Kitchen of the Week: Touches of Traditional Charm in Seattle
A cottage home gets a functional kitchen upgrade with timeless appeal and a surprise feature
The island is a compact 5 by 3 feet, which, Caillier says “is really the smallest you want to go, but it was the absolute biggest we could do in here.” Drawers in the island hold many of the homeowners’ pots and pans. “We did a lot of large drawers, which I always try to integrate because the storage is more practical,” Caillier says. “The hardware placement was also very intentional and goes a long way to adding charm.”
Chunky pendants over the island help augment the light from the window and sconces. “I love doing varying light sources in a kitchen so at night — or on a rainy Seattle day — you can leave on just the sconces and get a nice, soft, warm glow,” Caillier says.
Cabinetry: Garofalo Woodworks; hardware: Rejuvenation; countertops: Calacatta marble; pendants: Schoolhouse Electric; more island lighting options
How much room do you need for an island?
Chunky pendants over the island help augment the light from the window and sconces. “I love doing varying light sources in a kitchen so at night — or on a rainy Seattle day — you can leave on just the sconces and get a nice, soft, warm glow,” Caillier says.
Cabinetry: Garofalo Woodworks; hardware: Rejuvenation; countertops: Calacatta marble; pendants: Schoolhouse Electric; more island lighting options
How much room do you need for an island?
During renovation, workers uncovered an old brick chimney buried in the wall. “We all loved the idea of leaving it exposed, so we brought the pantry right up to the brick,” Caillier says.
The shallow pantry cabinets took advantage of an area that couldn’t accommodate traditional cabinets. Small holes drilled into the upper pantry door faces add dimension and ventilation.
The shallow pantry cabinets took advantage of an area that couldn’t accommodate traditional cabinets. Small holes drilled into the upper pantry door faces add dimension and ventilation.
The design team thought patterned wall tile would also nod to traditional British-style kitchens. “That tile is like the best finishing touch,” Caillier says.
Tile: Tabarka Studio; sconces: Visual Comfort; dishwasher: Miele
Tile: Tabarka Studio; sconces: Visual Comfort; dishwasher: Miele
Bumping out the wall where the sink now sits, shown here at the bottom of this floor plan, allowed the homeowners to gain a compact-but-efficient island that, along with the shallow pantry cabinets at top, greatly increased storage.
Contractor: Forte Construction Alliance
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Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
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Contractor: Forte Construction Alliance
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Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
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Find a kitchen designer
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple who works in the music industry
Location: Seattle
Size: 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Heidi Caillier Design
This cottage-style house and kitchen in Seattle presented the owners with many challenges typical of old homes. Built in 1909, the house featured narrow doors and dropped ceilings at various heights from room to room. The kitchen had been broken up into several awkward nooks.
The homeowners hired designer Heidi Caillier to help them add an island and more storage. Caillier and her team bumped out an exterior wall to make it flush with the other interior walls and then gutted everything else.
A reconfigured layout maximized storage, while new windows bring in natural light and a view of the garden. To update the style, the homeowners and designer drew inspiration from traditional kitchen design to add details like Shaker-style cabinet fronts, beadboard on the island and wood beams on the ceiling for warmth.
The original fir floors throughout the home were refinished to match the new fir wood floor in the kitchen.
Paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Sub-Zero; oven: LaCanche; bar stools: vintage; more bar stool options