The 1898 House - the Kitchen

This is the house that a respected local builder said should be a tear down. This is the house that tested all of our renovation skills - over and over and over again. This is the house that we now call home (my husband says we’re never moving again). 

What was the most challenging part of the renovation?  The kitchen.  It started as two very separate spaces - a main kitchen area and a separate room that was a service porch with the washer and dryer.

From the moment we walked in the door, I knew this kitchen could be amazing.  The room above was unused attic space (just begging to become a cathedral ceiling!).  The structural wall between the kitchen and service porch could be opened up - creating a larger, more useful space.

The antique armoire is our pantry

But there were problems that we discovered when we started opening things up.  The entire wall on the driveway side had sills that were so rotted, we had to jack up the house and replace them.  And in the service porch, the floor joists were also rotted almost through.

We had to gut everything and start from scratch.  Which meant sealing the crawl space with its dirt floor and spray foaming the foundation.  

We had to gut everything down to the crawl space

But look how nice it is now!  Don't you love that original door?  It has wavy glass that adds so much charm.  

But before you ask, I'll answer two questions we hear a lot!  1) Why is there a grandfather clock in the kitchen?  Simple answer is it's too tall for anywhere else in the house!  2) Why isn't that door finished?  I have 17 doors to strip down to their original wood - I've done 2 1/2.  This is the 1/2 one!! 😂. 

We also had to install crazy engineered beams to create the big, open ceiling that I envisioned.  This is a real feat of structural engineering.  

And totally worth it for the final result!  

Kitchen front window - before

Kitchen front window - after

This floor plan might make it easier to understand the changes and the 'before and after' photos.

It took months to get the custom tile I ordered - and then I broke my wrist and couldn't install it.  But I finally finished up last weekend and the kitchen is mostly done.  Except for that 1/2 stripped door!  

My husband loves his coffee/cocktail bar area!  It's also a convenient spot for the dog bowls.  

In many respects, this kitchen gave me the chance to utilize some of my favorite features.  A dutch door, antique style tile, two sinks, lots of built ins, etc.  And now we get to enjoy them for many years to come!

 

Sources:

Crownpoint Cabinetry - in Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige

Antique Armoire - Portland Architectural Salvage

Central Light Fixture - Visual Comfort

Sconces - Pottery Barn with Amazon Globes

Eating Nook Light Fixture - Wayfair

Tile - Moore-Merkowitz Tile, Ltd.

She loves to peek over the door! 

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