1950s Cape Cod Kitchen Remodel (before and after)
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If you’re facing a 1950’s Cape Cod kitchen remodel, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the dated fixtures, small footprint, and overall lack of modern functionality. But fear not! We recently faced the same challenge and successfully transformed this dated kitchen into a modern, inviting space while still preserving the home’s original character.
Built for efficiency and affordability, a Cape Cod-style house became popular from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Jim was fortunate to acquire this Cape Cod home through a family friend. With the exception of a handful of improvements, everything, including the kitchen, was original from when the home was built in 1950.
Needless to say, it needed some updating!
How To Remodel A 1950’s Kitchen
The whole house was only 1300 square feet and per tradition, this cape cod style kitchen was tiny!
It was closed off from the living room, lacked natural light and the square footage of the kitchen was fairly small with an awkward layout.
The overall floor plan and layout of the first floor was choppy and very cramped.
Assess Your Kitchen Needs And Remodel Budget
We had an overall budget of $40,000 for the kitchen remodel and that included gutting the entire space, removing the wall, flooring, installing new cabinets, new countertops, backsplash and new appliances.
The goal was to open up the kitchen living space, provide more space for kitchen cabinets and incorporate an island of some sort.
Ideally, I would have loved some open shelving but that wasn’t possible due to the minimal wall space we had to work with but overall, the main goal was to acquire additional storage space which was achieved by installing new cabinets.
The previous owners utilized a kitchen table in the space but that feasibly was not possible for our new design so ultimately, a kitchen peninsula was built.
1950’s Kitchen Renovation Ideas
Kitchen Cabinets
We decided to gut the entire kitchen as the old cabinets were not worth salvaging.
If your original cabinets are sturdy and worth saving, consider painting them and swapping out the hardware, This can be a huge savings!
Another option is to just replace the kitchen cabinet doors, leaving the existing bases in place.
We picked light gray kitchen cabinets that were in stock, affordable and opted to customize the look of them by adding long contemporary cabinet door pulls and install a crown molding for a finished look.
This is an example of saving money on the cabinets but adding finishing touches like hardware and molding to elevate the look.
A traditional design would have included white cabinets but honestly, gray cabinets are just as classic and timeless. We were also planning to sell this house and white and gray cabinets appeal to the majority of the buyers.
Let’s take a look at the kitchen before and after.
Here is the old kitchen before we remodeled.
Here is the new kitchen after we remodeled.
The new kitchen offers a welcoming space with modern elements.
New Hardware
We installed simple long stainless steel cabinet pulls on all of the cabinet doors and drawers.
Installing “extra long” pulls is a simple way to create an elevated custom look in a kitchen without spending a lot of money.
Read these two posts, how to choose cabinet hardware and grey kitchen cabinets with white countertops to see how I achieved a classic contemporary modern look in our newly remodeled kitchen.
Install Modern Backsplash
When picking a backsplash especially for resale, opt for timeless materials like subway tile, ceramic mosaics, or subtle patterns in soft colors.
We splurged on the backsplash material at $18 a square foot and I am so glad we did! I felt like the kitchen needed a designer look and there is no better way to add that modern feel than a gorgeous backsplash.
The backsplash area was minimal so even at $18 a square foot, we spent roughly $500 on tile. The gray geometric backsplash adds a classic modern flair and was short money to achieve the look.
If you have a larger budget, consider a full height countertop style backsplash. We recently finished our own kitchen remodel and installed a full height backsplash and I absolutely love the modern sleek look.
New Countertops
We went with a classic white and gray carrara quartz that was subtle but still had a small amount of detail. We didn’t want to take away from the backsplash because that was the hero (in my opinion) of the kitchen.
The white and gray countertop complimented the gray kitchen cabinets and tied in nicely with the overall modern feel of the kitchen.
If you are looking for more countertop ideas, visit this post called, quartz countertops.
Stainless-Steel Appliances
Introduce modern functionality with sleek stainless steel appliances that complement the classic aesthetic.
Based on the size of the kitchen, we were limited to where we could install a microwave so we opted for an above the range traditional look.
We purchased brand new stainless steel appliances to complete the look.
Refinished Hardwood Flooring
The existing flooring was absolutely horrible in the kitchen so we decided to remove and install raw hardwood oak flooring in the same size as the rest of the house.
Once all of the remodeling was complete, we hired a flooring professional to sand down ALL of the hardwood floors in the home and refinish with a clear oil based polyurethan coat to create a seamless look that flowed nicely from room to room.
Refinishing existing hardwood floors or installing new ones in a timeless wood species like oak or maple is a great way to modernize and update a home.
Ensure the flooring shade complements the cabinet and countertop colors.
Install New Lighting
Jim installed new recessed lighting, under cabinet lighting, classic jar style pendants over the new peninsula and a simple flush pendant over the sink.
Replacing outdated fixtures with modern classic-inspired pendant lights, sconces, or under-cabinet lighting will 100% improve illumination and ambiance in a new kitchen.
If you have a small budget, consider the strip under cabinet lighting instead of hardwiring. The strip lights are DIY friendly and affordable!
Remove Wall Between Living Room And Kitchen
Creating open spaces in small homes like a 1950s cape code style house, can be difficult especially if you are not adding square footage.
One way to make a 1950’s kitchen look bigger is to remove the interior wall between the kitchen and living room.
Here is the same wall below once we removed a portion opening it up into the living room.
A small cape cod living room layout typically encompasses a space right as you walk in the front door and leads to a hallway and kitchen.
This wall was a load bearing wall which requires a structural engineer and special beam installed so while it does eat up some of the budget, this is an example of a strategic renovation that will enhance the flow of traffic and give the appearance of more space.
A worthy investment for sure!
We originally considered removing the entire wall but then realized, by removing the entire wall we were eliminating a “wall” for furniture in the living room.
The delemia of “no kitchen table” was also something we needed to consider so we decided to create a “half wall” which allowed us to install a peninsula in the kitchen which allowed for countertop stools as well as a functional interior wall in the living room for a sofa.
This is a prime example of why pre-planning and strategizing all the scenarios before demo starts, is very important.
Thinking about removing a load bearing wall?
Consult with a structural engineer to ensure feasibility and proper support installation.
I also share this post, {how to remove load bearing wall} at the split level home renovation we completed a couple years ago.
Kitchen Island or Peninsula
In today’s modern style kitchens, the kitchen table seems to be a thing of the past. Especially in a 1950s cape cod kitchen remodel, space is tight.
This is where introducing a kitchen island or peninsula for additional storage, prep space, and casual seating can work wonders!
Based on the square footage of the kitchen and living room, an island was not feasible but a peninsula was a great choice.
We installed upper cabinets as the peninsula base and installed a quartz countertop to finish the look.
New Windows
Replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones that retain the classic style, maximizing natural light and ventilation is a great way to modernize your kitchen not only asetically but for efficiency as well.
We were fortunate that the windows were all in good shape and not that old. We did install new windows in screen room leading to the kitchen to create a 3 season room which helped modernize this kitchen as well.
New Doors
We installed a full view exterior french door in the kitchen which now leads to the enclosed 3 season porch.
Here is the view of the kitchen from the screened porch before we remodeled.
Here is the view after we remodeled.
The idea behind the full view door was to maximize the natural light into the kitchen and give the appearance of a larger kitchen space.
Catch Up: Cape Cod House Remodel Series
- 1950s whole cape house renovation (see a full tour of this home before and after)
- 1950s bathroom remodel before and after
- 1950s Cape First Floor Master Bedroom Makeover (see how we added a 2nd bathroom to the house and walk-in closet)
- 1950s Cape Cod kitchen remodel
- 1950s Cape House Breezeway Renovation (before and after)
- 10 large shower tile ideas, if you have a bath remodel on your mind
Like I said earlier, we did not add square footage to the kitchen but by removing the kitchen wall between the living room and kitchen, increasing the width of the hallway leading to the bathroom and bedroom, installing recessed lights in the kitchen and installing a new glass exterior door, all make this 1950s kitchen feel bigger and brighter.
I’ll be sharing more of this 1300 square foot, 1950s cape cod home remodel soon and you are going to be amazed at how we turned a formal dining room into a first floor master suite!
This small but might home is the perfect example of how creative ideas can turn an outdated home into a modern new home perfect for a growing family or someone looking to downsize.
Meet Jessica
What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.
