Kitchen Creations
Restoration Recipes
Kitchen Classics
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Kitchen Creations
NOOKS AND CRANNIES
Owners Pat and Michael exposed the brick wall as a
backdrop for the stove.
Although the kitchen in this 1920 Colonial Revival in Seneca, South Carolina, was nearly original, it had an inefficient, tiny galley layout with a few poky rooms: a butler’s pantry, cold-storage room, and delivery hall. Homeowners Michael Smith and Pat Nowaczyk wanted to improve the kitchen and maximize the small spaces, without knocking down walls. They worked with designer Chris Tedesco, whose task was to create a functional room with ample storage while working within the original dimensions. Updated only once to replace the wood stove and icebox, the original kitchen consisted of a sink, worn-out appliances—the conversion unit from icebox to refrigerator was still attached in the basement—and a hodgepodge of metal cabinets dating from the late 1940s. As inspiration, Chris, Pat, and Michael turned to the original butler’s pantry with its abundance of space-saving cabinetry.
Total Cost: $26,500
Architect: $2,500
Cabinetry/ Labor: $18,000
Appliances: $6,000
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One of Chris’s biggest challenges was the windows at the far end of the room. Although they allowed loads of natural light, they also ate up precious wall space. To first address the lack of storage, Chris designed cabinets that were built on-site to the original specifications of the butler’s pantry cabinets. Chris also designed a freestanding hutch—with 12 drawers, four cabinets, and several open shelves—that sits opposite the windows. Chris removed the legs of the original farmhouse sink and dropped it into the maple counter and built cabinets around it—another space-saving technique. Once refinished, the sink became a handsome focal point.
The original icebox niche located in the hallway just off the main kitchen was enlarged to fit the 68´´ refrigerator. The refrigerator was then paneled to match the adjacent delivery door. An accidental hole made in the plaster while uncovering a brick wall convinced Pat to remove all the plaster to let the brick become the backdrop for the stove, which also has cabinetry beside it. Chris chose to leave a space open under the counter to store the butcher block island when not in use. To complete the space Michael and Pat turned their inspiring butler’s pantry into a breakfast nook, which was just cozy enough for a small table and four chairs.
Vintage Appeal
Nooks and Crannies
Ease & Aesthetics
Adaptive Re-use
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