Kitchen of the Week: Vintage Charm in Southern California
A designer helps a Los Angeles family keep the Art Deco vibe of their kitchen while increasing counter and storage space
Tyson Roberts and Naomi Cohen loved the vintage style of their black-and-white kitchen in their Art Deco duplex in Los Angeles, but that was about all. They weren’t so happy with the cabinets and drawers that didn’t close properly or with the lack of countertop space near the refrigerator and stove. Plus, a dividing wall blocked natural light from the nearby breakfast room.
Working with designer Pamela Leone, the couple removed the wall to bring in more light, and added fresh white cabinets and colorful custom tile to create a more uplifting space. Meanwhile, scalloped cabinet details and a black-and-white vinyl tile floor maintain the charm of the original kitchen.
Working with designer Pamela Leone, the couple removed the wall to bring in more light, and added fresh white cabinets and colorful custom tile to create a more uplifting space. Meanwhile, scalloped cabinet details and a black-and-white vinyl tile floor maintain the charm of the original kitchen.
AFTER: Removing the wall improved connection to the breakfast room and helped brighten the kitchen. The new peninsula includes two glass upper cabinets (accessible from both sides) for display storage of colorful everyday dishes, a solid cabinet in the middle for a coffee canister and baking supplies, and lower cabinets for bowls. “They needed the storage, but we wanted to give some transparency to the space,” Leone says.
A patchwork-quilt effect of handmade, hand-glazed ceramic tiles in black, green, white and yellow gives the kitchen color and personality. “We looked at a bunch of patterns and wanted a funky 1930s look,” Cohen says.
The new painted maple cabinets in a modified Shaker style have inset doors and satin nickel pulls.
Cabinets and general contractor for kitchen: Arrow Construction & Remodeling; Atherly cabinet pulls: Amerock; wall tiles: custom, California Pottery & Tile Works; paint: Whisper DEW340 in eggshell (walls and ceiling) and White DEW380 in semigloss (trim), both Dunn-Edwards Paints
A patchwork-quilt effect of handmade, hand-glazed ceramic tiles in black, green, white and yellow gives the kitchen color and personality. “We looked at a bunch of patterns and wanted a funky 1930s look,” Cohen says.
The new painted maple cabinets in a modified Shaker style have inset doors and satin nickel pulls.
Cabinets and general contractor for kitchen: Arrow Construction & Remodeling; Atherly cabinet pulls: Amerock; wall tiles: custom, California Pottery & Tile Works; paint: Whisper DEW340 in eggshell (walls and ceiling) and White DEW380 in semigloss (trim), both Dunn-Edwards Paints
A repurposed vintage mirror cabinet was recessed into the wall to store spices and create a focal point over the sink. Muted green tiles with a wavy border provide a backdrop for the cabinet.
A stainless steel sink replaces the previous chipped and stained white porcelain sink. “This was a big, modern compromise to the space,” Leone says. “It has a wood board that slides across it, and other accessories. It was a good fit for this family, and it’s definitely a cook’s sink.”
Absolute Black Caesarstone counters offer contrast to the white cabinets and pick up the black in the tile design.
Stages sink: Kohler; faucet: Kingston Brass
A stainless steel sink replaces the previous chipped and stained white porcelain sink. “This was a big, modern compromise to the space,” Leone says. “It has a wood board that slides across it, and other accessories. It was a good fit for this family, and it’s definitely a cook’s sink.”
Absolute Black Caesarstone counters offer contrast to the white cabinets and pick up the black in the tile design.
Stages sink: Kohler; faucet: Kingston Brass
Looking into the kitchen from the breakfast room shows scalloped trim, similar to what was there before, added to the upper cabinets above the new peninsula. “We both had strong opinions about keeping the scalloped trim,” Cohen says. “Most redone kitchens don’t include that original scalloped look, but it provides that authenticity we were looking for.”
BEFORE: In the old kitchen layout, the microwave sat awkwardly above a white refrigerator surrounded by a tiled wall. The door leads to a small hallway with a pantry closet. The door unfortunately swung right into the pantry closet door, another detail the homeowners wanted to change.
AFTER: Removing the tiled wall helped the family capture a few extra inches of space. The location of the microwave was moved to the right of the new French door stainless steel refrigerator. A large arched cabinet above the refrigerator provides storage for a big soup pot, rice cooker, baking pans and trays, while a new lower cabinet holds glass and plastic storage containers below a drawer for food processor attachments.
The microwave sits on a floating shelf with brackets and has the same scalloped trim as the upper cabinets. “We didn’t have room to build the microwave into a cabinet box,” Leone says. “This was one of those design elements to help new technology fit into this space without having to change everything.”
The swing and hardware for the door was changed, so now the door to the hallway doesn’t interfere with the door on the pantry closet.
Refrigerator: Samsung; microwave: Sharp; David double sconce: Schoolhouse Electric
The microwave sits on a floating shelf with brackets and has the same scalloped trim as the upper cabinets. “We didn’t have room to build the microwave into a cabinet box,” Leone says. “This was one of those design elements to help new technology fit into this space without having to change everything.”
The swing and hardware for the door was changed, so now the door to the hallway doesn’t interfere with the door on the pantry closet.
Refrigerator: Samsung; microwave: Sharp; David double sconce: Schoolhouse Electric
A cabinet and much-needed countertop next to the range replace a cluttered rolling cart. Pots and pans now hang from a hammered steel rack with hooks on the wall, once home to a towel bar.
A new tile design behind the range creates an attractive focal point for the arched cooking area.
Rack It Up pot rack: Enclume
A new tile design behind the range creates an attractive focal point for the arched cooking area.
Rack It Up pot rack: Enclume
A new black-and-white vinyl tile floor takes inspiration from the original floor. It transitions to oak in the breakfast room.
Hood classic globe ceiling light: Rejuvenation; checkerboard floor: Armstrong Flooring; table and chairs: vintage
Hood classic globe ceiling light: Rejuvenation; checkerboard floor: Armstrong Flooring; table and chairs: vintage
The original 1930s built-in cabinet in the breakfast room is one of the couple’s favorite pieces. They painted it bold blue during the renovation.
BEFORE: The original kitchen was cut off from the adjoining breakfast room, making it dark and isolated.
AFTER: In the new layout, a peninsula creates more openness. “We now spend more time in the kitchen,” Cohen says. “We enjoy cooking more and even enjoy cleaning more. It has made our whole home a cheerier place.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Tyson Roberts, Naomi Cohen and their two preteen daughters
Location: Los Angeles
Size: About 140 square feet (13 square meters)
Designer: Pamela Leone Design
BEFORE: The previous kitchen had last been remodeled in the 1970s and still had classic details like tile countertops and a black-and-white checkerboard floor. A wall on the right cut off the space from a breakfast room and its windows, preventing more natural light from entering the kitchen.
Meanwhile, some of the worn-out cabinets and drawers didn’t close all the way, and the narrow counter space forced the family to use portable carts for additional work surface. “It stopped being practical and was really looking worn down,” Cohen says. “We added a couple new appliances, but there’s only so many times we could re-nail the fronts back on the drawers.”