Modern, yet timeless in design, this award-winning kitchen renovation needed to be so much more than just a cosmetic upgrade for the homeowners of this nearly 120-year-old home in the Historic U Street neighborhood of Washington, DC. When they purchased the newly renovated home, it soon became apparent that the renovation had not been done properly and many structural repairs became necessary to save the integrity of the house. Cracks manifested on the exterior wall of the kitchen indicating a sagging in the floor system. Since the kitchen did not complement their personal aesthetic, the homeowners decided to do a complete overhaul to not only address all of the previous poor workmanship, but design and build an elegant new kitchen that they would be proud to entertain in.
The kitchen is located in the rear ‘dog-leg’ addition of the home over a modest crawl space. During one of their earlier renovations, the homeowners had the crawl space sealed with a vapor membrane and spray foam. Upon gutting the kitchen, we were able to gain access into this portion of the crawl space more easily and assess the existing structure.
The floor joists in the addition space run between the exterior walls and are embedded in the masonry. Unfortunately, during the previous owner’s massive unpermitted renovation, poorly executed and illegal plumbing was run along the exterior wall in question and created a severe moisture problem. Due to this moisture, the floor joists were rotting out where they were embedded in the masonry.
To rectify the situation and stabilize the floor system, a 6×6 support beam was required along the 17’ length of the exterior wall. A hole was cut in the masonry wall in the back of the addition and the beam was slid into place. Six new 6×6 posts resting on six new concrete footings support the new beam and the vapor barrier system in the crawl space was redone where needed around the new penetrations. The incorrect plumbing was removed and reworked to meet code and eliminate any future moisture problems.
Upon opening the walls to install spray foam insulation to tighten up the building envelope, black mold was discovered in a rampant state inside one of the exterior walls. This was due to poor existing insulation in the space between the cold brick and heated interior. The mold infested insulation and rotten framing was removed and redone before spray foaming the space in.
The mechanical closet and laundry closet were all traditionally framed and equipped with unattractive louvered doors. The mechanical closet also encroached over five feet into the kitchen area. To give the appearance of a larger and more unified space, we demolished the doors and drywall on the wall above the mechanical and laundry, leaving only the wall between the mechanical and the kitchen intact.
Custom doors were fabricated for these spaces to match the kitchen cabinetry. Discreet channels were routed through the bottom portions of the doors to allow for air circulation required by the mechanical systems. Smaller fixed cabinet panels were applied above the new doors to mimic the upper row of cabinetry installed in the kitchen. Finally, large skin panels of the cabinet material were laminated to the remaining wall between the kitchen and mechanical room to give the appearance of a full height filler panel. This comprehensive solution gave the impression that these utility spaces were full height cabinets and visually extended the kitchen unifying the space.
To make the kitchen feel as wide as possible and to promote clear traffic flow from the rear French doors, a true galley style kitchen was designed. We eliminated the peninsula, and used the range wall for the bulk of the cabinetry. We balanced the visual weight of the mechanical and laundry room area with a full height pantry and built-in Jenn-Air refrigerator wrapped in cabinet panels. A bridge of 24” deep flip up cabinetry was installed above, creating an attractive nook for the range and required countertop landing areas.
To further promote an open and wider feeling kitchen, the opposite side of the kitchen (which is home to the only two windows in the space) has no wall cabinetry. Three floating shelves above the new bar area are the only place where the cabinetry appears above counter height on this side. This application also allowed for the homeowner’s new art piece to be hung in the new kitchen, giving the space a bit of a ‘gallery’ feel.
The homeowners were enthralled with the idea of using white marble for the countertops and a white classic material was also desired to provide a much needed contrast to all of the dark wood used in the space. However, due to the heavy entertaining and cooking done in the home, there was a fear that marble would be too high of a maintenance issue and therefore not a practical choice. Stunning White Fantasy Quartzite was selected due to the similar look of marble but it also offered a durability similar to granite.
To increase the contrast and enhance a modern feel in the kitchen, the countertops were installed with a 2 ½” edge profile throughout the kitchen. To maintain a standard 36” counter height, all of the base cabinets were reduced to 33 ½” height instead of the standard 34 ½” height. Extra tall 6” high backsplashes were installed behind the sink run and were designed to meet the bottom of the window trim for clean look. The entire exposed wall area in the range nook also features the countertop material.
A modest bar area was designed into the end of the kitchen closest to the dining room. It features floating shelves, a slick new Franke bar sink to complement the rectangular shape and sharp lines of the Kohler Vault main sink, and a bar height version on the Hansgrohe Talis S faucet selected for the main sink. A water filtration system, which also eliminates lead particles, is installed under the bar faucet as well. The cabinet features a flip down lid for replacement filters and dog items.
The portion of the bar cabinet closest to the floor was custom designed as the feeding station for the homeowner’s dog. We measured the dog’s shoulder height and conferred with the homeowner on what clearance should be allowed for comfortable eating and drinking for their pet. The cabinet was designed with a large cutout in the bottom cabinet panel and a piece of the countertop material was installed on the bottom of the feeding station. Two stainless steel dog bowls were used as templates to cut holes in the stone and because they are self-rimming, they can be lifted in and out for easy refilling.
To lend a modern aesthetic, a rich rosewood veneer was selected for the cabinetry. The strong graining was installed vertically and the doors and panels are all grain matched for a seamless look. To further promote this, frameless cabinetry was used, and a strict 1/8” reveal was maintained between all of the doors and drawers throughout the kitchen. Hidden tab pulls were used on all of the cabinetry, with the exception of the refrigerator which features appliance pulls to match the range. On the custom mechanical and laundry doors, the tab pulls are installed butting against each other. To maintain the 1/8” reveal here, the tab pulls were routed into the door edges.
The homeowners love their kitchen now and have entertained often since the project’s completion. Not only is it finally a safe and structurally sound space, but it is tailor made to their lifestyle and personal aesthetic. Even the homeowner’s family dog enjoys running to his specially made feeding station for water and kibbles.
Despite eliminating a number of wall cabinets, through thoughtful planning with the homeowners, there is no loss of storage and everything has a place in the new kitchen. They are proud to show off their new sleek inviting kitchen which stays uncluttered due to the innovative use of space. The new kitchen blends seamlessly with the rest of the house, even continuing the gallery feel of the home with their prominently hung art piece of the Martha’s Vineyard Ferry.
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