I think I found Lauryn from one of her comments. I chased after her when she said something about the new countertop she’d just had installed… and crikey, it wasn’t just a countertop, she and her husband Dennis had just completed the most charming Retro Renovation of their 1939 kitchen. No — the kitchen in all these photos is not original. Almost all of it is new — with the ‘updates’ including linoleum floors, an undercounter Big Chill fridge (bye bye, dishwasher) and new cabinets put in place to solve for a variety of issues that Lauryn and Dennis had been living with for a while. What a wonderful job! Read on for their complete story — and 20 photos courtesy their friend Radim Schreiber — a professional photographer, so these are awesome photos. Oh, and there’s more: Lauryn and Dennis are a singing-songwriting duo aka Truckstop Souvenir,so we get a concert at the end. I love this story in so many ways. 🙂 –>
The kitchen “before” its Retro Renovation:
And after:
Lauryn writes:
As I’m sure is the case with many of your readers, my husband Dennis and I are what you might call accidental retro-renovators. We’re a songwriting duo who left Seattle for a simpler life in Fairfield, Iowa (the coolest town in the universe), and we both had our hopes set on a lovely Craftsman, of which there are so many gorgeous specimens in Seattle. We were unable to find one, but instead fell in love with a little Minimal Traditional cottage from 1939, knowing nothing about that era nor that style of architecture. And while we have always had a penchant for older things, particularly from the 30s and 40s, we did not set out to do a retro-renovation on our charming but tiny kitchen, we just wanted it to be more user-friendly (we actually use our kitchen) and were already into the process when we came upon the whole notion of retro-renovating.
When we first started, one of the main issues was the breakfast nook, which while adorable, was freezing in the winter and hotter than blazes in the summer. Not to mention that it was a bit cramped for my long, tall Texan husband. Another was the space that housed the stove and the refrigerator: no room for countertops, no food prep space, the (cold) refrigerator inefficiently placed next to the (hot) stove and just enough space in between to catch all sorts of grease, dust, pet fur, and dirt but not big enough for a broom or a mop to clean it. We had limited storage, and I couldn’t stand the off-white ceramic floor tile — hard on the body, cold in the winter, and never clean. The final issue was old wood drawers that I had to brace my feet on the cabinets while sitting on the floor to open.
We talked to a few designers, all of whom had crazy ideas about knocking down interior walls, moving basement staircases (yes, really), pushing out exterior walls, and putting the stove or sink in the breakfast nook, but we didn’t like any of their ideas (and especially didn’t like the price tags that would have accompanied them). We originally thought of (gasp!) replacing the original cabinets so we could accommodate an apartment size fridge on the sink side and build new cabinets around the stove, but when, like good little homeowners we trekked off to our local Menard’s, we left the place a bit numb. Neither of us said anything on the ride home and then both of us practically burst out with “I just can’t do it” (me) and “how hard can it be to build a box?” (DH). The idea of ripping out the original cabinets was suddenly horrifying to both of us, so it was back to the drawing board.
Which was when we made a radical commitment to both our kitchen and house by doing something every realtor would be appalled at: We decided to remove the dishwasher, put in an under-the-counter refrigerator in its place, and have new cabinets, built to match the old, installed around the existing stove, resale value be damned. It was our kitchen, after all. We already had a chest freezer in the basement and who really knows what’s in the back of those behemoth refrigerators? We found a local carpenter to match the cabinets (who also sanded and evened out those pesky drawers) and got the remodel going.
In the meantime, we ripped out the breakfast nook bench. It was not an easy decision, as it was part of the original kitchen and had the original naugahyde on it. But previous owners had ripped out the back of the bench and replaced it with flimsy cushions, then painted a good chunk of the burgundy naugahyde white. And the space was drafty and uncomfortable so out it came. With the help of a friend, we insulated it, dry-walled it, and the temperature of the kitchen went up ten degrees (in an Iowa December).
But it wasn’t until we hit the countertop decision that we officially became retro-renovators. We had access to free (yes, free) granite. We looked at soapstone and quartz and butcher block and countless other surfaces but no matter how many countertops we looked at, I just kept saying, no, it’s not what our humble little kitchen wants. What it did want, I had no clue, until on the way out the door one day, my husband said, “What about those old diner style countertops?” And that was it. I jumped on the computer and found cracked ice and boomerangs and metal edging … and I knew we had found the countertop my kitchen wanted. And of course, it was how I stumbled upon your wonderful site.
And the rest unfolded over time, with me spending more hours than I care to admit looking at ads from the 30s and 40s, checking your site daily, and agonizing over the faucet and the sink and the fact that the new cabinets would not accommodate a larger vintage stove, because we didn’t even think about vintage stoves when we started.
Some of the highlights (for us) are the countertops, made by a local craftsman (in the end we did not use cracked ice, the replicas being nothing like the real deal, and choose to use a Nevamar linen-y thing)…
…the curved shelves I had him build to replicate those of the era (and to house our cookbooks, who lost their perch when we ditched the full-size refrigerator)…
…our vintage Kohler sink, which a friend had found years ago by the side of the road and had been using as a goat trough out at his farm, but which cleaned up rather nicely; our cracked ice table (the perfect size for our nook), found on a road trip at an antique mall we stopped in on a whim one day…
…the exceedingly cheerful Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper (which offers a nice counter-balance to our tendency to ponder the dark side of life in our songs); and my cafe curtains (my first foray into sewing curtains).
It took an extraordinarily long time, with me unable to make up my mind about so many things, never mind being the world’s worst procrastinator and not the best DIYer. But eventually it all came together and in hindsight, given that our duo’s name, Truckstop Souvenir, was inspired by old diners and truck stops from childhood road trips, we really couldn’t have done anything but a retro renovation. We can actually cook together without stepping on each other’s toes too much and we eat just about every meal in the little breakfast nook, which, with east, west, and southern exposure, is almost always sunny.
I will admit one thing, though: We’re still not always sure what’s in the back of our refrigerator.
Let me know in the meantime if you have any questions on anything in the pictures. Your website was a constant source of inspiration for me as I went through this process.
Thanks again! xoxo, Lauryn
P.S. Because you are clearly a dog lover, I’m including a picture of my dog, worn out by the initial decision making process!
[And Lauryn follows up with another email]: Hey Pam, I just was going through a file full of artwork I found when I was visiting my parents and looky here, I found my first foray into Retro Design!! My husband and I had quite the chuckle over it and thought you might get a kick out of it too. I’m guessing I was probably in 3rd of 4th grade, judging by some of the other artwork from that “period” (hee hee). I have no idea whose kitchen this is … think it was just my fantasy kitchen!!.
Lauryn 🙂Products used in Lauryn and Dennis’ 1940s kitchen remodel:
- Cabinets were painted Belvedere Cream (Sherwin Williams), walls are Alabaster
- Big Chill Refrigerator (we had already picked out our under the counter unit and I got on Big Chill’s site to pine away for what we couldn’t have and lo and behold, there it was, less than a week on the site!)
- Minka Aire Acero ceiling fan (sadly, we have only one original light fixture in this house)
- Red Amaranth Marmoleum floor
- Nevamar Serene Stardom (now discontinued) laminate countertops with aluminum trim from NY Metals
- Rejuvenation’s Rufus porcelain light
- Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpaper’s Sunnyside wallpaper from their Modernism: Post-War Era collection.
- Hickory Hardware American Diner pulls and knobs in satin nickel
- Moen Muirfield faucet in chrome (now discontinued).
Sue says
I really enjoyed seeing your renovation…..way fun. About the flooring, how does the marmoleum stand up to dog toenails? My Corgis love to play chase between the kitchen and other rooms, so there are many sliding, scrabbling turns and stops. Do you see divots and scratch marks? Thanks, Sue
Lauryn says
Thanks, Sue! I have had ZERO problems with dogs scratching the floor. (Henry died last January, but we have a new dog who loves to run and play and she hasn’t been an issue either.) What I love the most about Marmoleum is that it feels lovely on your feet (not hard and unforgiving like tile) but still is tough and durable. One caveat, though, and that is that my dogs get walked A LOT and so their toenails never need to be cut, as they are “filed” on a regular basis by the sidewalk.
Oh, and Corgis are the best! My new little girl is a rescued Corgi mix and the inspiration behind my blog.
Katrina says
I stumbled on your redo by chance. I have been a kitchen designer for 20 years and I really love what you did to your kitchen. I have been thinking for years that I would put an under the counter fridge in my own kitchen and eliminate the large monster. I live in an old farm house that has much the same type of cabinets you have, and they too were put in around 1930-40.
Great job, and love the cat and dog too.
pam kueber says
Can we see the befores and afters if you do, Katrina? Welcome!
Lauryn says
Hi Katrina. Thank you for your kind words, which are especially cool coming from a kitchen designer. We love having a smaller fridge, love the room it freed up and not having to look at a behemoth. Cuts down on fridge clutter…no more having 6 containers of mustard or other condiments in there! I say go for it.
We love the dog and cat too. Sadly, they both died last January, after living good, long, happy lives. We miss them terribly.
Jenny says
Lauryn, so sorry to hear about you losing your cat and dog. Love your kitchen remodel; it shows real heart.
Lauryn says
Thank you, Jenny. It was a tough week (they went 6 days apart) but they lived to ripe old ages (17 and a half for the cat, nearly 15 for the dog); we were blessed to have them so long. And now we have a new little rescued mutt, who helps fill in the empty space they left behind.
Jenny says
Our cats are both approaching their 15th birthdays this year and we are definitely not ready to lose them. So glad to hear you have a new buddy!
michelle says
awesome, I bought a 50 ‘s one floor 735 sq feet home, tiny kitchen with the washer included. I was also thinking of pulling out the dishwasher to slide the under counter fridge. Brilliant…what does the inside of this fridge look like?
Lauryn says
Michelle, the Big Chill was a Marvel model with a Big Chill door (BC “retrocize” their appliances from existing appliances). I looked up the Marvel fridges to see if there was a photo, but it looks like they don’t make that model anymore. You might want to see if you can get an interior shot from the Big Chill folks (I’m not sure which refrigerator model they are currently using).
Basically, we have two adjustable shelves, plus “floor” space and three door shelves. It also has a little tiny freezer, enough for ice cubes and a few other things (a half gallon of ice cream will NOT fit). We already had a chest freezer, though, so that was not a concern. Honestly, I probably would have gone without the freezer, but my husband wanted easy access to ice cubes.
Hope that helps. If you want to email me through my website I could send you a photo…if you promise not to judge me on how clean it is!
Elaine says
Great job! What are your kitchen’s dimensions? I ask because my kitchen’s floor plan is very similar. Thank you.
Lauryn says
Thanks, Elaine. The dimensions are 9′ x 14′ (obviously it’s a little wider in the breakfast nook, which is oddly off-center). It’s small, but with the additional counter space and cabinets, it’s feels much bigger and gives us more than enough work space (that is, when we don’t let the junk pile up on the counters).
Jovon T. says
I absolutely LOVE your kitchen!You guys did a wonderful job! It’s creative, unique and functional! My favorite part is your breakfast nook and wallpaper in it! I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be super picky and/or change your mind constantly because that’s when you get the little odd pieces that really make the kitchen pop!
Lauryn says
Thank you, Jovon! My favorite part is the breakfast nook too. Two years later and I still smile when I walk in the kitchen.
Mikey Renn says
That drawing you did when you were in 3rd or 4th grade would look absolutely adorable if you had it properly framed and hung it in your kitchen. You even have the same yellow color in your drawing that you decided on for your kitchen years later!
Lauryn says
Thank you, Mikey! Have done much visual art since I was in 9th grade, but I keep threatening to get back to it. And I keep meaning to get that picture framed. One of these days…
Anna says
Hi, Lauryn! I really, really like your kitchen. I have a very similar kitchen in Iowa City that we are renovating to be as era sensitive as possible. (Built in ’41) I am needing to replace our countertops and was wondering who did your laminate with edging. The two countertop businesses I’ve talked with so far are unwilling to take on stainless or aluminum edging. Considering we live fairly close to you (and I frequent Fairfield often to visit my grandmother) I am wanting to contact the person you hired and ask for a bid, or even a recommendation on a handy person in my community that he/she may know of.
Thanks, and GREAT job!
Lauryn says
Hey Anna! Thanks for the compliments. Tim Freeberg-Renwick built our countertops; he is brilliant and an amazing craftsperson (and a beautiful, gentle soul on top of it all). I’m pretty sure he had never done anything like that before, but was really intrigued by the challenge (which he rose to beautifully). People like him are one of the many reasons to love Fairfield! Anyway, I’ve linked our website to my name in this comment, so if you want to contact me there directly, we can exchange info and I can give you his contact information. And if you’d like to see the kitchen in person, you can let me know the next time you’re in FF!
Though it’s not “retro”, here is a link to the tiny, moveable house that Tim and his wife Deb built, predominantly with reclaimed materials. It’s amazing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smartsizer/. (Definitely do the slide show, so you can see the explanation of each thing in the house.)
Christy says
Love your renovation! I am trying to determine what stock numbers from NY Metals for the aluminum edgings used for your counters? I ordered stainless steel but not happy with the width, your choice is the look I was trying for. Can you help?
Lauryn says
Thanks, Christy! I just dug through my files and while I can find just about every piece of paper related to the remodel, I can’t find the NY Metals receipt (figures, huh?). That said, I do know that it is a tee-nosed aluminum (not stainless) edging (we needed it to bend for the curved shelves and stainless doesn’t bend) and it’s 1.25″ wide. My best guess is that it was the “968P Tee” (http://www.newyorkmetal.com/pc-301-7-968pbr-tee.aspx). They were very helpful about sending me samples so I could get exactly what I wanted, so I would recommend getting some samples. I hope that helps … good luck with your project!
Jennifer says
I am stealing every single one of your ideas. I just have to! I own a 1950’s rambler and have been thinking about how to retro-update my mish-mash kitchen since I bought in 2001. I kept thinking “1950’s” but finally realized I must be a 1940’s girl at heart because your kitchen is what I envision for mine. I, too, am keeping my simple, maple cabinets with a few modifications to allow me to move my fridge out of what is essentially the MIDDLE of the kitchen (great for traffic flow – not). I can’t afford the same flooring so am going with the click-lock laminate (very similar color) that I can install myself. I can’t wait to post my before and after pics! Thanks so much for the inspiration; imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, you know.
Kate says
I love your kitchen! We are in the process of re-doing ours and I just couldn’t decide on a color for the counter tops. That is, until I found your blog! Do you know the name of the color you used?
Lauryn says
Hi Kate. We used a Nevamar laminate called Serene Stardom. Definitely ask for samples (from multiple companies), as we really didn’t think that was the one we would go for; when we saw it in real life, however, we loved it. We special ordered it from a building supply company in our town, as I don’t think most Big Box stores carry it (though I could be wrong about that) and then we had a local carpenter make the counter tops for us. We used an aluminum trim from New York Metals. (We used aluminum so we could have the curved shelves at the end of the counter.) Glad you like the kitchen and good luck with yours!!
maureen mouton says
Lauryn, you guys did a great job! As someone above said, it makes me happy to look at it. I found this site because my mother needs a new kitchen floor and the choices in vinyl are not even close to our usual and beloved red brick. I love your red floor. I just helped my mom get new cabinets, appliances, counter, etc. We had what was called a “country kitchen”, I think. One piece metal cabinets with appliances built in and a beautiful stainless top. Installed in ’64, GE. Stove and oven still worked, but not real well. It was blue. I couldn’t believe my mother wanted cherry cabinets, it all seem so wrong. I wish I’d seen you kitchen before, but it’s prolly for the best, time-wise. Her kitchen is really nice, but yours is…lovely. This was fun, thanks to computer gods for letting me ramble!