My 1926 bungalow is graced with a large kitchen and attached breakfast nook, connected by an archway. Cabinets are original to the house, save for the separate section that was salvaged from a duplex down the road (they’d upgraded to pressed wood….). Hardware was needed; all are either period manufacture or period appropriate, as are the light fixtures. Flooring was chosen to resemble period linoleum. The two-button light switches are reproductions.
Unfortunately, ceramic counter and backsplash were uninspired 1990’s production and deteriorating. I needed an “accent” or “color strip” (the 2” tall grapes and leaves pattern partway up the backsplash) to give the exuberant feel of the 1920; such is not much made today. It took me several years of hunting (found it at a Goodwill store in Northern California); with accent strip in hand, I sourced lime green and purple tiles, in the period 4 x 4 dimension, from Dahl Tile in colors to match the accent strip.
The small, worn 2-part sink, and the faucet attached to it, had to go. I did a bit of unobtrusive carpentry to fit in a slightly larger, deeper sink, and with a bit of demolition I put the plumbing back in the wall where it once was. Brought in a plumber to do the in-the-wall stuff; did most everything else myself. The bright yellow of the walls is that of the original woodwork.
Double-hung windows were painted shut, and all of them cracked; the weighted cotton sash cords were intact but, at 90-some years old, seemed up for replacement - an easy enough repair once one’s tried it.
The china matching the Grapes and Leaves pattern was a marvelous find, as was “Miss Olympia” over the stove.
The light fixture was salvaged; the “Champaign girl” came from a local antique shop.
In 1929, a “mother-in-law special” was added to the main house – a large bedroom/sitting room, tiled bath, closet and kitchenette. Cabinetry and plumbing were lost sometime in the distant past. I salvaged cabinets out of a Queen Anne south of us on 3rd Avenue (another pressed wood improvement) and used the same tile and color combination as in the main kitchen.
