Retro Redo

The original kitchen

BEFORE: Too much broken wall space made it impossible to have enough storage and work surfaces. AFTER: Bumping into the laundry room, annexing a pantry, and relocating the fridge made it possible to add a 6-foot butcher block counter, with microwave above and storage below, near the stove. Shifting the entry to the breakfast room created wall space for the phone and bookshelves.

A niche set into a newly built wall between the breakfast and dining rooms features a reconditioned 1930s telephone and a pencil drawer. The bookcase holds cookbooks and conceals a volume control for the built-in sound system.

A reconditioned 1930s O'Keefe & Merritt stove nestles in an arched alcove from the original kitchen. Porthole lights, a pot-filler tap, and a wooden shelf for oils and vinegars are modern fixtures that blend with the old-time feel.

A built-in mirrored medicine cabinet (handy for vitamins and first-aid supplies) over the sink is a holdover fom the original room. Most of the tilework from the window ledge up is also vintage; the backsplash and counter tiles are new.

Drawer and door fronts disguise a counter-depth built-in refrigerator and energy-saving two-drawer dishwasher. A touch-latch cupboard above the fridge holds linens. Built into its side cabinetry is a painted steel magnetic blackboard for messages and grocery lists.

Butcher block defines a workstation where everything is within easy reach. Knife storage in the wooden countertop keeps cutlery safe and handy. Wide pull-out trays hold pots, pans, and lids at the ready, but hidden when not in use. Behind a narrow cupboard door, a stack of bins holds vegetables best stored in the dark.

Touch-latch drawers that hold infrequently used kitchenware occupy toekick space that is usually overlooked. The shallow drawers are ideal for bakeware, linens, and season items.