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).
Richard Douglass says
Hi Lauryn,
Love your kitchen! I am in the Seattle area and rebuilding my kitchen.
There does not seem to be an exhaust fan of any kind over your stove. Has this been an issue or presented any problems since completing your kitchen? Perhaps the kind of cooking you do does not require one? I have been considering leaving the fan out in my renovation also…
Richard
Richard
Lauryn says
Hi Richard. Thanks for the compliments and hello to Seattle for us! We originally were going to put in an exhaust fan, but the area behind the stove wall is the staircase down to the basement, so without ridiculous amounts of construction contortions, we would not have been able to vent it to the outside. Every thing I read and every person I spoke with who had one of the non-ducted fans said they were mostly useless but liked having the light there … so we just put in a light (which we love!). That said, we cook a lot and occasionally do the kind of cooking that would benefit from a fan, which is where the ceiling fan and an open window come in to play! Not necessarily ideal, but it works, and I figure, in 70+ years of cooking, there’s never been an exhaust fan in this kitchen (and in all my years of cooking and all the places I’ve lived as an adult I’ve never had one). So if you can make it work, go for it, but we couldn’t and it rarely seems to be an issue for us (and certainly not one we can’t work around when it is an issue). Happy remodeling and good luck to you!
Deborah Cantwell says
I have a house built in 1937 with the original cabinets. I was wondering how deep is your counter top on the base cabinets? Mine is very shallow.
Lauryn says
Hi Deborah. Our countertops/cabinets were all the standard depth used today. To be honest, I’m not sure I would call our base cabinets “cabinets”, as they really seem to be a front with a few shelves and some doors and drawers! They were actually in pretty rough shape and as I was painting them, I was wondering if I should have replaced them, but I was so charmed by the cut-out under the sink and after I was finally done, the flaws were really not visible. If you want a standard depth counter, don’t discount replacing the base cabinets, particularly if you can find a local craftsperson who can keep them simple and replicate the look. I’m so happy that’s the path we took with the cabinets we had made to match the originals … unless you looked really closely at their condition, you’d never know they were built 70+ years apart!
Susan Benedict Obeng says
Your kitchen is so beautiful, and I can’t stop looking at the pics. I am a lover of retro, and your project is an absolute inspiration to get going on my own. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Judy Sikorski says
Wow…my head is swimming with ideas. Our house was built in the ’30’s so we are putting things back as original as possible. Lots of trips to antique and flea markets has worked in adding furnishing but now for the big stuff which means redoing the kitchen. Our previous home was built in 1898 and it took 30 years for us to get it done. I can’t believe we are moving to another era but it is exciting and just another adventure for us. (Just for the record…we just celebrated our 50th anniversary.) What must we be thinking? But, good health and lots of energy spurs us on. Your photos are a good start. Wish us luck! Thanks for posting.
jpau00 says
Love what you did with the kitchen. I have a 1930’s house, and a previous owner gutted the kitchen and replaced with cheap cabinetry. Once the original is gone, it never comes back. Thank you for respecting the original design. Your kitchen has much character and looks beautiful.
Chuck Baker says
We just bought a 1928 tudor with the same exact kitchen and have been looking everywhere on what the design should be… Till we saw this, PERFECT! Thank you so!
pam kueber says
🙂
Lauryn says
Thank you, Chuck! You have to send pictures to Pam when you do your kitchen. I would love to see how it turns out!!
Chris says
This is my favorite story of the year.
Lauryn says
Thank you, Chris! 🙂
Diane in CO says
You two are adorable; your kitchen is more than adorable and Dennis appears to be a martini guy — also retro (and very 1930’s)! We have a 1936 house and love that vintage.
Your kitchen is one any friend would love to hang out in to have coffee and chat, can some pickles or crabapple jelly — or share a martini in a vintage glass. Cheers!
Diane in CO says
P.S. just watched your great vid and am wondering where you perform? Your band is GOOD! So enjoyable what is shared on RR’s site!
Lauryn says
Thanks, Diane! Yes, we love our martinis … especially from a vintage, martini glass. And part of the reason for the remodel was to make the kitchen more user friendly for canning, a skill I’m slowly attempting to acquire!
Regarding our band, that was us singing with a bunch of local musicians who all came together for a tribute to classic country music. Our band is actually an acoustic trio and though we occasionally venture out to the mountains of Colorado and the coasts, it’s hard to leave our sweet house to be on the road for weeks at a time, so we mostly have been performing in the Midwest these past few years.
cindy says
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with us.
I love what you did to renovate the old one.
Cindy
Mattie says
That kitchen is PERFECT! I love the creamy yellow cabinets, the red floor, the wallpaper, EVERYTHING!