In many kitchen remodels, the objective is clear: make it bigger, brighter, trendier. But in this Happy Hollow Heights home in Lafayette, Indiana, the mission was more disciplined and far more nuanced. This remodel centered restoration of the architectural integrity of a midcentury home while thoughtfully integrating the performance and convenience expected in a modern kitchen remodel.
The homeowners, a university professor and a business executive, understood that midcentury design is architectural. Their kitchen had never been updated. It was dated, but beneath the aging finishes was something worth preserving. The structure of the home, the vertical windows, the natural light, the rhythm of horizontal lines, these were elements to honor, not erase. S. Brown Construction is pleased to show you how we used our expertise to achieve these stunning results.
Table of Contents
- Designing With Discipline: Midcentury Principles Meet Modern Performance
- Custom Black Walnut Cabinetry: The Quiet Showstopper
- The Range Wall: Where Architecture and Function Collide
- The Refrigerator Challenge: Making Modern Appliances Belong
- Small Footprint, Expansive Feel
- Beyond Beauty: Infrastructure That Modernizes Performance
- A Beverage Station Designed for Real Life
- Lessons From Happy Hollow: Respect the Home, Elevate the Living
Designing with Discipline: Midcentury Principles Meet Modern Performance
Midcentury modern design is often described as simple. In reality, it’s disciplined.
Every line must earn its place. Every material must feel authentic. Ornamentation gives way to proportion. Trends give way to permanence.
In this Lafayette kitchen remodel, that discipline is visible everywhere. Horizontal emphasis anchors the space. Floating walnut shelves extend cleanly across the range wall, reinforcing the architectural language of the era. A linear tile backsplash forms a subtle grid, structured but quiet. Slab-style black walnut cabinetry keeps the geometry uninterrupted, allowing the grain itself to provide warmth and movement.
There are no decorative moldings. No busy detailing. No superfluous accents.
And yet, the space feels layered.
The warmth of custom black walnut veneer plywood cabinetry contrasts intentionally with white quartz countertops and a light backsplash. The effect is balance — darker wood that doesn’t darken the room.
Natural light does the rest.
A tall, narrow window draws the eye upward, bringing in filtered greenery and visually expanding the footprint. Despite a modest kitchen size, the vertical volume and thoughtful lighting strategy create an airy, open feeling.
Custom Black Walnut Cabinetry: The Quiet Showstopper
If there is a single element that defines this midcentury kitchen remodel in Lafayette, it’s the cabinetry.
Crafted locally from black walnut veneer plywood and finished with a clear coat, the slab-style doors embrace the simplicity that midcentury design demands. There’s no ornamentation to hide behind. The grain becomes the texture. The proportions do the talking.
Because the cabinetry was custom fabricated, alignment, reveal lines, and continuity of wood grain were carefully controlled. The result feels intentional and luxurious.
Then there’s the hardware.
The sculptural Scandinavian-inspired wood pulls add an unexpected layer of artistry. Organic and tapered, they feel carved rather than manufactured. They soften the clean geometry of the slab doors while reinforcing the era of the home.
The Range Wall: Where Architecture and Function Collide
The range wall is the visual anchor of the kitchen and perhaps its most disciplined moment.
A professional-grade stainless range sits framed by custom walnut cabinetry and a clean-lined vent hood. Above and around it, floating corner shelves stretch horizontally, reinforcing midcentury design principles while maintaining openness.
The backsplash, a subtle linear tile, creates structure without noise. Its fine grid texture reflects light softly, especially when paired with integrated under-cabinet lighting.
The Refrigerator Challenge: Making Modern Appliances Belong
One of the most technically demanding aspects of this kitchen renovation in Lafayette wasn’t the visible craftsmanship — it was the invisible precision.
Centering a modern refrigerator within a full wall of custom cabinetry sounds simple. It isn’t.
Depth adjustments had to be calculated carefully. Custom wood trim was fabricated to create seamless transitions. Cabinet faces were aligned with precision so the appliance felt integrated rather than inserted.
The finished result is subtle — and that’s the point.
True design-build craftsmanship often goes unnoticed because it looks effortless. Here, the refrigerator belongs to the architecture of the room instead of disrupting it.
And in a midcentury home, belonging matters.
Small Footprint, Expansive Feel
Not every impactful kitchen remodel in Lafayette requires expanding square footage. Sometimes, the transformation comes from understanding proportion and light.
Though modest in size, this midcentury kitchen feels open and calm. The vertical window draws the eye upward, introducing filtered greenery and reinforcing the home’s architectural height. Natural light moves freely across walnut cabinetry and quartz surfaces, softening contrast and expanding visual depth.
Floating shelves reduce upper-cabinet heaviness. Clean slab doors eliminate visual interruption. Horizontal lines stretch the room outward.
The adjacent wood-paneled ceiling, original to the era, subtly reinforces the architectural language.
Beyond Beauty: Infrastructure That Modernizes Performance
We fully updated the electrical system behind the walls of this Happy Hollow remodel to support modern appliances, lighting demands, and contemporary living. What appears effortless on the surface is backed by upgraded infrastructure that ensures performance for decades to come.
Workflow improved dramatically as well.
Zones were defined. Storage increased. Counter space was optimized. Circulation between cooking, prep, and entertaining was refined without altering the home’s architectural rhythm.
A Beverage Station Designed for Real Life
The dedicated beverage station adds a secondary functional zone without disrupting the midcentury flow. Integrated wine refrigeration, built-in microwave storage, and custom cabinetry maintain continuity with the rest of the space.
Accent lighting introduces warmth rather than drama. The walnut cabinetry wraps the area, ensuring it feels cohesive and intentional.
Lessons from Happy Hollow: Respect the Home, Elevate the Living
The greatest takeaway from this midcentury modern kitchen remodel is simple: Respect the original style, and the finished project will flow naturally with the home.
When remodeling honors architecture rather than competing with it, the result feels timeless. It doesn’t feel newly installed. It feels inevitable, as though it was always meant to exist.
Considering a Midcentury Kitchen Remodel in Lafayette?
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel in Lafayette or West Lafayette and want a space that respects your home’s architecture while delivering modern performance, the design-build team at S. Brown Construction would love to connect. Start the conversation here.
