Blending Old

With New

Creating a new kitchen in a century home can be a real challenge. Homeowners often want their new kitchen to reflect today’s design trends while blending well with the traditional styles found throughout the rest of the home. This can be especially difficult when the goal is an open concept where adjoining spaces must blend seamlessly with one another. Such was the case with this Lakewood century home.

Significant structural changes were required in order to facilitate a larger kitchen with space for an island, including removal of two load-bearing walls, reconstruction of a failing foundation and replacement of the subfloor. Reclaimed stone was used on the exterior to blend the new foundation walls with the original home.

Kitchen finishes were chosen to reflect some of the features present in the formal dining room, such as decorative glass and stained oak woodwork. The resulting style of the new space is transitional, incorporating both traditional and contemporary elements. The white shaker style cabinetry is complimented by the dark stained oak used for the island cabinets and trimwork. Decorative glass in the new upper cabinets coordinates well with the original leaded glass built-ins in the dining room.

A new entry door provides convenient access to a small deck, which serves as a convenient transition between the kitchen and backyard. A mudroom concept was incorporated near the new entrance to provide a handy location for coats, hats and more.