Before After Keeping A Period Style Kitchen

Few folks buy a turn-of-the-century house without some appreciation for its original details. No surprise, then, that Indianapolis homeowners Kaela and Cason Cusack hoped to honor the built-in oak hutch in their circa 1895 American Foursquare’s kitchen. Last renovated in the 1990s, the room also held an awkward angled island that hemmed in the cook, a fridge that blocked traffic, and scant storage and prep space. “We wanted to preserve the beautiful woodwork but make the room flow better so that cooking would be fun,” Kaela says. Using the hutch as the cornerstone of her vision, designer Tiffany Skilling had the piece disassembled, then scrapped the butler’s pantry behind it to extend the run of base cabinets by about 6 feet. Two-thirds of the three-door hutch was rebuilt and installed along the new wall, with the fridge nestled neatly beside it.

Floor Plans

Annexing space from a 40-square-foot original butler’s pantry and relocating appliances opened up room for more functional storage and prep space, while improving traffic flow. The range, formerly in the island, swapped places with the sink, and a vent hood was added, while a new white oak island was crafted to echo the original doors and trim. The ideal counterpoint to all that wood? Clean, bright-white cabinets and touches of pale green. “Salvaging the built-in was 100 percent the right decision, and the openness of the new layout is great,” Kaela says. “We have friends over, host family holidays, and eat breakfast at the island every morning. The kitchen is now a true gathering place.” “From what we can tell, all the quartersawn tiger-oak woodwork in the house has never been painted,” Kaela says. “We are extremely lucky!” To complement the existing casings, wainscoting, doors, and windows, the new white oak flooring was given a warm-walnut stain.

Get the Look

These updated classics nail the vintage feel and offer practical advantages, too.