When you work all day in a high-tech job, it's nice to come home to a warm, nostalgia-inducing kitchen. But don't let this one's vintage-look cabinets and old-fashioned touches—or the relaxed air of homeowners Eric and Elizabeth Ryterski—fool you. Behind the handsome, oil-rubbed bronze hardware lies the soul of a smooth-running machine, where every detail was carefully plotted by Eric, an electrical engineer, and Elizabeth, who turned the dining room into a hall of inspiration by lining the walls with pages torn from TOH.
While their Louisville, Colorado, house was built circa 1930, the kitchen dated to the 1980s. "It wasn't old, just outdated," says Elizabeth. It had little storage, and its layout was counterproductive too.
The Ryterskis had major ambitions and a microbudget, so their six-month redo would be strictly DIY. They mapped out an open plan in which all the modern conveniences would be hidden. "It's an old house, and we both like older things," says Eric. The first step was taking down the wall that separated the cramped kitchen from the adjacent dining room, giving the family one big L-shaped space.
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