Kitchen Reno: Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours
Some of the newer readers might not even realize what a big part of the site our renovation blog was in the early days of Brownstoner. Truth is, we miss it. Plus, we did kinda leave people hanging by not showing the finished product. It may have had something to do with a couple of…
Some of the newer readers might not even realize what a big part of the site our renovation blog was in the early days of Brownstoner. Truth is, we miss it. Plus, we did kinda leave people hanging by not showing the finished product. It may have had something to do with a couple of harsh comments about the choice of shower curtain in the kids’ bathroom and something to do with the fact that a house like ours is never really done. Unless you have a bottomless pit of money that allows you to perfectly restore everything in the house before moving in, a brownstone reno is really a lifelong commitment. Which makes it hard to say, “Okay, we’re done now!”
With that said, it’s time to start revealing the finished product in bits and pieces. As promised last month, we’re starting with the kitchen and hoping other readers will follow suit by sending us their photos and stories to run on the main page. There are some good shots of the evolution of our kitchen in the July 2005 archive that are worth checking out as background.
The current kitchen is at the top of the stairs on the second floor where a bathroom used to be. We closed off the original doorway from the hall (where the fridge is now) and opened up the wall to the dining room. We were able to salvage enough of the old pipe molding from our demo to cover the entire opening. The counters are veiny white marble cut from a very large slab (found at Build It Green!) that had been salvaged from the bathroom of an old theater in the West 40s in Manhattan. We saved money with IKEA cabinets and splurged a bit on appliances, with the theory that we could move the appliances if we ever have the money to move the kitchen down a floor to the rear of the parlor. So we went with a Bosch dishwasher, a Bluestar range and a Jenn Air refrigerator. We capped it off with a vintage Art Deco ceiling light.
Okay, your turn. (If you emailed us last month already, please send us a reminder.)
You should have bought used cabinets at Build it Green while you were there for marble counters. F that IKEA noise.
-a Cabinet Maker in Clinton Hill
We are thinking about going with a pretty expensive, Italian modern kitchen in our rowhouse. Putting aside the argument of whether this is in line with the style of the home, which we are debating at home right now. My question is does modern cabinetry look high end enough for a reallly high end renovation. I see them in use all the time in fancy new condos, but not so much in the brownstone resale market. I think this is because usually sellers of brownstones are older and it’s a bit of a generational thing to go for the really classic wood looks out there. But does that mean the newer stuff automatically looks cheap by comparison, even if it’s really not. I’m talking about using laminates and expensive appliances and countertops. Reason for concern over how others view it is purely for resale reasons. So any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
Where, exactly, would an island go? It would take up the rest of the space of the kitchen!
We’re running into money problems with our garden floor (where the kitchen will be) and are trying to decide where to cut $ out. Those cabinets look pretty darn good.
not bad. looks a bit pokey and no island but thats just our taste.
You should be allowed to criticize one’s kitchen unless you’re willing to show your own space! Period!
What clowns!
I agree Bob999. I’m all for preserving historic detail of these old houses. However, sometimes going too far in the “antique” decorating and modern amenity design choices can look a bit odd or cheap. Then again, if you actually do spend the dough for real antiques, not imitation replicas, it looks great. For kitchens (and baths), I like both old fashioned design and more contemporary designs, so long as you get the amenities you want and don’t destroy the old house details in the process (though that’s the owner’s decision to make really).
In re: out-of-character appliances: should Mr. B also install washer/dryer technology true to the mid-1800s? Wear a top hat? And what kind of television should he have? Let’s not get toooooo silly with slavish Periodism…
RE: out of character appliances…You can do antique cabinets, sink and refurbished antique appliances or new retro appliances such as Heartland or Aga. Also, copper countertops.
I too got hooked on Brownstoner when it was more of a reno blog and I miss it! I think your kitchen looks great. Nice design to take advantage of the small room and optimize counter space. I love the look of a modern kitchen in a detailed old house. Why not? Right now, I’m renovating my own kitchen and will send photos when it’s done, including some of along the way. I tried to do more of a vintage white feel (and, yes, one of the appliances was cheap but with some appliances color, including white, is an upcharge). I also got a BlueStar, and oddly Capital was my runner-up but it doesn’t come in white. I can’t wait to try it out… My kitchen in my last apartment was Ikea cabinets mixed with some salvaged 1920’s cabinets and stainless appliances. The cabinets were great for the 3 years I was there, though they did chip a little. Ordering was tough, requiring on-the-spot changes to the design to avoid long wait times.