Honoring the Past

Ask anyone who thoughtfully plans a Craftsman home renovation and they will tell you the obligation they feel to take care of it and honor the artisan work that went into creating such a masterpiece in the first place. Unless, of course, you're the fools who recently tore down the bungalow in Monrovia built by my step-grandfather to erect a McMansion. Shame on you! But I digress....

There is a wealth of information out there on how to renovate Craftsman homes in a way that literally takes you back to the past. Die hard purists will use only those products that would've been used in the period the house was built and purchase vintage appliances that have been refurbished. In 1922 a typical kitchen had few built-in cabinets, with freestanding furniture pieces serving as storage and food preparation spaces. Refrigerators didn't exist back then. Rather, "ice boxes" were the norm -cupboards with a hole in the floor beneath so that the ice delivered by the (handsome and muscular) delivery man could melt to the ground below. The typical oven was about the size of today's bread box. Cute, four-legged things, but completely impractical today. Dishwashers? That would be the lady of the house. 

Am I a purist? No way. This busy single woman definitely has her limits in honoring the past. I desperately want an energy efficient kitchen...not the 1922 kitchen's strong suit. I also want something functional and practical (actually, an ideal that the craftsmen of the early 20th century could relate to). Most of all, I want people to see my space and NOT say, "What a beautiful updated kitchen you have."  It's hard to put into words, but I want an updated kitchen that doesn't scream, "I'm new and improved!"

With this in mind, I have spent the past few years gathering design ideas that pay homage to the bungalow style while using updated materials and finishes. Those of you who know me know that I tend to make impulsive decisions, so having had this long to mull over the various options has been good for me. It's forced me to really think through how everything relates to each other - not only within the confines of the kitchen footprint, but in the adjacent rooms of the house as well. 

So, with all that being said...I've just begun the formal design phase of the project and am excited to see how my needs and desires translate to elevation drawings.  To be continued...