When Keith Schoeler, a retail category manager and his wife, Emily, design director for kids’ clothing at Target, bought their '70s-style home in 2020, the food-loving couple embarked on a kitchen reno within the year. They wanted a midcentury modern look, with an emphasis on modern. Designer Emily Pueringer helped them strike the right balance with picks like a CB2 brass pendant, mustard subway tile and light maple butcher block. The Schoelers cook often, so ample prep space and durable quartz counters were a must. “We’ll do Chopped-style competitions where one of us buys four mystery ingredients, and the other has to make a meal with them,” Emily says. “We’re kind of dorks, but it’s really fun!”

Big Splurge: A Bread Oven

Keith makes bread as a side business, so the couple set aside a chunk of their budget for a $3,000 Rofco oven. They put it to good use: Harvey, their 4-year-old son, takes a sandwich made on his dad’s whole-wheat bread to school every day.

Two-Tone Cabinets

The custom flat-front cabinets are a combination of walnut frames and slick white doors — a unique look Emily knows will stand the test of time. “We plan to stay in this house until we retire,” she says. Brushed brass hardware from Rejuvenation matches the Delta faucet.

Low-Cost Seating

Emily bought all four of the chic faux-leather stools for less than $300 at The Home Depot. “We didn’t want to spend a lot because we knew they’d take a beating.”

Midcentury Style

Square Mercury Mosaics tiles with a geometric pattern and a robin’s-egg blue range from BlueStar add midcentury flair to this space.