dictate the actual box sizes to minimize lines. I wanted only two rows of cabinetry but we got three due to the box size. (You’ll notice this if you refer back to my original drawing.)
We went with a pale beige for the wall color to soften everything and we refinished the floors in a darker color to contrast the lighter wood cabinets. It ties in the black granite counter too.
Isn’t this tile so fun? They liked it so much that their family member ordered some for her house!
The open shelving wouldn’t be complete without a fondu pot!
They added pink upholstered counter stools which add a lot of warmth. It’s always hard to capture the feel of a room in a photograph but this new kitchen feels so warm and charming. We are all very pleased with the results and I look forward to working with them again as they continue to update their home.
Thank you for following along. The end.
Whether you're embarking on a new build, a whole-home renovation, or reimagining a specific space like this custom kitchen, Violet Marsh Interiors specializes in creating layered, warm modern interiors that reflect your style. We manage every detail, from art selection and custom drapery to paint color, wallpaper, rugs, and lighting, ensuring a cohesive and stunning result.
If you're seeking a high-end interior designer in Atlanta we'd be honored to discuss your vision. Book a discovery call to begin your transformation.