Revealing the Mod on the Prairie Home

Our clients came to us when building their new construction home in Grundy Center. They knew they loved a Mid-Century Modern design style, but making all of the decisions to achieve their vision in their kitchen and dry bar felt overwhelming.

Natalie, our Interior Designer, already had a love for all things Mid-Century, so this project holds a really special place in her heart. Her vision was to create a minimalist kitchen with a practical layout that would allow our clients to add elements that speak to their style. 

From the overall concept to the finishes, layout, and styling, we absolutely love how she brought our client’s vision to life! There were so many elements that made this project special, including the husband being the builder of the home. We are thrilled to share all of the details with you in this blog post!

The Design

Before we dove into all the materials and selections, Natalie began with the technical floorplan of the space, designed by Janean Skovgard at Builders Select, to ensure we could meet our client’s needs.

From the floor plan, Natalie then moved into the concept for the design to help set the vision for the space. Each of the materials and selections were chosen with our client’s style in mind.

3D renderings allowed our clients to visualize the designs in their space before we ordered any materials or coordinated with the builder on implementing the plans.

The Kitchen

One of the highlights of the kitchen is the custom cabinetry. Our Interior Designer Natalie made several really intentional, yet subtle choices to make the space look more designer.

To lean into the Mid-Century Modern design style, we partnered with Showplace Cabinetry to create a mix of both flat and skinny shaker doors. Painted Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams, the dark cabinetry contrasts beautifully with the white wall color and tile. The upper cabinets feature a horizontal hinge for a fun twist and added functionality. 

For the hardware, the knobs and pulls from West Elm to tie the space together.

What appears as a standard tall cabinet are actually doors to the large pantry behind the kitchen. We loved partnering with Showplace Cabinetry to create this unique feature that helps keep storage items tucked away but within close reach.

When designing the countertops, Natalie chose white quartz countertops from Elite Stone Fabrications for the surrounding space, but rather than continue them on the island, she opted for a black, soapstone look. The result is a beautiful contrast of color in the space.

We opted for floating shelves, stained with Pampas White Oak, in the kitchen for the ultimate Mid-Century look, which also provided space for our clients to display decor.

Above the island are large light pendants our clients sourced from West Elm that make a big statement and tie beautifully into the rest of the kitchen.

Near the kitchen are a sideboard cabinet from Homemakers Furniture in Iowa and a mirror from 319 Decor and Design that help make the space feel larger and cohesive.

For the backsplash, we chose a 4x4 off white, handcrafted zellige tile that is perfect in every way! This tile pattern was carried to the dry bar backsplash as well for a seamless feel to the space.

We love the Chairus barstools that tie into the Mid-Century Modern style and fit comfortably under the countertops.

The large trimless Marvin window above the sink provides beautiful natural light into the kitchen and a view to the exterior. For the sink, a black faucet from Delta creates a stunning moment.

The Dry Bar

The dry bar features the same cabinetry, with a horizontal hinge on the upper cabinets and floating shelves to tie into the main kitchen space. We love how this space can be used for preparing coffee and also provides additional storage.

The Entryway

To further lean into the Mid-Century Modern feel, we helped choose Peppery by Sherwin Williams for the front door to create a bold moment from the very first impression.

The Challenges

One of the roles as designers is to take care of any issues that arise so that our clients don’t have to spend time stressing about it. During construction, there was a dimension discrepancy between the floating shelves and a drawer cabinet due to the drywall thickness. To resolve this issue, we met at the house with our clients, took measurements onsite, and then ordered the correct material right away. We love getting to meet in person for many reasons, but quickly addressing any challenges is one of them.

Additionally, each home we design is for real people to love and live in. One of the unique aspects of our job is learning so much about our client’s lives because homes are so personal.

Toward the end of the project, our clients faced some health issues, but we were amazed at how the community came together to help them during this difficult time.

We absolutely love how the Mod on the Prairie home turned out and are honored to have played a role in shaping this special place for our clients.

If you are interested in building a home that you and your family will love for years to come, we’d love to connect with you. Visit our services to learn more and get started!