As this kitchen illustrates, the goal of historic restoration isn’t necessarily a fastidious return to a bygone aesthetic, but a sense of harmony that results when architectural elements no longer battle each other. You can measure the success in the home’s palpable sense of ease.
We returned this 1917 kitchen to its airier origins by removing the adjacent mudroom and arched entryway of another era. The new entry from the yard incorporates a built-in bookshelf and elements of the dining room’s colonnade. Attention to sightlines and finishes gives a wholly period view from the adjacent dining room, as a honed black granite countertop mimics traditionally used soapstone, and pale blue-green walls, white tile and woodwork refresh the room’s true character.
For increased efficiency, we created a work area for the stove, removed an obsolete chimney to integrate the refrigerator into a more central location, and added storage, including a shallow-depth, angled-end pantry. A bump out accommodates a dishwasher and the clients’ desired farm sink.
