Project Reveal: Our Midcentury Kitchen Renovation in Bethesda

Designing for clients is one thing. Designing for yourself? That’s a whole different beast. As a designer, creating our own family’s dream kitchen was equal parts thrilling and agonizing—because every decision had to live up to our own expectations. And let’s be honest, we’re our toughest clients.

The Process Behind The Project

Our midcentury home in Bethesda had good bones (well, we thought it did), but the kitchen was boxed in, outdated, and just didn’t serve the way our family of four lives and entertains. Once we started opening things up, it became clear the structure needed some serious reinforcement—an unexpected, unglamorous chapter of the project, but a necessary one to achieve the open, airy layout true to midcentury design.

With the heavy lifting done (literally), the vision came into focus. We went with custom inset walnut cabinetry from Cuisine Idéale—a choice that felt like a love letter to the home’s original era. The quartzite stone on the back wall was our north star—it set the tone for the entire palette: warm, natural, textural, and timeless.

Form Meets Function

Functionally, we designed the space to work hard. A butler’s pantry gives us a tucked-away zone for prepping drinks and storing the not-so-pretty essentials, keeping the main kitchen serene and photo-ready (or at least mostly). And then there’s our pride and joy: the five-foot sink. It’s not just a sink—it’s a prep station, a cleanup zone, a taco-night MVP.

Our Midcentury Marvel

This space is a love letter to everything we believe in as a designer and as a family: sustainability, warmth, flow, and function wrapped in elevated, enduring style. It’s our everyday hub, our weekend entertaining haven, and our very own midcentury marvel.

And yes, it’s still the hardest project we’ve ever done. Ready to get started on your own renovation? Reach out today!

Until next time,
Heather