Remodeling

No cooks in this kitchen.

Published on January 4, 2021January 4, 2021 by branchville19232 Comments

When the house was built, there was a basement “summer” kitchen, complete with 48 inch soapstone sink and dumbwaiter to the first floor. With stone walls and iron windows, this space is still pleasantly cool in the summer.

The current kitchen (located on the main floor), features knotty pine cabinets most likely added in the 1950’s. When the house changed hands in 1990, a refresh of the kitchen included pre-finished oak floors, state of the art appliances (for the time) and an island with white ceramic tile and grout.

In the five years since we moved in we have completed numerous projects, some pretty (floors & interior painting, Butler’s Pantry restoration, mudroom/laundry room and exterior painting) and others not so pretty (window restoration, heating and air conditioning systems, roof, etc).

Today, after much planning and preparation we begin the kitchen!

Next: The plan and progress.

Pictures taken moments before demo (green tape to approximate location of new cabinets):

Blank slate.

Published on October 23, 2018January 4, 2021 by branchville19234 Comments

For some it’s January, but with school aged kiddos, the Fall signals the start of a new year and time for a fresh start. What began as a simple closet clean out became a construction project- less than efficient master bedroom closet be gone!

The master is divided into two almost identical sized rooms. One a bedroom, the second a “closet” or as I like to refer to it, dressing room (sounds much more 1920’s). This dressing room also serves as the pass through to the bathroom. With every project, our goal is to maintain the integrity of the home’s original craftsmanship. As such, anything we do needs to be relevant to the year of construction (evidenced by our painstaking window restoration last year). As a result, we will likely never reconfigure the space to include a spa like master bath, the existing one is redone and sufficient. So why not make the closet something fabulous?

The original state.

First day closet pics. First step was carpet removal, floor refinishing and painting.

Initially we removed the mirrored closet doors, vanity and painted the space.

This weekend we emptied the space of its contents (lots and lots to donate) and kept only what we use. Then a call to our favorite contractor, and in less than one day all existing closet components and walls were removed. The result, a blank slate.

Next: prep and plan.

The (im)perfect pair.

Published on February 9, 2017February 20, 2017 by branchville192311 Comments

Now, standing in the finished space the process seemed simple. In truth there were numerous iterations to determine the ideal state. Anything is possible with an unlimited budget and a clean slate. Modifying an existing space with modern amenities without creating the feel of the “new” part of the house is borderline miraculous.

Siburtek and Limekiln Studios are a husband and wife team who themselves own an older home. They understood and appreciated the 1920’s attributes and worked with great care and expertise to maintain the character and quirkiness while creating a functional and beautiful space.

And they were patient. Very patient. I like the details and wanted input on all decisions. The result- a paired laundry space and mudroom in a creative and highly functional way. On budget. It is a miracle!

Every last detail & resources:

Inset cabinets to mimic those in the Butler’s Pantry. Porcelain knobs from Rejuvenation are period relevant and the right scale. This Kohler porcelain sink and faucet with pull out spout is both beautiful and functional. Laundry stains and dirty hands beware!

The countertops are wood finished in a walnut stain. The school house pendant (another period reproduction) is from Capital lighting– the look we wanted at a very reasonable price!

All the paint is Benjamin Moore: cabinets are White Dove, ceiling is Polar Ice and walls Rodeo.

Radiant heat was added to the floor- dreamy on a snowy day.

To maintain the feel of an enclosed porch we chose incredibly durable Italian porcelain tile that looks like slate, but won’t stain with the dirt and salt the troops track in. Another budget friendly choice.

A bench with lots of room underneath for shoes, boots and whatever else gets dropped here. Pillows were made from Serena and Lily shower curtains. Yes you read that correctly- canvas shower curtain material is durable and significantly less expensive than fabric by the yard. Plus no stress if they get stained or damaged!

We left the original siding (remember this was once a porch) to maintain the authenticity and story of the house, then added lots (and lots) of hooks for hats, jacket and bags. Found these vintage 1920’s heart hooks on Etsy.

Last but certainly not least shelves for everything we need from hats and gloves to beach towels! The open space below- room for the piece de resistance and splurge- a 1920’s reproduction laundry cart! On it’s way from Rejuvenation this gem will revolutionize the laundry process (or atleast keep the dirty clothes from being dumped on the floor). Told you this was imperfect!