Kitchen of the Week
A Fresh Kitchen for a 1930s Colonial Revival House
The new design stays true to the Oregon home’s period architecture while adding function, flow and comfort
The architecture of this 1930s Colonial Revival home was fabulous, but its renovated kitchen not so much. It had hardly any work surfaces and nowhere for people to eat or keep the cook company. The homeowners wanted an updated kitchen that still fit in with the charming architecture of the Portland, Oregon, house — their first together. And they wanted it to be a place where they would enjoy spending time. Interior designer Jenni Leasia transformed the room so that it works with the home’s style, and is light, bright and inviting. Perhaps most important, a new hangout space at the peninsula is now the couple’s favorite spot in the house.
“Talking them into the glass cabinets took a bit of a push at first because they were worried about how to hide everything. But it keeps everything light and bright the way they wanted it — the elegance of glass prevailed,” Leasia says. By using the cabinets mostly to store white china and clear glass, the homeowners maintain a neat look.
“They really like traditional style, and it’s easy to slide into something that’s too formal when you go traditional sometimes,” Leasia says. She was mindful of keeping a casual vibe in the pretty room. The counters are Perla Venata quartzite, a natural stone. The backsplash is a custom-colored handmade subway tile. The fabric on the Roman shades brings in happy colors. “Everything was so neutral, neutral, neutral and blended together,” Leasia says. “They love color, and the fun floral pattern references traditional prints but in an updated way. It added a casual touch that makes the room more inviting.”
She used aged brass on the traditional-style cabinet hardware. Though brass is on trend right now, that was not the designer’s motivation for choosing it. “Aged brass is certainly something that would have been found here in the 1930s,” she says.
Note the crown molding above the cabinetry. Leasia designed it to match the original 1930s millwork in the living and dining rooms. This enhances the architecture of the kitchen and prevents dust from gathering on top of the upper cabinets.
Paint: Rich Cream 2153-60 (walls), Floral White OC-29 (ceiling) and Marscarpone AF-20 (cabinets), Benjamin Moore; backsplash: ceramic subway tile with crackle gloss finish, Pratt & Larson; cabinets: Oregon Custom Cabinets
“They really like traditional style, and it’s easy to slide into something that’s too formal when you go traditional sometimes,” Leasia says. She was mindful of keeping a casual vibe in the pretty room. The counters are Perla Venata quartzite, a natural stone. The backsplash is a custom-colored handmade subway tile. The fabric on the Roman shades brings in happy colors. “Everything was so neutral, neutral, neutral and blended together,” Leasia says. “They love color, and the fun floral pattern references traditional prints but in an updated way. It added a casual touch that makes the room more inviting.”
She used aged brass on the traditional-style cabinet hardware. Though brass is on trend right now, that was not the designer’s motivation for choosing it. “Aged brass is certainly something that would have been found here in the 1930s,” she says.
Note the crown molding above the cabinetry. Leasia designed it to match the original 1930s millwork in the living and dining rooms. This enhances the architecture of the kitchen and prevents dust from gathering on top of the upper cabinets.
Paint: Rich Cream 2153-60 (walls), Floral White OC-29 (ceiling) and Marscarpone AF-20 (cabinets), Benjamin Moore; backsplash: ceramic subway tile with crackle gloss finish, Pratt & Larson; cabinets: Oregon Custom Cabinets
Leasia took out the wall ovens and moved the range across from the peninsula to give the room some workspace. Previously, this wall had contained wall ovens and a large refrigerator. The company Vent-A-Hood custom-made the vent hood and matched it to the color of the BlueStar range.
This freed up the peninsula to be a place to hang out, eat and work — and not just the work of food prep. “One of the homeowners is a lawyer, and out of all the lovely places to choose in this house, it’s his favorite place to sit with his laptop when he’s working from home,” the designer says. “They both live at that peninsula now.”
This freed up the peninsula to be a place to hang out, eat and work — and not just the work of food prep. “One of the homeowners is a lawyer, and out of all the lovely places to choose in this house, it’s his favorite place to sit with his laptop when he’s working from home,” the designer says. “They both live at that peninsula now.”
To the left of the range is one original piece of the kitchen they decided to keep — a charming built-in china cabinet with leaded glass. To the right is a small appliance garage. Atop it is a microwave that’s sized right for the way the couple lives. “A lot of people don’t need these big hulking microwaves hogging up space,” Leasia says. There’s ample room to heat up a plate of food or pop a bag of popcorn.
In fact, at just 30 inches, the width of the range and the refrigerator is appropriate for the room. “It’s important to think about just how big you really need appliances to be,” Leasia says. On the right, the new refrigerator is smaller and blends right into the cabinetry. This also maintains the 1930s look, as a large stainless steel appliance would have stood out like a sore thumb. “Using panel-front appliances helped make the room feel more spacious,” Leasia says.
In fact, at just 30 inches, the width of the range and the refrigerator is appropriate for the room. “It’s important to think about just how big you really need appliances to be,” Leasia says. On the right, the new refrigerator is smaller and blends right into the cabinetry. This also maintains the 1930s look, as a large stainless steel appliance would have stood out like a sore thumb. “Using panel-front appliances helped make the room feel more spacious,” Leasia says.
A peek at the adjacent dining room shows how well the new kitchen design flows with the rest of the home. The room got a mini makeover, with new wallpaper and a glass chandelier.
“This wallpaper looks like a really expensive silk chinoiserie mural, but it is made up of ink jet-printed panels,” Leasia says. “It was a great find.” The room has two more original china cabinets that match the one in the kitchen. The couple opted to use their existing traditional table and chairs, which fit right in with the home’s classic style.
Wallcovering: The White House Panel #4, Et Cie wall panel collection, Designer Wallcoverings; wall paint: Natural Linen 966, Benjamin Moore
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Roots of Style: Colonial Revivals Span Eras and Forms
“This wallpaper looks like a really expensive silk chinoiserie mural, but it is made up of ink jet-printed panels,” Leasia says. “It was a great find.” The room has two more original china cabinets that match the one in the kitchen. The couple opted to use their existing traditional table and chairs, which fit right in with the home’s classic style.
Wallcovering: The White House Panel #4, Et Cie wall panel collection, Designer Wallcoverings; wall paint: Natural Linen 966, Benjamin Moore
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Roots of Style: Colonial Revivals Span Eras and Forms
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A married couple; she’s a psychologist, and he’s a lawyer
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 190 square feet (17.7 square meters)
Designer: Jenni Leasia of Jenni Leasia Design
The main idea was to create a kitchen that flowed with the rest of the gracious historic home. Leasia looked to the architecture to design historically appropriate cabinetry and millwork. She also used unlacquered aged brass knobs and pulls in era-appropriate styles.
“It’s important to be thoughtful about what is appropriate for a home; if the house gives you great architecture, embrace it and use it,” Leasia says. “Ask what will last in this home, rather than falling into trends.”