After 20 years of dreaming and seven years of designing, it feels incredible to finally be living in our new home. My husband Jim and I had a blast searching for the perfect property, discovering just the right spot, and bringing our vision to life using SketchUp. We’ve now been settled in for two months, and every day still fills us with gratitude and awe. Each morning feels like a new adventure. This week brought our first snowfall, and the mountains are breathtaking with their fresh dusting of white. In today’s post, I’m excited to share both the functional and aesthetic details of our new kitchen, along with a peek at our Fall garden plans.
Kitchen Design
We drew inspiration from Mid-Century Modern design to shape the aesthetic of our kitchen. Natural materials—like the warm walnut cabinetry and the striking Alluvial leathered quartzite—anchor the space with timeless elegance. There’s a reason MCM kitchens remain classics: signature features such as clean lines, rich wood tones, sculptural lighting, and natural stone infuse the room with both warmth and character, making it feel uniquely ours.
Counter Stools
I ordered the Flynn counter stools from West Elm back in August, and they’re expected to arrive by mid-December. With a sturdy dark bronze metal frame and legs, they’ll complement our kitchen island beautifully. The minimalist base features a distinctive T-back detail that adds just the right touch of visual interest. We especially love the rich Espresso performance Chenille fabric, which wraps the bentwood seat and back for both style and durability. The gently curved design enhances comfort, though it’s worth noting the stool does not swivel. Crafted in Vietnam at a Fair-Trade Certified factory, the Flynn stool is also GREENGUARD Gold Certified—meaning it’s low-emitting and screened for over 10,000 chemical VOCs. As a contract-grade piece built to meet commercial standards, it’s designed to stand the test of time in both residential and professional settings.
Cabinets and Hardware
The Horizons cabinets by DeWils Fine Cabinetry—proudly made in America—feature European-style frameless construction, also known as full-access or Euro-style cabinetry. This design eliminates the face frame found in traditional American cabinets, allowing doors and drawers to mount directly to the cabinet box. The result is a sleek, modern look that also maximizes interior storage space. With clean lines, tight reveals, and a minimalist aesthetic, this style is a favorite in contemporary and modern kitchen designs. Here are the key elements:
- Frameless
- Sleek and modern style
- Full overlay doors
- Seamless look
- European elegance
- Versatile style
- Full access casework
What sets quality cabinets apart from ones that will quickly show signs of aging and need constant repair? Know what to look for when comparing DeWils Fine Cabinetry against the competition with their cabinetry checklist:
We selected Trifid Slab walnut wood cabinets for their timeless appeal and connection to Mid-Century Modern design. Walnut was a favorite material during that era, celebrated for its rich, expressive grain that served as a natural design feature—no embellishment needed. The vertical grain-matched cabinetry creates a seamless, continuous pattern across doors and drawers, especially striking with walnut’s bold grain variations. Despite the deep wood tones, our space feels bright and open thanks to the generous windows that flood the room with natural light and evoke the indoor-outdoor harmony central to Mid-Century Modern architecture.
While many people are opting for lower drawers to store glasses and dishes, we’ve found that upper cabinets work better for our daily routine. Since I tend to be organized and tidy, incorporating three glass-front upper cabinets has been a perfect fit for our space. During the design process, we made sure these cabinets could comfortably accommodate our plates, bowls, and serving dishes. The adjustable shelves offer flexibility, allowing us to store everything from smaller items to taller pieces—like a flower vase—with ease.
Pro-Tip: When cleaning your wood cabinets avoid the use of silicones and waxes. Polishes are the best choice for cleaning. They contain detergents to clean the dirt, while leaving no wax or silicone residue. Always spot check a hidden area before you start. Here is a great product for cleaning wood cabinets and furniture:
Our kitchen embraces Mid-Century Modern style through natural walnut cabinetry, stone slab surfaces, and clean, streamlined lines. To keep the look fresh and contemporary, we introduced a high-contrast palette of black and white, paired with mixed metal finishes. We sourced affordable solid brass cabinet hardware from Amazon, combining round knobs with rectangular 6- and 12-inch pulls to create a cohesive and functional design. While I love the warmth of brass, our stainless-steel appliances called for a complementary touch—so we chose stainless-steel faucets and sinks to balance the overall design.
Countertops and Backsplash
The pairing of Alluvial leathered quartzite with Cambria MacBeth polished quartz creates a striking and harmonious blend of materials. The deep tones of the Alluvial quartzite complement the warmth of our walnut cabinetry beautifully. Natural stone was a hallmark of Mid-Century Modern design, valued for its organic texture and timeless appeal. Alluvial quartzite forms in sedimentary rock layers known as alluvial deposits, shaped over time by the movement of water. On our kitchen island, the leathered finish adds a subtle tactile quality, while the black base is enriched with white veining and hints of red and green, bringing depth and character to the space.
Pro-Tip: Repeating materials, like the walnut and Alluvial quartzite on the other side of our great room ties our open-plan space together. Our cabinet company, DeWils made the Walnut paneling, which was installed by the finish carpenters. The stone guys did a great job crafting the Alluvial quartzite fireplace surround and top for the TV cabinet. Check out the two photos below to see for yourself:
Cambria MacBeth quartz brings a subtle elegance to our kitchen with its soft honey undertones that warm a serene, cool white background. Gentle taupe veining melts into the surface, creating a refined and understated look. We chose MacBeth for our perimeter countertops and a full-height backsplash that extends to the ceiling—a design choice I love for its seamless appearance and easy maintenance, free of grout lines. Cambria quartz is nonabsorbent, stain-resistant, exceptionally durable, and simple to clean, making it as practical as it is beautiful. As a family-owned, American-made company, Cambria upholds the highest standards of quality and service, and their transferable full lifetime warranty offers added peace of mind.
Pro-Tip: There are many different types of edge profiles you can pick for your counters. You’ll want to consider the design style of your home and kitchen, as well as the functionality. For example, we picked a half-bullnose for the simple design, comfort when arms are resting on it and fact that it will reduce water dripping onto cabinets.
Lighting
The best layered lighting for a functional and beautiful kitchen combines ambient, task, and accent lighting-each serving a distinct purpose while enhancing the overall aesthetic. Here’s how to build a stunning and practical lighting scheme for your kitchen:
Ambient Lighting: The foundation is your general illumination, setting the tone for the entire space. Be sure to add dimmers to these and your other lighting in the kitchen.
- Ceiling-mounted fixtures like recessed lights or flush/semi-flush mounts provide even coverage. We didn’t use many, but the ones we used are sealed recessed lights, which prevent heat or A/C from leaking into the attic space.
- Smart LED recessed lights are trending in 2025 for their energy efficiency and customizable warmth.
- Warm white tones (2700K-3000K) create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
Task Lighting: Precision where you need it is essential for food preparation, cooking and cleaning.
- Under-cabinet LED strips lights illuminate countertops without shadows.
- Pendant lights over islands or sinks offer focused brightness and style.
- Adjustable sconces near prep zones add flexibility and flair.
Accent Lighting: Personality and depth to add drama, highlight design features and create ambiance.
- Above-cabinet LED strips add a soft glow and emphasize ceiling height.
- Toe-kick lighting under lower cabinets gives a floating effect and nighttime visibility.
- Glass cabinet LED strip lighting showcases dishware and adds elegance.
Sinks and More
Don’t you think the kitchen sink is the hardest-working element in any kitchen? For our space, we opted for two: one dedicated to prepping fruits, vegetables, and meats, and the other for clean-up. The prep sink is conveniently located on the island near the pantry and refrigerator, while the larger clean-up sink sits beneath a wide window—perfect for enjoying mountain views while washing up. Most sinks come with metal grates to protect the basin from scratches, but it’s worth noting that some grate designs are too open, allowing silverware to slip through. All of our faucets are from Kohler (via Build.com), featuring a clean, simple design with pull-out spray handles for easy rinsing. Each sink is equipped with a built-in soap dispenser. We also have a filtered water faucet, with the filtration system neatly tucked away in the cabinet below.
Appliances
A mix-up with our appliance order ended up being a pleasant surprise. The refrigerator we originally selected early in the build was discontinued, but the appliance store found a comparable replacement that worked perfectly. The real bonus came with our washer and dryer: while the washer was still available, the dryer had been discontinued—so the store upgraded both to a higher-end model, which I absolutely love.
We didn’t splurge on appliances overall, believing that mid-range options offer the same essential functionality as high-end ones. It was a smart way to save, and we’re genuinely thrilled with all of our LG appliances. The one exception was our induction range, where we chose to invest a bit more. We had a similar model in our previous home and appreciated its performance and ease of cleaning. Plus, the vibrant blue interior adds a touch of personality that makes it feel special.
Pantry
Our pantry is functional for now, though not especially stylish. We picked up some metal shelving from a big-box store, which has served us well as a budget-friendly storage solution while we plan our DIY pantry upgrade. The vision includes RTA painted cabinets, walnut shelving, and a splash of fun wallpaper to bring personality to the space. We recently added an air fryer, which lives in the pantry. After doing some research, I want to emphasize an important safety tip: always plug appliances like air fryers directly into a wall outlet. Using extension cords can pose a serious fire hazard, especially with high-heat or high-wattage devices.
Functional Design
A truly functional kitchen prioritizes efficiency, comfort, and organization—making everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning, and entertaining feel effortless and enjoyable. You’ve likely heard of the classic work triangle, which places the sink, stove, and refrigerator in a triangular layout to reduce unnecessary movement and streamline workflow. When designing our kitchen, we took that concept a step further by incorporating defined zones: dedicated areas for prepping, cooking, serving, and clean-up. This thoughtful layout has made a noticeable difference in how smoothly everything operates.
- Prepping: This is where you put your groceries when you come home from shopping. There should be plenty of counterspace for all your groceries and it should be close to the refrigerator and pantry. I like to have an extra sink in this area for washing fruits and vegetables for snacks or mealtimes.
- Cooking: This area should be close to the prep zone and protected from traffic. You don’t want guests or others to have to pass through this zone for drinks, serving or cleaning up.
- Serving: This area should be close to the dining room and out of the way of the cooking and prep area.
- Cleaning: This is where you put all the dirty dishes, so think about an extra-large sink in this space. You’ll want your garbage can and dishwasher in this space.
Storage and Special Touches
Since our DeWils custom cabinets were a significant investment, we’re protecting them with WeatherTech under-sink protectors. While we don’t anticipate leaks, it’s reassuring to know the cabinets will be shielded until any issue is noticed and resolved. One upgrade we’re especially glad we made was installing built-in garbage and recycling bins—well worth the extra cost for convenience and cleanliness. As for drawer organizers, there’s no need to purchase them from the cabinet maker; plenty of affordable and stylish options are available at HomeGoods or through online retailers. To keep our backsplash looking clean and uncluttered, we opted for BOCCI outlets, which blend in beautifully. For the rest of the kitchen, we used standard electrical outlets, making this small splurge a thoughtful and worthwhile detail. Finally, having quality tools in your kitchen makes cooking more enjoyable. Last Christmas I bought my hubby, Jim a beautiful knife set by Seido. These Japanese Master Chef Knives are gorgeous and super sharp.
Garden Update
As fall settles in and the gardening season winds down, we still have a few outdoor projects to complete before winter arrives. Following DNRC’s wildfire safety recommendations, we’re planning to remove and thin out additional trees around our home. This will not only reduce our wildfire risk but also allow more sunlight from the south and open up unobstructed views of the mountains. We’ve hired Cody from Glacier Excavation to handle the tree removal and to add gravel around the house up to the flashing. Since this work is considered landscaping, it falls outside our original build costs.
Cody will also be trucking in and spreading garden soil along the east and west sides of the house, as well as to the southern area where trenching was done for our well and septic system. Once the soil is in place, we’ll be sowing native wildflower and grass seeds. If you’ve gardened in northern climates, you might be familiar with the concept of cold stratification. Our native seeds are adapted to harsh winters, using freezing temperatures to trigger germination at just the right time. They remain dormant beneath snow and ice until spring, when the thaw and sunlight signal them to begin growing.
I’ll be sharing more design, garden and travel adventures in future posts, so be sure to subscribe below to never miss an update:
Design, Garden, & Travel by Majestic Meadows 
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