Blend Until Smooth: An MCM Kitchen Renovation

Two hands-on homeowners worked with a contractor for an MCM kitchen renovation that’s a tasteful mix of whimsy and elegance.

Mid Century Modern style has a long and storied history in Southern California. The area is like a living architecture museum, dotted with homes built and influenced by the iconic period designers. From Palo Alto to Los Angeles to Palm Springs, you can encounter entire mid-century neighborhoods. Sean Beardsley, owner of Beardsley and Sons Construction, says, “As a contractor and carpenter, I’ve done several Mid Century Modern projects because the style is so popular here. Homeowners are drawn to the clean lines and the focus of letting the outdoors in with well-placed windows and doors to utilize all our glorious California sunshine.” His task was to transform a basic and boring tract-home kitchen in Hermosa Beach into a vibrant Mid Century Modern space.

renovated MCM kitchen with orange curved countertop — Tract homes built when this one was were designed to accommodate few appliances. “Nowadays, the modern kitchen uses more equipment,” Sean says. Power had to be accounted for and space had to be made—all without sacrificing style. Luckily, one of Sean’s best assets is his ability to solve problems and make bad problems blend into any project. By rearranging the kitchen and adding power capabilities, it was updated without compromising on style.

The default expectation for MCM style is often simplicity, efficiency and elegance, but there’s also a whole aspect that’s joyous, futuristically bombastic and whimsical. This project embodies both, leaning on streamlined shapes and the zanier side of the style for a special kitchen that’s as lighthearted as it is sophisticated.

An MCM Kitchen Renovation Origin Story

Sean fell in love with construction at the early age of 12, a passion that was ignited as his family built their home. “I could see and breathe in the air of construction and knew that was what I wanted for the rest of my life,” Sean says. So, he did just that, working at first for different developers before designing home components like bars, closets and entertainment systems—which ultimately led to his own business, where he creates kitchens and bathrooms along with other custom pieces. Throughout his career, MCM design has bled into a lot of his jobs.

MCM kitchen renovation with mosaic pixel backsplash — Sean decided to let some of the radius/contours float into the end cabinets to ease the entrance into the kitchen along with a relieved edge to walk around to get to the exterior door. “To me, that radius and softer texture embodies the Mid Century Modern style,” he says.

MCM kitchen renovation wood cabinetry — The exterior is nearly as important as the interior design in the Mid Century Modern genre. Sean made sure to carefully place the windows where they let ample light into the home and include the backyard as part of the interior experience. “The backyard is its own living space as it has two open patios and a barbecue area along with planting and trees, so it only made sense to place the windows there to connect the kitchen and the backyard,” Sean says. right: Mid Century Modern design runs through the home via the homeowners’ furniture and accessories. When selecting fixtures and hardware for the kitchen, Sean took inspiration from the rest of the home.

“You can see the influence of Mid Century Modern design in the prevalence of clean cabinetry lines throughout the area,” he says. “It’s a wonderful building block for any kitchen.”

Modernist Mindset for an MCM Kitchen Renovation

When it came to this kitchen, Sean was excited to embrace the MCM style in a bold way while helping the homeowners get the most out of the room. “One of the issues was that tract homes like this one, built between the ’40s and ’60s, were very small, very poorly spaced and fitted with minimal appliances,” he says. The homeowners, who love MCM style, had clear ideas about integrating the kitchen with the rest of their interiors while making the space more functional.

view to MCM renovated kitchen with curved bartop and metal pendant lights — Mid Century Modern design runs through the home via the homeowners’ furniture and accessories. When selecting fixtures and hardware for the kitchen, Sean took inspiration from the rest of the home

“Together, we made the best of a very small area by rearranging the door and window locations and creating cabinetry ideal for the style and space,” Sean explains.

stainless steel appliances in renovated MCM kitchen — One component that the homeowners had ready to go was the orange island tabletop. It’s made from MDF and covered in Formica. Both the color and shape capture the more whimsical and playful side of Mid Century Modern style.

Then came the fun aspects: implementing the fanciful side of MCM style. Cabinets with floating contoured ends have loads of personality and soften the entrance into the kitchen. An orange island tabletop in a lopsided shape is a true MCM statement piece and a backsplash made from one-inch glass tile features different primary-colored dots, giving an effervescent twist to the kitchen.

With elegant cabinets and colorful details, the kitchen lives large in a small space and becomes a wonderful addition to the proud South Bay lineage of Mid Century Modern aestheticism.

For more MCM kitchen inspiration, read on for Vibrant Vibes in this Palm Springs Wexler Home’s Kitchen, The 5 Elements Of A Mid Century Modern Kitchen and MCM Kitchen Storage Organization. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!