In The Kitchen!

[Benny Holiday]

Now those are my idea of kitchens

My wife and I are expecting our approved home renovation plans back any day now. We'll be taking the plans of the expanded kitchen area to a builder to design a kitchen for us, and we want it to be reasonably Deco inspired but still modernly functional (now that's going to be a challenge!)

Lizzie and Scotrace, your kitchens are very inspiring and have a wonderfully warm feel about them.

 

[gimmesomeshelte]

Hello-

May I be so bold as to make a few suggestions about a ‘period style’ remodel?

1) Find a builder/designer that shares your enthusiasm for the period you have in mind. They’ll be able to make all sorts of suggestions that will make the project feel right when you’re done. If you don’t, it will be a constant up hill battle. “Why do you want to do it that way?”

2) If you can work in some period fixtures/appliances/furniture, it can really make the project special. Start checking out architectural salvage yards now – you don’t want to hold up the project looking for the perfect new old stock sink.

3) Most linoleum installers have never installed linoleum – they’ve installed vinyl. I love the look of linoleum, but it is comparatively hard to work with – it’s very stiff. If you decide to go with linoleum, and you want the seams welded, make sure the installer has done a lot of welds. It is very easy to completely screw up a floor doing the welds.

4) You need to double check everything! Our architect specified an incorrect height for the ceiling and the wrong sizes for the windows. I caught some things (the windows), but I missed others (the ceilings.)

5) If you think something is wrong, resolve it immediately. The longer you wait, the more resistant the contractor will be to fix it.

6) In the United States, most Art Deco period kitchens had flush inset doors. Cabinet makers don’t like these because everything has to be perfectly square. We ended up with flush inset doors, but we used those awful European hinges instead of normal butt hinges. Yes, they’re easy to install, but IMO, they just look/feel all wrong.

7) I personally don’t like the lacquered maple cabinet interiors. I’ll take those funky old paint colors any day.

8) Don’t skimp on the millwork. The old millwork was quite thick when compared to what’s used these days. Go with the thick stuff, you won’t regret it.

9) Good luck!

Paul

 

[Benny Holiday]

Thanks Paul!

Your advice is much appreciated and very helpful. The structural work on the house itself doesn't start for another 3 weeks, so we won't be starting on the kitchen for roughly another three months yet, when the external work and flooring is done. Nonethless, we'll start working on the design now with your advice in mind, and I'll keep you apprised when it all begins!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Lizzie, I LOVE your kitchen. Do you do holiday meals? I would think such a space would be the place to congregate at Christmas.

I do Thanksgiving here, which gets kind of complicated since the kitchen (and for that matter, the whole house) is so small. What I end up doing is serving the food buffet style, set up on the kitchen table, and everyone goes into the living room to eat.

And nobody leaves unless they take a turn helping to wash the dishes!! I'm wicked strict that way!

 

[DancingSweetie]

Do any of you with vintage decorated kitchens use a perculator for your coffee? I just snagged my grandmother's stovetop perculator (she uses an electric perculator now) and I really think the coffee tastes better made this way. Plus I don't have to buy filters anymore.

 

[Rosie]

My kitchen is not vintage, well the architecture is but, I use a perculator (I found it in my parent's never ending closet of stuff) on the rare occasions I drink coffee and the taste is far superior to coffee maker coffee.

Yum.

 

[Miss Dottie]

I had a percolater that made the best coffee! But alas a bad move and it had to be left behind.

Lizzie--your kitchen is the stuff right out of cozy memories with my grandmother. Where did you find such wonderful wall paper?

Unfortunately, my sweetie and I have a particualarly touchy landlady. She's 84 and her parents purchased the house in 1911. She grew up in it from birth to marriage. So, she's very particular about having the walls painted certain colors. Don't even get me started on the bathroom...