I started to declutter and reorganize the house, so I began working on a closet the other day. I am usually one to save everything “just in case” I may need it at a later time. Well, my “just in case” has ended, and I started tossing things out. Then I happened to find something that had me going down memory lane. I leafed through some time capsules that had been tucked away in a bedroom closet. The “time capsules” are actually three-ring leather portfolios. I found page after page of “before” and “after” photographs with stories that I had written, along with thank you notes from my past customers. I distinctly remember putting all these items in the binders as my younger self. So, as I looked through the portfolios, I discovered little notes attached to pictures that said things about each job. Some of my “notes” were actually two-pages long. At that time, I never thought of myself as a writer. But apparently and without knowing it, I had early on planted a seed, which was a desire to write. And so, I started reading through them. I reread the stories to see who I was, where I was at and how I have progressed through the years. It brought back a lot of memories and deep emotions for me. But in a sense, these portfolios were a good indication of who I was going to be. But at the time, the pathway wasn’t obvious to me.
I imagine that most people who save these sorts of binders as keepsakes, as scrapbooks filled with pictures, do so as reminders of a snapshot of a time and place. But then I uncovered my writing in the portfolios. I envision writing for some people is somewhat laborious, but I’ve discovered there is a kind of a joy in the craft of finding out what I can really say and trying to say it better. So, without further ado, walk with me down memory lane of one of the country kitchen renovations in my portfolio. This is one renovation that I clearly remember. Let’s start with the handwritten thank you. Shall we…
This thank you is long overdue. Our kitchen is beautiful. Your vision of how it could look got me through the long process of gutting and then the rebuild! Everyone that comes to the house is speechless when they see the kitchen for the first time. I just smile and thank them—then tell them who envisioned it! You have a special gift of being able to see beyond the ordinary and making a room look extraordinary. Thank you! -Jeff & Beth
Let’s discuss “country style.” Did you know that some people call it American, French, English, Italian, or Scandinavian? This is a style that’s often a favorite because of its basic, casual, and relaxed feeling. In fact, every country has its own version. “Country” implies a deeper connection to the outdoors and simple life than other styles, and it uses an abundance of natural elements.
Now let’s discuss my first visit to this country house. Look at how beautiful the front of the home is! And then there’s the lovely front entrance with “Welcome to our home” that’s carved into the wood porch at the front of the porch. The homeowners had plentiful primitive antiques not only seen outdoors, but inside, as well. When I entered the kitchen, it was indeed small. I knew we would need to squeeze every amount of space available to us to make it more efficient. There were a few fixable “problems”: a portable dishwasher that sat aside in the archway of the kitchen, not much natural light, wasted space above the wall cabinets, a broom closet that lacked easy to get to storage space, and different flooring in the kitchen and adjoining dining room.
How the problems were solved: I’ve never heard a homeowner complain of having too much natural light. Sunlight, after all, is cheerful. Right? It makes people feel good. When it streams into a room, it makes everything look better, too. Beth replaced her two kitchen windows with a new garden window. This window makes a great display for Beth’s herbs and year-round plants.
I love this vintage broom closet door with the textured wood and large nail heads. But the inside of it was nothing but wasted space. The solution was to have an accessible and efficient configuration of storage space. So, I designed it with rollout trays. The slide out units was fitted into the narrow space that otherwise had been wasted space for years. The homeowners can now store dry or canned goods in this old broom closet. There are six adjustable wood rollout trays for storage.
I also designed the wall cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. Some of the cabinets had doors, others did not. I wanted the homeowners to have a have a way to display some of their antiques. Because we knew ahead of time where each one of the wall cabinets was going to be placed, we were able to add lighting inside a few of the cabinets. This created a gallery to showplace the homeowner’s unique primitive items.
I wanted to design this kitchen using cabinets of red oak species, which exhibits prominent grain patterns. The wood was stained with a Chestnut color, and pewter glaze was then added. The cabinetry went through a distressed process to achieve an aged, timeworn look that reminiscent of antique furniture. Rather than the crisp and sharp corners on the cabinet pieces, the distressing process created soft corners and profiles, and subtle, randomly-placed dents. The pewter glaze application accented these features even more so. In the end, no two cabinets in this kitchen looked alike.
The dishwasher found a permanent home to the right of the kitchen sink. The former gray-colored laminate countertop was booted for Cambria, natural quartz. Wilsonart classic floor tiles were installed in the kitchen and adjoining dining room. To harmonize with the appliances, cabinet doors and drawers received matte satin knobs and pulls.
One of the best things about old houses is their unexpected nooks and crannies. A standard 30-inch freestanding range was used in the fireplace alcove. This definitely added charm to the country kitchen. What a perfect place for cast-iron skillets—they’re hung above the range.
From start to finish, collectively, it was professionalism and team effort that helped bring the homeowner’s dream to fruition. All the cabinetry that was installed in this kitchen was Showplace Wood Products through Blue Creek Cabinet Company in Swanton, Ohio. The fabulous, and very talented, late Joe Carter installed the cabinets, pantry, and flooring.
This is a wonderful one-of-a-kind unique home. Wood and brick team up for a fantastic effect in this country kitchen. This is another one of my favorites.
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