Behind The Design: Mid Century Modern Kitchen by Linda Mazur

Polished concrete floors and sleek, glossy cabinetry beautifully enhance this kitchen's mid-century modern aesthetic. In the Q&A below, we explore the creative vision of Linda Mazur, the designer behind this stunning space:

Interior Design by Linda Mazur

What were your clients’ needs for this space?

My client loves to cook and entertain, so a chef’s kitchen was a must, as well as space for friends and family to sit and enjoy time together while she prepares a meal. My client also wanted to maintain some of the original mid-century modern influences of the home.

Were there any challenges to designing this space?

Yes, this kitchen has several doorways (entrance points) from various other rooms, and originally only had a small window. The original footprint would not allow for a center island with seating, so we redesigned the kitchen, moving some of the doorways to accommodate a substantial-sized island with seating while still allowing for a comfortable traffic flow throughout the kitchen. We also added a large picture window overlooking the beautiful ravine lot.

Do you have any special considerations or requirements when designing a kitchen space?

Functionality is a must, but definitely not at the expense of aesthetics. When I’m designing a kitchen and selecting finishes, I like to ensure we have several different textures within the space. In this kitchen, we have a beautiful porcelain tile floor that mimics polished concrete, adding great muted tones and textures to our kitchen. Also, the high gloss off-white cabinetry is accented with the lighter wood-grain cabinetry, reminiscent of the mid-century modern era. Finally, we added a touch of cabinetry around the fridge and wall ovens in this gorgeous wired-brushed metallic bronze finish for added interest.

How does the flooring play into your design?

Flooring is always an important part of the design process. In this case, as you enter the kitchen from one of the adjacent rooms, you have a very large stone wall in your sight line; therefore, it seemed only natural to me to keep that sight line undisturbed by blending the textures and colors in that stone wall into our kitchen flooring using this beautiful polished concrete tile.

Interior Design by Linda Mazur

What makes this room functional? (hidden storage, convertible pieces, flow, etc.)

This is not a substantially large kitchen, but with a bit of a redesign of the floor plan, I was able to accommodate a great deal of functional storage, larger-scale appliances, the desired double wall ovens, and seating without compromising the traffic flow throughout the space. We have some well-organized hidden storage on the pantry wall and island customized to suit my client’s needs. Then, we added a large open shelving area on the opposite wall of the kitchen for storing and displaying some of my client’s cookbooks, dishware, and collectibles.

Why did you choose these colors?

I wanted to design a space that was calm and inviting, with a few mid-century modern touches that flowed with the rest of the home. This kitchen has an abundance of natural light, so using modern earth tones, metallic, and light-toned wood keeps the space looking fresh and current. This makes it easy to punch up with accent colors depending on your mood.

What is your favorite aspect of this room?

I love the fact that we were able to use three different cabinetry finishes to highlight different textures within this space. I maintained a simple mid-century inspired flat door profile for the cabinetry and added interest by using these three different finishes/colors. I think it really makes the kitchen and creates a very simple yet stylish space for this home.

Interior Design by Linda Mazur

What did your client like the most?

My client was thrilled with the final outcome of their kitchen. It reflects the original era of the home, which was an important factor for them, and it has modern, stylish comfort for cooking and entertaining; it’s the chef’s kitchen they always dreamed of. 

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our design blog or explore our wide selection of quality kitchen flooring. Whether you’re ordering samples or scheduling a free in-home estimate, we’re here to help every step of the way with expert advice. Contact us now and bring your dream home to life!

Linda Mazur is the Principal Designer of Linda Mazur Design Group

Linda Mazur Design Group is a sought-after multi-disciplinary interior design firm known for providing innovative interior renovations and full-scale build projects that reflect both timeless style and optimal functionality. The firm services clients throughout Canada and is based in Toronto. @LindaMazurGroup