Kitchen of the Week: Industrial Style in White, Blue and Brick
A major renovation uncovers an old fireplace that forms a warm focal point in this lively Pittsburgh kitchen
When designer Katy Popple describes the former condition of this late-1800s Pittsburgh house as “vintage and outdated,” her modest words don’t do it justice. One look at the “before” photos and it’s clear that the dark, dingy carpeted home had few redeeming qualities. In fact, it’d even be a stretch to call the room with a sink and two cabinet boxes a “kitchen.”
The couple who owns the home reached out to Popple for help, and the designer spearheaded a nine-month full-house renovation that stripped everything down to the studs, removed walls, raised the ceiling, widened doorways and enlarged windows to get more light into the home. The showpiece of the project is a new modern-industrial white-and-blue kitchen with an exposed red-brick wall and a sun-filled breakfast room.
The couple who owns the home reached out to Popple for help, and the designer spearheaded a nine-month full-house renovation that stripped everything down to the studs, removed walls, raised the ceiling, widened doorways and enlarged windows to get more light into the home. The showpiece of the project is a new modern-industrial white-and-blue kitchen with an exposed red-brick wall and a sun-filled breakfast room.
After: This photo was taken from about the same angle as the previous photo. Popple exposed the brick fireplace, widened the openings to the back room, removed the closet and raised the ceilings to 11 feet.
The couple wanted lots of pantry space, a big island with a sink in it, open shelving and a modern-industrial vibe.
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The couple wanted lots of pantry space, a big island with a sink in it, open shelving and a modern-industrial vibe.
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The couple knew they wanted the range to sit against the brick fireplace. To make it fit, a local mason removed portions of the brick to fit the dimensions of the stove and the recirculating range hood. “We weren’t able to vent through the brick,” Popple says. She added a wood lintel above to make it look like the vent had always been there.
Subway tile with medium-dark grout and two slim pulley-style pendants prop up the industrial style the couple was going for.
Off-white quartz countertops feature faux marble veining.
Ford pulley pendant: Light Society
Subway tile with medium-dark grout and two slim pulley-style pendants prop up the industrial style the couple was going for.
Off-white quartz countertops feature faux marble veining.
Ford pulley pendant: Light Society
Popple added custom door and drawer fronts in a Shaker profile to punch up the existing cabinet boxes a bit. “There was so much work going on in this house that we had to keep a pretty tight budget,” Popple says. “Those doors really made it an affordable option that looks a little more custom.”
Blue is one of the couple’s favorite colors, and they knew they wanted to incorporate it somehow. The bright blue on the island cabinet fronts is a stock color from the cabinet company. Popple color-matched it to create a custom paint color used on the sides and back of the island.
When Popple removed the original dark carpet, she discovered wood flooring that was severely damaged and lacking structural integrity. The contractor removed the floor and jacked it up from below to make it level. Popple then had engineered hardwood laid down in a narrow plank that felt appropriate to the age of the house. “It has some really nice grain texture to it,” she says.
A vintage runner rug adds some rich colors to the design.
Cabinet fronts: Semihandmade
Blue is one of the couple’s favorite colors, and they knew they wanted to incorporate it somehow. The bright blue on the island cabinet fronts is a stock color from the cabinet company. Popple color-matched it to create a custom paint color used on the sides and back of the island.
When Popple removed the original dark carpet, she discovered wood flooring that was severely damaged and lacking structural integrity. The contractor removed the floor and jacked it up from below to make it level. Popple then had engineered hardwood laid down in a narrow plank that felt appropriate to the age of the house. “It has some really nice grain texture to it,” she says.
A vintage runner rug adds some rich colors to the design.
Cabinet fronts: Semihandmade
During the framing stage, Popple planned out extra support to anchor several live-edge floating shelves.
After: Popple enlarged a window opening to the far left (not shown) and added a 6-foot sliding glass door that leads out to a new deck and floods the new breakfast nook with light.
The couple wanted extra countertops, a dishwasher and sink to form a combination breakfast area, cocktail bar and garden station to wash hands or clean produce and gardening tools from the deck. “It created this awesome indoor-outdoor flow that really works for their lifestyle,” Popple says.
The floor is black Montauk slate laid in a herringbone pattern. At the last minute, the homeowners decided to put wallpaper up instead of painting. “They hung it themselves right before the cabinets went in,” Popple says. “It gives the feeling of being connected more to the outdoors, and they wanted a little bit busier of an aesthetic in there. Because it’s a small room it can handle it.”
The couple wanted extra countertops, a dishwasher and sink to form a combination breakfast area, cocktail bar and garden station to wash hands or clean produce and gardening tools from the deck. “It created this awesome indoor-outdoor flow that really works for their lifestyle,” Popple says.
The floor is black Montauk slate laid in a herringbone pattern. At the last minute, the homeowners decided to put wallpaper up instead of painting. “They hung it themselves right before the cabinets went in,” Popple says. “It gives the feeling of being connected more to the outdoors, and they wanted a little bit busier of an aesthetic in there. Because it’s a small room it can handle it.”
The cabinets, countertops and live-edge shelves match those found in the main kitchen.
Before and After: These floor plans show the former layout on the left and the updated kitchen on the right. In the “before” plan, you can see the wall with the sink in the center that Popple removed to open the kitchen up to the living room.
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Find a local kitchen designer
Hire a cabinet pro
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Pittsburgh
Size: The kitchen is 215 square feet (20 square meters) and the breakfast room is 110 square feet (10 square meters)
Designer: Katy Popple Design
Before: The existing kitchen consisted of one cramped room with dark carpet, a single-sink cabinet and a few upper cabinets. Popple took down this wall to open the space to the adjacent living room, seen through the doorway.
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