My 1929 Craftsman Remodel: Part I

Ever Since we moved into our Craftsman home in August of 1997, I have been in love with it. I loved the brickwork, the floorplan, the woodwork, the feel of the home. In a weird way, it helped me feel connected to my parents who had both passed away when I was young. My parents were born in 1925 and 1930, around the time my house was built, so that must be the connection. I always thought they would have loved it too. We have raised our three kids in this home — they were 1, 3, and 5-years-old the summer we moved in, all pre-schoolers. We moved in a few days before my eldest son started kindergarten. He is now about the same age I was when we moved in. Back then, I knew little to nothing about bungalows, Craftsman style, Arts & Crafts or older homes. Through the years, I have read and learned quite a bit, although I am far from an expert. We have lovingly restored the home by ripping out carpets, wallpaper, and all things from the ’80s — and replacing with Craftsman details. We painted a vintage 1920s paint color throughout the home — one of the five colors available back then, a light mustard. We glazed and re-corded the windows. We replaced the plexiglass in the built-in cabinets with a custom design and installed a matching stained-glass mirror above the mantle, the design replicated from the old windows. The glass details were made by local artisan, Lee Beem, and grandfather to my kids’ best friends. In the last few years, we put on a Roof Guard steel roof, Timber Tech steps in the front and back doors, and a Waubena back door. Our cozy little home was looking pretty sharp.

My 1929 Craftsman bungalow.

New steps and back door added in summer 2020.

The only thing I’ve never loved about my home is the kitchen. It is cramped, with poor-quality cupboards from the 1980s, and just uncomfortable to be in. Originally a back porch/pantry and a small kitchen, it had been remodeled in 1986. The result was a chopped up kitchen, with two ceiling heights and two large “bump outs” where the dividing wall had originally been. Through the years, we did our best to facelift as best we could — laminate flooring, re-finished the cabinets and added Craftsman hardware, replica1920s wallpaper border, and moved the island to the edge of the kitchen. But still. It left a lot to be desired.

Our cramped little kitchen with little counter space, making the kitchen always cluttered.

View from the kitchen into the dining room.

The tiny window above the sink is the only south-facing window. The poor-quality window from the 1980s always sticks and is difficult (if not impossible) to open and shut.

Then, last fall, as two of my now-adult kids were buying their first home/condo in San Diego and Des Moines, I discovered that the interest rates were ridiculously low. Although our mortgage is almost paid off, and we were looking forward to being debt-free for the first time in many years, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head: What if we borrowed the money to re-do the kitchen at long last? I called my banker —our interest rate was 2.12% We could easily swing a 10-year-loan and still be debt-free by retirement. My dream kitchen was within reach! We closed on our home loan just before Christmas.

At the same time, I called a very-respected local contractor, BT Buhrow, who also does custom cabinetry, and asked about his availability. I had heard his wait list could be years long. He was able to schedule us for a summer 2021 remodeling project, and came over to look at the house. I shared my thoughts and ideas. In minutes, he had a wonderful vision for our Craftsman kitchen, a beautiful blend of old and new.

First, take out the wall between the kitchen and dining room, creating a more open space and increasing counter space. The wall would be replaced by a 6-foot peninsula, and counter-height stools in the dining-room side of the counter (facing into the kitchen) would replace the kitchen table, making more floor space and room to move about. The tiny “water closet” (a toilet in a closet — more about this later) and the pantry would be moved to open up the space. The sink would be moved next to the peninsula, and the large west-facing and neighbor-facing windows would be replaced with one window above the kitchen sink. Quarter-sawn oak beams would be added to cover support beams, hvac, hide ceiling-height differences in the kitchen, and enhance the Craftsman effect.

At long last, my dream kitchen had a plan and a timeline! Long winter nights were filled happily web-surfing to prepare and search for ideas. I made my plans and waited for spring.