Ingrained Wood Studios | Longfellow Kitchen | Minneapolis

When you own an architecturally significant house from the 1960s, it is extremely important to honor the historic design and keep the authenticity while renovating and making updates. A Minneapolis couple did just that when they embarked on an interior remodel of their home in the Longfellow neighborhood, south of downtown between the light rail and the Mississippi River.

Homeowners Eric Janus and Carolyn Chalmers enlisted the help of SALA Architects, Welch Forsman Associates and Ingrained Wood Studios to bring their midcentury modern vision to life. This trio had previously worked with REHAU surfaces and knew the company’s custom cabinet doors could be a perfect addition to this redesign.

Dissatisfied with their current kitchen, the couple was ready to change everything from the layout and colors to cabinet fronts and countertops. “The new kitchen needed to fit in with the style of the overall house,” recalled David Wagner of SALA Architecture. “They liked the general flow of the kitchen, but wanted to open the space up with a beautiful, supersized window, overlooking the impressive trees in their yard.” Chad Johnson from Ingrained Wood Studios chimed in saying, “Eric and Carolyn decided to play off the original exterior colors of the house. They brought the bright, primary colors inside to tie together all the different textures and elements of this design.”

Selecting the perfect cabinet doors for the kitchen was not a simple task. The homeowners aimed to remain authentic not only to the 1960s time period, but also to their particular house. Don Forsman of Welch Forsman Associates recommended REHAU super-matte cabinet doors for the look they were trying to accomplish, keeping dramatic colors in mind.

“The nice soft matte touch and look along with the durable finish made REHAU cabinet doors a top contender for the kitchen,” said Wagner. Although they looked at other options, REHAU had the perfect color offerings, which paired perfectly with the floor.

“The surface has a nice texture, both visually and to the touch,” explained Wagner. “It is not reflective, yet has deep color. And when you run your hand across it, it is very soft.”

These matte cabinet doors are an essential, innovative interior design product. They are produced using next-generation resin developed with nanotechnologies, which provide unique properties such as thermal healing, anti-finger print and impact resistance. All of the doors are also perfectly matched and finished with REHAU LaserEdge™ technology. 

“Matte is certainly popular, but the vibrant colored, perfectly smooth, easily cleanable, anti-fingerprint finish – that’s really what I like best,” said Forsman. “Plus, it’s so easy to get the product from REHAU. It’s a simple way to get beautiful cabinet doors.”

The cabinet doors are not the only standout feature of this remodel. The mixing of materials and colors distinguish this kitchen from others in the area. “We felt a duty to be sensitive to the original character of the home,” said Wagner. “Our aim was not restoration, but renovation of a classic home.

“The kitchen feels ‘of the house’ – not something foreign to the home. By picking up on all of the original characteristics and attributes, it becomes a perfect example of midcentury modern.”

Johnson agreed saying, “There is lots of detail in the purposeful lack of detail. It’s minimalistic and sparse midcentury design.”

“The finished kitchen design is really spectacular,” said Forsman. “It is a nice addition to a significant and unique house. The clients were thrilled with the overall process and the REHAU products.”

Janus agreed, saying, “My wife and I love it! Our favorite part of the remodel was the whole finished look…the way everything fit together perfectly at the end.