This classic kitchen in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood was very outdated. The vintage sink, stove/oven, and countertop were intact and dysfunctional. The footprint was plentiful, lending to the ease of designing within the existing room’s footprint. The homeowner’s objective was to incorporate modern features that coordinated with classic the era of their 1918 historical Greenwood home.

The new layout and materials met the aesthetic intent with added function to meet the homeowner’s desires. The couple, two busy professionals, love to cook and entertain. They also worked from home during the entire remodel, due to COVID-19 isolation requirements.

One of the homeowners, a local radio host, was cooped up in his basement home-studio, during construction, which presented its challenges. Luckily, his rock station’s music offset the disturbance and he took it all in stride. While they worked from home, we managed to keep the job on track and conveyed our schedule via our cloud-based project management system. This helped to keep everyone on the same page.

The fine craftmanship and custom details of the cabinetry and millwork, integrate seamlessly into the charm of the adjacent dining room, back door/breezeway, and hallways.

Fortunately, our firm specializes in classic-era home remodels within this neighborhood. The custom navy cabinets and inlay three-tone flooring are just some of the details that enhance this space. Additionally, several changes were made to enhance the space’s functionality. Some of these included:

• The east wall was reframed, creating an opening from the dining room to the kitchen.
• Relocating the sink, refrigerator, and cooktop/stove for efficient prep and cooking.
• Upgrades to mechanical/ducting for the new range hood, improving ventilation.
• Open corner shelving for displaying mason-jar pantry items.
• Long custom-built shelves above the sink help to keep counters clear.

Other design elements/features:

• Floor-to-ceiling subway tiles and quartz countertops
• Custom-installed Marmoleum flooring, designed with a color-block border to the homeowner’s exact layout (done onsite during install).
• Appliance garage left of sink with glass front display cabinet above.
• Apron front sink with period fixture, sprayer and soap dispenser.
• Under-cabinet lighting, and three charming light fixtures.
• Additional pantry storage to the right of the refrigerator.

These homeowners have it all in this new kitchen — fun and function! With care and craftsmanship, the materials were selected with the home’s era in mind and installed to last a lifetime.

— By Melissa Irons, operating and marketing manager
Irons Brothers Construction, Inc.