Megan and Nick have been retro enthusiasts for years. So, when they purchased their 1947 house, they knew what they had to do — take it back to its simpler-time roots. The remuddled kitchen was the first thing they attacked. What you don’t see: All the important utilities replaced or restored, like plumbing and electric — thank goodness Megan’s dad is a contractor and insisted on helping! What you do see: To start, get ready to (1) say buh-bye to the granite countertops and then (2) to welcome Megan and Nick’s amazing transformation.
Hi!
My husband Nick and I just bought our first home in Los Angeles. We’ve been big fans of the site for years and were happy to put the inspiration to work.
We are still settling in and decorating the rest of the house, but the kitchen that is camera ready…. I took extensive before and after photos which I’d love to share with you.
Nick and I are totally lucky that my father is a general contractor in Nashville and insisted on helping us retro renovation of our house! He used to do historic high rise restoration and loves bring old buildings back to life.
The previous owners kept the original kitchen cabinets but replaced the previous yellow and blue tile countertops with granite. We knew we wanted to make the kitchen feel original to the house. However, the house was still on fuses and we needed to add circuits to the kitchen and plumbing so we stripped it down to the studs.
My father is a contractor in Tennessee and we were very lucky that he basically demanded to help us remodel our home. We recovered the original hardwood floors, removed a wall, moved another wall, stripped the kitchen and laundry to studs, added an electrical panel, re-ran some gas lines and plumbing plus changed every light fixture and fan in the place. All of this was done over the course of 10 weeks by me, my husband and my father.
We lived in a small 600 sqft triplex for five years, and it was my dream kitchen, so when we bought our home I used my old tiny apartment kitchen for inspiration.
We’re lucky that we live 15 minutes from B&W Tile in Gardena. They had the exact colors we wanted, jade and light green, and were extremely helpful.
Pam adds:
- Carolyn used yellow and maroon B&W Tiles similarly, in her kitchen renovation featured here.
- B&W Tiles also have been used by many readers and their bathroom remodels.
Our VCT tile floors came from Linoleum City. I had an idea of what I wanted but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find it. Luckily, we walked in and I spotted the Azrock Pistachio tile first thing and knew that was our accent tile and Armstrong White Out was our main floor tile.
We removed the soffit so that the cabinets would go up to the ceiling. We moved the stove to the center of the wall, added a dishwasher and garbage disposal. We created cabinets around the fridge including my baking bookshelf. The two ceiling mount light shades are original, but we replaced the bases because the wiring was fried.
I found the light over the sink on Etsy and loved it immediately.
Our enormous window was impossible to find curtains for so I bought a vintage sheet and made them myself.
Modern cabinets are not constructed to use with bull-nose tile, and my loving father had to do some custom work to make it happen. The tiles took four days to lay and set, but it is the most beautiful and expensive thing in our house. We managed to save the original laundry board from the wall and relocate it to another part of the house.
Megan says the cabinets are Heritage Cabinets of Andersonville, Tenn. (available via dealers)
The kitchen faucet is American Standard Heritage Wall-Mount 12 in Swivel Spout Kitchen Faucet with Metal Lever Handles, Chrome (Amazon affiliate link).
Many people assume that our kitchen is original and it is the best compliment we could get.
Megan, this kitchen is gorgeous. Pairing the precious green tile with simple white cabinets ensured that the tile, your biggest expense, would be the star of the show. Still, the counters don’t “scream” — and the space, so light, bright and happy now! From our emails, it sounds like you are a visual artist: You know what you’re doing — thanks so much for showing us all how it’s done including sharing all these wonderful photos!
- Read more stories about readers and their kitchen remodels here
Tom says
Looks amazing!
Ranger Smith says
This is inspiring! Excellent design and execution. I hope you are enjoying your home.
Carol says
I’m from Nashville, and contractors are so scarce, I have to stain my sister’s new deck and screened porch. I’m dreading Oct. There is crazy growth so you have to get in line. What a lovely job on your new kitchen Megan. The refrigerator corner is genius. Your tile choice is yummy. It looks so relaxing and cheerful. It truly looks like a 40’s kitchen. Wonderful.
Maria says
Simply beautiful. I don’t think enough people appreciate the beauty and durability of tile. If you keep it sealed, it’s fine. As a fellow Californian I can attest tile was the norm here. You didn’t really see “Formica” counters show up in new construction homes till the late 70’s. I think the style may harken back to California’s Mexican (and Spanish style) heritage.
You really knocked it out of the park. My aunt’s old jadeite mixing bowl would look right at home there. Bravo!
Diane in CO says
Da-Dee!!!!!! What a great guy to have on your team! That kitchen is perfection.
Deb says
Ohmygoodness you go girl!!! That is such a beautiful remodel!!!!
DJ Sparkles says
It’s gorgeous!!! You, your husband, and your wonderful father are artists, because this kitchen is a work of art! You don’t hire your father out, do you? 😉
Megan says
Thank you so much!!! My dad can literally do anything it’s amazing. I’d have givien his business info but he’s been trying to retire for years!
Holland VanDieren says
Thank you for reminding me how lovely (not to mention economical) tiled countertops — flowing up the wall with a matching backsplash — are. I adore your choice of colors. You’ve recaptured the soul of retro, and given it freshness.
And, as a sidebar to other Los Angeles metro readers, also having been an exceedingly happy customer at Linoleum City — where I bought flooring for my present a previous homes — I recommend this store for its wide array of floor materials, value, and helpfulness to customers.
KStacey says
OUTSTANDING job! If I wasn’t already so in love with my original vintage countertops, this would be on my do-over inspiration list. Many years ago we lived in a lovely little 40s cottage rental with almost identical white/aqua tile counters like this (minus the gorgeous pencil lining accent!) and it was gorgeous. We actually broke a tile in a freak cast-iron accident, and were in a panic. The owner came over, got a spare tile out of the basement, chiseled out the cracked/smashed one, replaced it, re-grouted and sealed it up, and presto! You never would have known I was such an idiot. Try that with a solid surface countertop, lol!
Retroski says
Yeah, the reno looks great! Bright and fresh! Great layout.
[edited]
I’m house hunting too and it’s kind of a bummer when you see perfectly cute homes on the outside, with all grey/white insides and kitchens with an “off” feel because a wall was removed to make it feel “open” and too-big stainless steel appliances that are eating up the space.
I notice that especially in CA, these tile countertops look to be common in retro homes. It’s a pretty look.
I can’t comment on how it is to keep clean, but I’d say in the 30’s-50s when “sanitary” was a huge thing for kitchens, they perhaps felt tile/grout was easy to keep clean.
Great kitchen!
Megan says
Thank you!!! Your comment about the grey home is spot on! We saw probably 50 in a month that fit that discription. The first home we put an offer on was a wonderful time capsule that is 2 blocks from where we live now. We got beat on it and they gutted the entire thing. We really wanted to find a home that still had its walls and hadn’t been renovated. Because updating old original stuff is easy. But finding the problems a flipper hide is very difficult.
But since we wanted an old house that wasn’t tresny we were able to get a better price and only had 5 other offers to compete agains.
Pam Kueber says
Five other offers! “Only”! Yikes!
Megan says
LA is horribly competitive. We bought in a slightly ‘less desiderable’ neighborhood. The house we bought went on the market on a Monday. By Saturday at 4p they had 5 offers and luckily they accept our offer! This was the third house we put an offer on but it’s totally perfect for us.
Retroski says
Yes, I’m not suprised your house had 5 offers on it and what you say about CA being competitive, plus the housing prices can be high, so that’s good you were able to get a better price in that market! Where I am looking, older “retro” homes are fairly common, but so are the updated ones. Any time it’s a sellers market it can be competitive.
K Stacey says
Our un-flipped 60s ranch went on the market Monday morning, had offers in that night, and ours was the one accepted on Tuesday. Luckily, the other offers were from contractors looking to flip the house, so they were cash, but lowball offers. If they want to close fast and with cash, sellers will take those, and then one more retro interior bites the dust and goes gray. So sad. Here they always paint the exterior brick gray too. Guess at least you won’t be disappointed after seeing the un-molested outside. You know as soon as you pull up to it that the walls, along with all the character, are gone. 🙁
carolyn says
I have never understood painting brick. I f you don’t like red brick, don’t buy the house! Think what a mess that will be when the paint deteriorates! Then powerwash or blast to get the peeling paint off and see “Oh, what lovely red brick!”
lynda davis says
My daughter just bought a 1913 house in the North End of Boise, ID. There was a fixer they looked at that had 26 offers in 24 hours! Who would know that Boise is a hot market. Houses are super cute in the North End.
Pam Kueber says
26 offers in 24 hours — ouch!