Beautiful cabinetry, mullioned windows and richly refinished floors refresh this kitchen in an 1879 Pennsylvania home.
Size: 183 square feet (17 square meters)
Location: Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Designer: elizaBeth Marcocci of Mother Hubbard’s Custom CabinetryPrior to its renovation, this kitchen in an 1879 Pennsylvania home lacked counter space and had no range hood, and the finish on the cabinets was peeling off. There was a large window-like opening in a wall that ate up space without serving a real purpose. A full renovation fixed the layout and took care of the cosmetic challenges.
Pendants: Rejuvenation
Before: Compare this photo of the existing sink area and windows to the previous photo showing the new mullioned windows that echo the style of the adjacent glass-front cabinets. The homeowners were able to keep those glass-front cabinets in the renovation, and designer elizaBeth Marcocci used them as a starting point for the design.
This photo also shows where the refrigerator was before the remodel. Just past it you can see the top of an opening.
After: Shortening the tall opening allowed Marcocci to run the cabinets and countertop along the wall where the refrigerator used to be. The tall cabinet that stretches from the ceiling to the counter hides a microwave behind the lowest panel.
The cabinetry style is inset Shaker, which fits with the traditional feel the homeowners wanted. “We tried to make it up to date but with that older feel that she likes,” Marcocci says of one of the homeowners. Traditional cup pulls and knobs honored the home’s history, while undercabinet and recessed can lighting gave the room proper illumination.
The peninsula contains two deep drawers where the homeowners store pots and pans. The tall, skinny cabinet on the window wall holds trays. The wide cabinet on that wall has rollout shelves, and the corner cabinet contains a lighted Lazy Susan.
The homeowners chose this dark granite because it had the inky rich look of soapstone, which they loved, but it was less costly and easier to care for.
Cabinets: Signature Custom Cabinetry; counters: Negresco honed granite, Classic Rock Fabrication; wall color: Hearts of Palm, Sherwin-Williams; cup pulls and knobs: Top Knobs
Marcocci designed the cabinet below the sink with profiled bracket feet that give it a furniture feel. The wood is hickory, with lattice inserts stained green.
The farmhouse sink has a spray faucet and a sink-top garbage disposal switch to the right of the spray. The dishwasher is to the right of the sink, hidden behind a cabinet panel.
Faucet: Tresa collection, Brizo; sink: Whitehaven, Kohler
After: Marcocci kept the new stove on the same wall and moved the new refrigerator here as well. The fridge is a cabinet-depth model that is shallower than a standard model, allowing Marcocci to keep the walkway to the adjacent dining room clear. The changes cost some countertop space on this wall, but the new counter and peninsula on the opposite side of the room more than made up for the loss.
Marcocci added a clean white subway tile backsplash that runs all the way up the 9½-foot ceiling. While the original glass-front cabinets end 15 inches above the countertop, Marcocci raised these 18 inches above the counter to allow for countertop appliances. (Both distances are acceptable under National Kitchen & Bath Association standards.)
The homeowners like to eat quick breakfasts or lunches at the new peninsula. Marcocci used the space on the island back to tuck in some extra storage.
The homeowners were able to refinish and save the existing pine floors.
Beautiful cabinetry, mullioned windows and richly refinished floors refresh this kitchen in an 1879 Pennsylvania home. (cited)