Like any true lover of older homes, the owners of this 1920's Tudor were caught between two different worlds: maintaining the original charm of their hundred year old home and updating the spaces to introduce modern conveniences and a refreshed aesthetic. For this worldly, travel-loving couple, their love of cooking and desire to age in place ultimately compelled them to build a chef’s kitchen that they could enjoy in their retirement with family and friends. Their kitchen hadn’t been updated in 80 years, and was small, dark, and inefficient. In order to give them the space of their dreams, Andrea expanded the footprint into the neighboring breakfast nook, pantry, and mudroom. Since the couple was in their seventies, she used a universal design approach, adding important features like widened walkways, easy operation pulls, smart adjacencies, and seating options at multiple heights to accommodate mobility devices in the future. Without sacrificing aesthetics, the final result is a bright, spacious, and accommodating kitchen that blends the 1920’s character of the house with a high-end space that boasts every modern luxury.
Andrea took inspiration from an Art Nouveau stained glass flower on the entry door, and repeated that element in the bar tile, wallpaper, light fixture, and even the vintage push plates on the original double-swing door to the dining room. The finishes and color palette include elements of the period including flowers, nature, tendrils, and curves. Early on the couple fell in love with the French La Cornue range, so that became a stylistic anchor in the space.
Out of respect for the ornamental millwork throughout the home, the kitchen cabinetry was designed to look more like furniture. A favorite feature of the kitchen is a curved banquette that organically extends from the island and takes on the style of a French cafe, with its built-in marble bistro table - a perfect spot to have a cup of coffee with a cherished friend and neighbor. Its shape pulls in the arches seen throughout the home, and is ADA accessible height (unlike traditional counter-height seating) to accommodate their needs in the future.
Marble and onyx adorn the bar backsplash; the curved bar niche is in itself a piece of art. Coffee service is cleverly hidden in a cabinet, where pocket doors tuck away when in use; the interior of the cabinet automatically illuminates upon opening. A new walk-in pantry is an unexpected delight with its bold floral wallcovering and open wood shelving for a highly functional and organized result.
Much like the kitchen, their primary bath was cramped and dated, having been renovated at various points since the home was built a hundred years ago. The couple and designer established early on that the goal was to ensure the new bathroom blended seamlessly with the original character of the rest of the home, carrying in thematic elements that would make it truly belong in the house. Additionally, creating a safe, practical, and comfortable space for them to ‘age in place’ was a must, without sacrificing aesthetics in the process.
The new primary bath is hardly recognizable with its open, spacious, and efficient layout flushed with natural light and an inviting view to their picturesque garden beyond. A statement wallcovering creates a ‘wow’ moment upon entering the space, within a color palette that is a muted version of their newly renovated black-and-white kitchen.
An accessible, zero-threshold shower will remain functional as the couple ages; an illuminated shower niche adds functionality for aging eyes and an oversized, integrated bench delivers practicality. Tile in the niche repeats the motif of the wallcovering, while tile border in the shower is repeated in the bathtub apron, wainscoting, and window trim. Grab bars were installed in the shower, at the bathtub, and hidden near the bidet, integrated in with the tissue dispenser.
The bathtub features a built-in niche and an open ledge and pony wall to not only house plumbing, but to provide a place to steady yourself as you move in and out of the tub. Built-in shelving is provided to keep linens, hamper, and bath treats within easy reach. Artwork in the bathtub niche offers another view for these art-lovers, and connects to the floral and bird motifs present throughout the home. Reeding is repeated in the hand-crafted custom vanity, wall sconces, pendant and decor; mouldings add cohesiveness with the rest of this beautiful traditional home.
Here's a look into the spaces before:
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