Here's a look at a Hello Kitchen project that's about to begin construction!
Peggy's 1950 brick farmhouse is in a small town about two hours outside of Austin, and though it's her hometown, she is currently living in the Middle East. Peggy is an adventurous traveler and has accumulated a great variety of objects, servingware, and European appliances through her travels. She cooks a lot and especially loves to bake.
This was such a fun design project for me to begin last fall. Peggy had a few requirements and ideas, but was otherwise open to the design process and seeing what evolved. We corresponded mostly through email, and her builder, Shayne, helped by sending me some as-built measurements of the existing kitchen.
The final design is a blend of interesting textures, deep colors, and natural materials - I think we were most inspired by the idea of a copper farmhouse sink, which is such a beautiful object and the centerpiece for the kitchen. Here is how the finishes have come together:
1. Existing Brick - this bold red brick wraps all through the living areas, forms a large fireplace and hearth, and continues into the kitchen. Because it's so integral to the house and has such strong character, much of our finish considerations relate to the brick.
2. Arc Brackets by Restoration Hardware: I love the rustic quality of this bracket that is modeled on architectural ironwork in old train stations.
3. The upper shelves will be made from reclaimed pecan from Vintage Material Supply; this particular batch came from the Shady Grove trailer park that was demolished in favor of a new condo building.
4. One of my favorite tile accents, pennyrounds from American Universal Corp will span the backsplash behind the range, adjacent to the brick.
5. A burnished copper countertop by Austin's Handcrafted Metal forms the bar and continues behind the sink, and provides a generous surface for serving ware, potted herbs, or produce.
6. Natural soapstone countertops are super durable and give great depth to the color scheme of the kitchen.
7. Grohe Bridgeford kitchen faucet with pull-down spray in oil-rubbed bronze has a vintage look and lovely shapes.
8. Copper farmhouse sink - this piece really anchors and transforms the kitchen from its former seventies self. The copper is finished with a 'hot French patina' that seals in the dark brown color and protects the surface.
9. Alder cabinets - the lighter color wood will help to brighten the kitchen and complement the existing porcelain tile floor. Chatham Door Pulls from Restoration Hardware give ornament to the slab doors & drawer fronts, but overall the cabinets will have a clean, modern look.
10. Hubbardton Forge pendants complement the hardware and faucet, and the linen shade brings a thoughtful sensibility to the space.
12. The Viking 36" Professional Gas Oven features infrared broiling to imitate the intense heat of restaurant cooking. I think this type of oven will work well under the range, while we specified a Dacor Wall Oven adjacent to the baking area (see plan).
This is the kitchen in its 'before' state: we liked the brick wall, but not so much the wood-paneled soffit, bulky refrigerator, disfunctional cabinetry, and limited counter space. We decided to move the wall oven to the opposite corner of the kitchen, where Peggy will have plenty of counter space for a bake prep area.
Instead of closed upper cabinets, we're doing open shelving supported by those awesome brackets shown in the collage. This will expand the space and brighten the kitchen, since the soffit will be gone and the new drywall will be painted a creamy white.
Another main feature that we're adding is the 12" deep copper countertop behind the typical 24" work surface - this will greatly expand the usable storage of the kitchen, especially for things like dry goods, small appliances, and ornamental objects that look great on display. The copper turns to form a 19" wide bar top facing the living area.
Instead of closed upper cabinets, we're doing open shelving supported by those awesome brackets shown in the collage. This will expand the space and brighten the kitchen, since the soffit will be gone and the new drywall will be painted a creamy white. Another main feature that we're adding is the 12" deep copper countertop behind the typical 24" work surface - this will greatly expand the usable storage of the kitchen, especially for things like dry goods, small appliances, and ornamental objects that look great on display. The copper turns to form a 19" wide bar top facing the living area.This rendered plan was our starting point for the design, and it has developed from there. But the basic elements are in the same place.
The construction drawings show all kinds of additional details, like cabinet and trim details, plumbing locations, electrical fixtures & outlets, and dimensions. I think I'll post more of those as construction progresses, so it will make more sense.
We hope to start construction at the end of this month, so I'll be going for regular visits to document progress and confirm that all is going according to plan. I'm looking forward to seeing the design realized, and I know Peggy is, too! I'll be posting entries here as things move along, so check back to watch everything come into place!
