The 1950 Colonial on a beautiful tree-lined street in Birmingham had a lot going for it, says Steph Morris, founder and principal designer at Clarkston-based North + Birch Interior Design. Unfortunately, the kitchen wasn’t one of them.
The space had been redone by previous owners, and the designer says the end result was a “too contemporary” style that cut the long and narrow footprint into two sections. “Surprisingly, some of the appliances weren’t even in the kitchen,” she says of the old layout. “It didn’t look terrible, but there was no natural flow.” Restoring that flow while being true to tradition was the priority, she explains.
The homeowners, who were both born in the area and recently moved back with their young family after living in a Chicago condo, originally brought Morris in to work on soft furnishings, but they quickly added the kitchen to her to-do list.
Unlike many houses on the block, which were being torn down to make way for new construction, the family wanted to both preserve and play up the home’s classic vibe. Their goals for the entire house, but especially for the kitchen, included creating spaces that fit the structure’s age and architecture, and looked like they had always been there, Morris says, adding that the homeowners wanted a space that had a “clean personality that matched the home’s new traditional aesthetic and (would) function for a young family.”
Challenges included reconciling the old kitchen’s two zones and maximizing the space’s footprint. Working within the existing space, Morris brought all of the appliances back into the kitchen and added a long, oversized island to make efficient use of space that was previously a walkway. “Surprisingly, the room’s center wasn’t being used for anything,” she says of the old layout.
Now, the warm wood island smartly joins the two ends of the room. Other features include natural quartzite countertops and a handy built-in appliance garage — something Morris says “is standard in all our kitchens now,” with the inside stained the same wood finish as the island. “It looks good whether it’s open or closed,” she notes. Warm woods, including custom cabinetry by WeissWorks in Holly and a custom dining table by Gronzo Design in Holly, complement the neutral palette and organic materials, while honey bronze hardware and chunky island end panels add a hint of a contemporary feel.
The designer’s favorite feature is the brick alcove that once housed an awkward fireplace but now is home to the range and serves as the renovated space’s focal point. Much like the house, the range and the kitchen’s other quality elements will stand the test of time. “We wanted to design with the long view in mind,” Morris says.
Says the homeowner: “From the start, North + Birch understood our vision and designed a plan that was both beautiful and functional for our everyday use. Our kitchen turned out better than we could have ever imagined.”
MORE INFORMATION: northandbirch.com
Text by Khristi Zimmeth | Photography by Jacob Hawkins
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