We had the pleasure of designing a new kitchen in this four square historic gem built in 1929. The trademarks of a four square home include a square, boxy design, with four large square rooms on each floor. These homes were known for often incorporating handcrafted "honest" woodwork. End history lesson!
Now, let’s get into the fun stuff! We love projects where there is a Tetris-like challenge that present interesting solutions on the design end that makes the project just that much more rewarding. We were confined to the four walls that enclosed the kitchen because we couldn’t expand into any other space, as it would have been too costly structurally. We also had two support beams in the ceilings enclosed in a bulkhead that we had to design around. As you’ll see, the bulkhead is in the center of the room. We started by centering the range on the bulkhead to line it up visually. With that as a starting point, we were able to get the rest of the design rolling.
Before
One of our intentions while designing this kitchen was staying true to the era of the home, but also blending in modern elements to update the space. We sourced new interior doors with a classic look. The glass helps to create a visual connection with the adjoining rooms.
We wanted the kitchen to flow with the rest of the original features in the house, so we used inspiration from the dining room built-ins for the custom kitchen cabinetry by mimicking the clover leaf profile on the cabinet doors. We also designed them to be inset, which would have been accurate to the period of the home.
While staying true to the classic design of the house was important, we also needed to add modern day elements. We incorporated custom metal shelving with a stained oak shelf, which also ties in with the oversized butcher block island. For continuity, the same metal shelf design was used for the support legs on the dining portion of the island. It gives the space a modernized industrial feel, while the cabinets and soapstone countertops are reminiscent of the era of the home.
As you’ll see throughout the kitchen on the open shelving, we decorated with a mix of antique and handmade items for a collected feel in the kitchen, focusing on things that were not only functional but also beautiful. The green espresso cups were a fun find from Etsy that pulled in the green from the walls and are used daily.
Subway tile would have been used in this home back in the 1930s, but to update it, we chose a beveled subway tile, along with a medium gray grout. We wanted to give this little kitchen some dimension and interest.
The vinyl flooring was removed and then we continued the original oak hardwood flooring that also covers the rest of the main floor. This simple change made for a cohesive and seamless transition.
The family wanted this to be a place where they could share meals, do homework, or set up by the espresso machine to work from home. Gathering around the island for meal prep or to enjoy a home-cooked meal was important to them, so we designed the island to be oversized, with seating on one end to enjoy each other’s company.
The other fun detail we added to this kitchen was a gallery wall full of the family’s history. We were able to choose from a wonderful mix of art and vintage family photos to create a wall that told their story. We placed collected campaign pins in a shadowbox, reframed black and white family photos, and incorporated art from their existing collection to make this kitchen feel personal to them.
We also did a refresh to the small powder bathroom that you can see from the kitchen. We bumped up the saturation of the same green paint that we used in the kitchen. After removing the old flooring, we added a fun black and white checkerboard tile to give this little bathroom some character of its own.
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Cabinetry: Ascent Fine Cabinetry | Instagram
Contractor: Perkins Custom Remodeling | Instagram
Photography: The Mitten Tog | Instagram