A Kitchen Retrograde in Michigan

With a main course of mid-century style and a dash of color, this kitchen retrograde became the icing on the cake of a dream vacation retreat.

When Nikki Luzanski and Steve Karpeles found this 1965 mod in a desirable neighborhood of Lansing, Michigan, the kitchen had undergone the dreaded ’90s renovation. Most of its mid-century charm had been replaced by maple cabinets with raised panels, soffits and linoleum tile floors. The homeowners brought in Elin Walters of Exactly Designs and leaned on her Mid Century Modern expertise for a kitchen retrograde with a mission to restore the space to its former glory.

“The goal of the renovation was to get rid of the ’90s look and take it back to a vintage look, making better use of the storage and allowing for seating of some sort,” Elin says. “The space needed better flow with the adjacent living room.”

full view of retrograded kitchen in Michigan with colorful backsplash tile — New custom cabinets, vibrant tile and atomic style peninsula brought this once ‘90s ridden kitchen back to its mid-century glory. The overall footprint of the kitchen remained as well as the window. “We kept the original window so as not to disrupt the exterior brick,” interior designer Elin Walters says.

kitchen retrograde with MCM carafes and ceramics on bookshelf — Hanging shelves above the new peninsula help define the space while amping up the midcentury feel. The angled lower cabinets are a showstopper and are inspired by a vintage booth Elin and the couple had originally planned to use in the space but opted to use in the adjacent lounge instead due to space constraints. “Pick a piece of inspiration and draw from it!” Elin says. “Choose something you already love, with its colors or shapes and pull that into the space you are creating.”

Fixer-Upper

The narrow kitchen sported an island on wheels and a built-in desk and closet. “There seemed a better way to clean up the look and be more efficient with space,” Elin says. “The island on wheels made the kitchen feel cramped and there was no seating to hang out. The soffits were unnecessary, taking away potential storage space and creating a more closed-in feel. The flooring was choppy and made the two spaces feel disjointed. The lighting was misplaced and not practical.”

Elin gutted the kitchen for a fresh start for the retrograde. She removed the soffits and laid flooring that matched the rest of the house and designed custom cabinets for the space. “We simplified the placement of lighting and created a clean bank of floor-to-ceiling wall cabinets,” Elin says. “We added floating shelves above the peninsula to create the illusion of a ‘wall’ to divide the two spaces, making for a cozier space. We introduced a retro angled-base cabinet and mimicked the angle above on the floating shelf.”

angled island and floating shelves in Michigan kitchen retrograde — This view into the newly renovated kitchen highlights the harmony between the kitchen and lounge thanks to a unified color theme and new flooring. “We tied the lounge and the kitchen together by repeating colors and continuing the wood flooring into the space,” Elin says.

Kitchen Retrograde Muse

Elin says the overall design was inspired by a vintage booth that was to be used in the layout. “The booth was recovered in turquoise, black, white and red vinyl, with chrome banding and legs. The back of the booth has a large triangular design. It was our intention to use the booth seating, so we carried the angle theme into the cabinetry, shelving and backsplash,” Elin explains. “As we further developed the initial design, we became aware that it was going to feel too cramped using the booths. Instead, we extended the long wall of cabinets and created counter seating with an overhang. But the colors and the angles took on a life of their own and we ran with that same vibe.”

Modwall tiles and boomerang shaped cabinet pulls in Michigan kitchen — Elin chose Modwalls tiles for the backsplash for a retro vibe that took this kitchen from cringeworthy 90s to wow worthy mod.

kitchen with MCM backsplash tile in orange, mint, turquoise, black and white

If you love this kitchen retrograde, don’t miss more of Elin’s work such as this Spacious and Vibrant Michigan Home. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!