Depression-Era Art Deco Style Inspires a Chicago Kitchen
Bold yellow and blue colors, retro appliances and modern comforts make this kitchen work for its owners
Two years ago, we profiled a Chicago renovation inspired by the television series Mad Men and a trove of midcentury furniture the homeowner had inherited from his grandmother. Since then, the homeowner tackled the one room he didn’t touch the first go-round: the kitchen. Take a look at this delightful, highly functional kitchen infused with Depression-era style.
An Old Kitchen That Functioned Poorly
Before: The kitchen — which probably dated from the 1950s, though the home itself was built in 1892 — lacked sufficient light. So when work was being done on the rest of the house two years ago, Smagner added recessed cans. But the kitchen still had plenty of problems.
For one, the location of the appliances chopped up the counter space — this photo shows where the stove used to be — making it difficult to spread out while prepping meals and very difficult for two cooks to work simultaneously in the kitchen. Another issue was that the tall soffit wasted valuable space, leaving the upper cabinets unnecessarily short. Some of the green plastic tiles were dropping from the walls, and Smagner didn’t care for the room’s bamboo flooring at all.
Further, the kitchen lacked proper ventilation. The wall where the oven stood is shared with a neighbor’s home, and there was no range hood and no way for cooking heat and smells to escape outside. As a result, “the cabinets, especially, were covered in this sticky grease that I couldn’t get off,” Smagner says. “It was really gross.”
Before: The kitchen — which probably dated from the 1950s, though the home itself was built in 1892 — lacked sufficient light. So when work was being done on the rest of the house two years ago, Smagner added recessed cans. But the kitchen still had plenty of problems.
For one, the location of the appliances chopped up the counter space — this photo shows where the stove used to be — making it difficult to spread out while prepping meals and very difficult for two cooks to work simultaneously in the kitchen. Another issue was that the tall soffit wasted valuable space, leaving the upper cabinets unnecessarily short. Some of the green plastic tiles were dropping from the walls, and Smagner didn’t care for the room’s bamboo flooring at all.
Further, the kitchen lacked proper ventilation. The wall where the oven stood is shared with a neighbor’s home, and there was no range hood and no way for cooking heat and smells to escape outside. As a result, “the cabinets, especially, were covered in this sticky grease that I couldn’t get off,” Smagner says. “It was really gross.”
Making Way for Storage and Prep Space
After: A full renovation gave the kitchen more storage and an entirely new look. To gain storage space, Smagner removed the soffit and ran the new upper cabinetry to the ceiling, close to doubling the cupboard space. He eliminated the counter that ran along the doorway wall, allowing him to widen the opening by about 6 inches to create a greater sense of connection to guests in the adjacent dining room and the living room beyond it. Smagner placed the sink near the end of the counter run (beneath the open shelving), leaving a longer stretch of counter to its right.
Now the couple can use the continuous counter between the sink and the refrigerator (see the first photo) or the counter next to the stove for prepping meals.
Cabinets: custom by Dan Sullivan, Navillus Woodworks; cabinet paint: Pool Party (blue) and Amarillo (yellow), Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Splash, Benjamin Moore
After: A full renovation gave the kitchen more storage and an entirely new look. To gain storage space, Smagner removed the soffit and ran the new upper cabinetry to the ceiling, close to doubling the cupboard space. He eliminated the counter that ran along the doorway wall, allowing him to widen the opening by about 6 inches to create a greater sense of connection to guests in the adjacent dining room and the living room beyond it. Smagner placed the sink near the end of the counter run (beneath the open shelving), leaving a longer stretch of counter to its right.
Now the couple can use the continuous counter between the sink and the refrigerator (see the first photo) or the counter next to the stove for prepping meals.
Cabinets: custom by Dan Sullivan, Navillus Woodworks; cabinet paint: Pool Party (blue) and Amarillo (yellow), Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Splash, Benjamin Moore
The Style Centers Around a Retro Range
When Smagner purchased the home, it contained this stove dating from about 1949. On the right is the oven; on the left is a broiler. He loved the appliance’s rounded corners, chrome accents and horizontal lines. “It has a very Art Deco feel to it,” he says. “I wanted to create a kitchen around that stove,” Smagner says.
He had local shop Retro Stove & Gas Works restore the look of the stove by cleaning its chrome, glass and plastic components and by repainting the tiny letters and numbers on its knobs, clock and the chrome panel in the center of the oven’s backsplash. The oven, broiler and stove themselves functioned perfectly and didn’t need work.
As he considered the design for this space, Smagner recalled a kitchen he’d seen nearly two decades earlier, while house hunting with his mother. It had brightly colored finishes, and as he began to do some research, he discovered that the kitchen had likely been built in the 1930s, when the Art Deco style was popular. He started researching Depression-era kitchens, ultimately deciding on a color scheme of yellow and blue with hits of red.
Find colorful Dutch ovens
When Smagner purchased the home, it contained this stove dating from about 1949. On the right is the oven; on the left is a broiler. He loved the appliance’s rounded corners, chrome accents and horizontal lines. “It has a very Art Deco feel to it,” he says. “I wanted to create a kitchen around that stove,” Smagner says.
He had local shop Retro Stove & Gas Works restore the look of the stove by cleaning its chrome, glass and plastic components and by repainting the tiny letters and numbers on its knobs, clock and the chrome panel in the center of the oven’s backsplash. The oven, broiler and stove themselves functioned perfectly and didn’t need work.
As he considered the design for this space, Smagner recalled a kitchen he’d seen nearly two decades earlier, while house hunting with his mother. It had brightly colored finishes, and as he began to do some research, he discovered that the kitchen had likely been built in the 1930s, when the Art Deco style was popular. He started researching Depression-era kitchens, ultimately deciding on a color scheme of yellow and blue with hits of red.
Find colorful Dutch ovens
Smagner knew he wanted a checkerboard floor like the ones he’d seen in 1930s kitchens. He found a company that allowed him to select colors and create his own linoleum pattern out of individual pieces. Around the checkerboard, he added red and blue borders inspired by an image he found on Houzz.
Smagner shared his flooring choice with contractor Jon Hill of Artistic Construction as well as a designer, Karin Cole, who was working for Hill at the time. Cole came up with the tile selections and paint colors for the room.
The cabinets feature a combination of inset door fronts and overlay drawers with contrasting colors as would have been typical for a 1930s kitchen, according to Smagner’s research. Though the drawers look retro, they have self-closing features — you push them just a bit, and they finish closing on their own. “I didn’t want to lose any of the contemporary things we incorporate in kitchens,” Smagner says.
Smagner shared his flooring choice with contractor Jon Hill of Artistic Construction as well as a designer, Karin Cole, who was working for Hill at the time. Cole came up with the tile selections and paint colors for the room.
The cabinets feature a combination of inset door fronts and overlay drawers with contrasting colors as would have been typical for a 1930s kitchen, according to Smagner’s research. Though the drawers look retro, they have self-closing features — you push them just a bit, and they finish closing on their own. “I didn’t want to lose any of the contemporary things we incorporate in kitchens,” Smagner says.
Here’s a peek at the sink Smagner installed. It’s large enough (27 by 15 inches) that he can easily wash pots, pans and baking sheets in it, and it fit the style of Depression-era sinks according to his research.
The red clock above the faucet is actually an egg timer that belonged to Smagner’s grandmother.
This photo also shows the undercabinet lighting Smagner installed, another luxury found in today’s kitchens. The cabinet to the left of the sink (shown in this photo) conceals the dishwasher, a modern luxury that Smagner didn’t want to live without.
The red clock above the faucet is actually an egg timer that belonged to Smagner’s grandmother.
This photo also shows the undercabinet lighting Smagner installed, another luxury found in today’s kitchens. The cabinet to the left of the sink (shown in this photo) conceals the dishwasher, a modern luxury that Smagner didn’t want to live without.
Making Better Use of an Empty Corner
Before: The kitchen had an empty corner that Smagner says was intended for a kitchen table and chairs. He figured he could make better use of the space by shifting the stove to the empty exterior wall.
Before: The kitchen had an empty corner that Smagner says was intended for a kitchen table and chairs. He figured he could make better use of the space by shifting the stove to the empty exterior wall.
After: This solution worked well because it allowed the range hood to vent directly outside.
Smagner chose a retro-inspired range hood from Big Chill. Cole came up with the red tile detailing shown here and used throughout the kitchen.
How to Get Your Range Hood Right
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How to Get Your Range Hood Right
Find teakettles
Smagner designed a set of freestanding shelves to fit neatly to the left of the oven.
“I thought if the stove ever did go kaput or a new owner didn’t want to use the stove and wanted to replace it with something contemporary that was a standard size, you could slide down the unit on the left,” he says.
“I thought if the stove ever did go kaput or a new owner didn’t want to use the stove and wanted to replace it with something contemporary that was a standard size, you could slide down the unit on the left,” he says.
To the right of the stove, Smagner added built-in cabinetry. The small drawer contains knives and cooking utensils, the narrow cabinet beneath it houses trays and cutting boards, and the two big drawers contain pots and pans.
Smagner found the retro-style cabinet pulls in a photo on Houzz and emailed the designer about where to find them. He ended up purchasing them and having them shipped from Australia.
Smagner found the retro-style cabinet pulls in a photo on Houzz and emailed the designer about where to find them. He ended up purchasing them and having them shipped from Australia.
The red tile detailing on the walls also appears on the kitchen countertops.
Smagner bought the painting on this wall at an art festival years before he designed this kitchen. “I love it because not only does it have a period appliance, but it also perfectly matches the color scheme,” he says. “It’s got the yellow mixer, blue mixing bowl and the red towel.”
Find small kitchen appliances
Smagner bought the painting on this wall at an art festival years before he designed this kitchen. “I love it because not only does it have a period appliance, but it also perfectly matches the color scheme,” he says. “It’s got the yellow mixer, blue mixing bowl and the red towel.”
Find small kitchen appliances
Farther to the right of the stove, Smagner designed glass-front upper cabinetry over open shelving that houses the couple’s cookbook collection.
The arch that finishes in a stair-step detail was inspired by a kitchen Smagner found on Houzz.
John Smagner, left, and Marc Van Overbeke stand in their renovated kitchen.
The kitchen’s woodwork is new. It was milled to match the original trim in this home.
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
5 Trade-Offs to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen
Find an interior designer near you
The kitchen’s woodwork is new. It was milled to match the original trim in this home.
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
5 Trade-Offs to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen
Find an interior designer near you
Who lives here: John Smagner and his husband, Marc Van Overbeke
Location: Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago
Size: 96 square feet (8.9 square meters)
Since we last profiled John Smagner, he sold his business, got married, started a master’s degree program in historic preservation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and renovated this kitchen — phew! His goal for the kitchen was first and foremost to make it more functional for him and husband Marc Van Overbeke, who both enjoy cooking. Smagner also wanted the room to be period-specific, though it didn’t necessarily have to match the 1960s-inspired decor throughout the rest of the home.
Watch the Houzz TV episode that shows the rest of this home