Kitchens
The New Mid-Century Modern Kitchen
Published on March 19, 2026
Homeowners Jaybe and Darlene Allanson waited 20 years to renovate their mid-century home in Burnaby, B.C., and they weren’t about to hold back. “When they renovated it themselves in 2004, they played it safe,” says Meaghan Jones of Studio Hemma. “My clients are charismatic, joyful people who want to express themselves. Functionality and colour were the top priorities.”
Step inside the new mid-century modern kitchen below!
Jaybe, director of product design for a software firm, is also an avid cook and wanted a meticulously planned layout to optimize everything from making morning coffee to full-on dinner prep. Meaghan relocated the range, removed the uppers and added a new window to amp up the natural light.
An awkward seven-sided horseshoe island was removed in favour of a more graceful semicircular shape and it was loaded with drawers to store cooking utensils, plus a microwave and recycling bins. Meaghan used a mix of finishes for the custom cabinets from Swede Kitchens. Omitting hardware on the flat-front, white oak–veneer uppers gave them a mid-century modern look that’s a callback to the home’s origins. Other MCM hallmarks include tambour detailing on the island, sculptural lighting and built-in wood niches to display cookbooks.
The pretty botanical wallpaper was the catalyst for the palette, inspiring everything from the lower cabinet colour to the citrus-hued panelled vent hood and cherry red pendant over the island. “Magically, this was the first wallpaper I showed them,” says Meaghan. “Pulling out the tones from the wallpaper was a running theme.”
The colourful pendant is accented by Muuto’s Nerd stools (a favourite of Meaghan’s) in a playful mashup of red and pink, and the drapes in the adjoining dining room have a red stripe. “We wanted to be colourful without being too distracting and co-ordinate similar colours,” says Meaghan.
That wallpaper also lines the back of a new arched alcove, where a cluttered built-in desk once stood. “The functionality of that old desk remains with a floating console and charging stations,” says Meaghan. “It’s still a place to stash the daily schedules and supplies that every kitchen needs, but now it’s also a serving area.”
Meaghan Jones of Studio Hemma
The kitchen renovation energized Jaybe and Darlene and made them fall in love with their home again. “They were dream clients who were open to every suggestion,” says Meaghan. “Their artwork is super bright, and we wanted that same level of energy. I love clients who know themselves but also trust my ideas.”
Mary McNeill Knowles
House & Home
Meaghan Jones