Kitchen Creations

EASE & AESTHETICS

Designer Penny Eskra removed the dropped ceiling installed in 1914 to return the room to its original 1870s height. Stacked cabinetry was added to create loads of storage in the kitchen.

When Melanie and Ron Kuhnel purchased an 1870 house in Eureka, California, for Ron’s disabled sister Betty, they needed the kitchen to be functional and safe, as well as offer ADA-compliant features because Betty’s fine motor skills are compromised. The family also wanted the kitchen to reflect its original late-1800s period. Designer and historic preservationist Penny Eskra took on the challenge to make all requests a reality.

Total Cost: $89,000 Design: $8,000 Contractor: $60,000 Cabinetry: $4,000 Appliances: $4,000 Wallpaper: $13,000

Although the kitchen maintained its original square footage, 12´ x 15´, the ceilings had been lowered from 12´ to 9´ in a 1914 renovation. To return the room to its original scale, Penny removed these bungalow-era dropped ceilings. This opened up loads of storage space. Next to go were the retrofit 1950s cabinets. Penny replicated a face-frame 1885 cabinetry design from a nearby home, and contractor Dane Cowan built them out of alder in his workshop. Once installed they were painted cream, a common color for kitchens during that era. Penny and Dane incorporated full-extension undermount drawers that Betty can easily access as well as pull-out shelving. Penny and Dane specified heavy-duty bin pulls made from solid-cast brass with nickel plate and upgraded to industrial hinges.

Penny chose a deep farmhouse sink with ADA-compliant faucet handles, a stove with a warming oven so Betty can heat her meals, and a microwave with a large control pad for Betty to navigate. The Kuhnels also wanted kitchen cleanup to be low maintenance. The counters are varnished maple with a coved backsplash, making them a breeze to wipe down. After finding evidence that the floor had once been covered with linoleum, Penny chose to reintroduce that material. “Linoleum is so easy to mop and more historically appropriate,” she says.

One of the greatest finds was the original 1870 paper hiding under 22 layers of wallcoverings. Penny had this first layer replicated by Carter and Company. “Even though the paper was costly, the Kuhnels wanted to restore as much of the original room as possible,” she says. “The Kuhnels have all attended historic preservation courses at College of the Redwoods, even Betty. Although she can’t converse on all period styles, she wanted to learn more about her house.”

Vintage Appeal

Nooks and Crannies

Ease & Aesthetics

Adaptive Re-use