With work underway, and the Kitchen cleaned of minor debris (how many wisk brooms does one person need, anyway?), we really started to see what we had to work with (see it came from inside the wall to see what we did not have to work with). You will notice a change in wall texture. We went from old dirty gloss paint to mat plaster. This is because homes built within the first half of the 20th Century would often have their utility rooms and wet rooms skinned in a canvas oil cloth and then they would paint them with 7 layers of gloss oil based enamel so that 50 years later, when you peel off the cloth, all the layers of paint shatter and blow off like Confetti and get stuck in your hair.

The cloth also served as a protective barrier so that the plaster would not be damaged while in use in high traffic areas. It blocked water and oil, prevented stains and dings and also hid any minor cosmetic issues that could come to light over time (cracks). There is the double edge sword in this brilliant concept. The canvas not only hid small cracks, it hid big ones too. So, after peeling the canvas, we had to chip out the major cracks caused by settling and re-plaster.

You can also see a color change in the drywall, going from white plasterboard to green board, as well as a strong patched line in the ceiling. To me, this would indicate that there was once a wall separating the once even smaller kitchen from what used to be a Laundry Room or Service Porch.

You will also notice that the 8 foot shop light is gone, the hole patched, and 3 new j-boxes installed. These will be the new home to some great period lights I found at www.rejuvenation.com. They have with porcelain bases with milk glass shades and are a perfect match for the period of the home.

Labels: kitchens

One of the projects that I am most excited to be working on is the restoration of a 1942 Bungalow in the West Los Angeles neighborhood of Westside Village. It is a sweet little house done in a mix of American Colonial and, interestingly, Stream Line Art Deco. It is small at around 1200 square feet, with one and one half baths, a fireplace and two bedrooms. Instead of razing it and erecting one of those overzealous monsters so popular in other areas, the owners opted to preserve and restore the homes inherent charm (a word we all seem to forget about), and focus on quality over quantity.

One of the most exciting challenges of this project is the Kitchen. Measuring 9 feet across and almost 21 feet long, it was sparsely populated with cabinetry and only 9 linear feet of counter space, filled with a Motley Crew of obsolete appliances (RCA Range, anyone???) and plagued by a water damaged sub floor. There was no functioning dishwasher, no garbage disposal and the base cabinets were only 18 inches deep (standard cabinets are 24 inches, if you did not know).

While the Kitchen is small by current standards, we needed to stick with the original footprint while updating the look and functionality. We needed loads more counter space and storage, a new floor, room for built in appliances, pantry space, new lighting, a washer and dryer, an exhaust fan that did not catch on fire, and somewhere, an eating area. We also wanted to preserve the charm of the Kitchen, and bridge the gap between Period and Contemporary. Oh, and the appliances had to be all Electric, which, if you did not know, severely slashes your options.

So, take a look at the Before photos, and check back to see the progress and find out how our Kitchen issues were resolved.


Note the Dinette next to the Range. This is bad space planning! You can also see the lack of counter space on either side of the sink.


I love the police line up effect of all the offending appliances in the back. A free standing Dishwasher that hasn't worked in a decade (still full of dishes), a Dryer that won't dry, a Washer that sounds like a Cement Mixer, and a strange food processing center on wheels.


I was so sad to see this little Radius cabinet go. But it had next to no storage and the door stuck. You can also see the 8 foot shop light that bathed the kitchen in oh so flattering cool white light. The kind that makes you, and your food, look undercooked.

Labels: kitchens