I have pulled these photos from multiple sources over the past 6 years while dreaming of remodeling our bungalow kitchen. If these photos have a theme, I would say it is the natural wood tones of the cabinets.

A small kitchen in a Gothic church that has been converted into a home. Look at those windows!

Above is the kitchen of a famous restauranteur (his name escapes me). I adore the black and white tile floor and the cast iron, peg leg sink.

Different view of the restauranteur’s kitchen. The wood farmhouse table is used as a workspace as well as a seating area. A plate rack covers the walls on each side of the cast iron sink.

I like the tile floor and all the counter space in this kitchen. It has a vintage feel yet appears very functional with adequate storage and work space.

The above kitchen features subway tile walls, open shelving, wall mounted plate rack and a center work island.

I am posting pictures of some of my favorite kitchens. These kitchens are full of great ideas and so inspiring! Any of them would be appropriate for an older home.

The contrast between all that white marble and the black stove is beautiful.

My mother loves this kitchen! I like the open shelving and the little drawers going all the way to the ceiling.

Another example of open shelving. I like how this kitchen utilizes the space in front of the window, which is usually unused, as well as above the window and door. This is a smart storage solution for a small kitchen.

Another beautiful cream, white, and marble kitchen with black accents.

Wide plank floors, vintage light fixture, modern stove, dark black cabinets and wood countertops. Very warm, very inviting.

Another of my Mom’s favorites. Double sink, how luxurious.

I love these cupboards!

Can you imagine calling this room the heart of your home? To my modern eyes the early 1900’s kitchen looks rather cold and uninviting, utilitarian, and with all those pipes and exposed brick, industrial.

It is interesting how the industrial look is a current kitchen trend with industrial lighting and stainless steel.

At this time, some kitchens were still located in basements. In many upper middle class and well-to-do families kitchens were the domain of servants. Kitchens of yesteryear were not the hub of family life the way our kitchens are today. Friends gathering around and chatting to the host while she (or, as in my house, he) prepared dinner would have been unimaginable.

“Modern” conveniences such as a water heater, gas range, and garbage incinerator were available, but it is still a few years before what we would recognize or relate to as a modern kitchen of the 1910’s-1920’s.

What do you think of the 1900’s kitchen? Anyone want to go back?

I love the look and beautiful simplicity of these unfitted kitchens designed by British companies deVOL Kitchens and Plain English.

I have been drooling over these kitchens for the past 6 years, just waiting for the day when we remodel our kitchen.

Unfitted kitchens feature freestanding cabinetry. The cabinets are constructed of hardwoods and high quality materials. The quality of the construction often resembles a piece of furniture.

I love to imagine cooking in a kitchen like this. Well, in my fantasies, I love to imagine watching my husband, David, cooking in a kitchen like this while I sip a glass of wine and flip through the latest issue of “Food & Wine” magazine.

David is the chef in our relationship. I wish we had a kitchen that was worthy of his budding culinary abilities. He watches the Food Network the way some men watch ESPN.

Shelves instead of wall cabinets give the kitchen an open, airy feeling.

The freestanding hutch is a simple and elegant storage solution.

All the little drawers are reminiscent of Shaker furniture.

I am a big fan of painted cabinets.

I have spent an enjoyable morning drooling over the work of New York City architectural firm Peter Pennoyer Architects. I love his kitchens and found so many inspiring ideas.

I have always dreamed of a rolling library ladder in my kitchen. Although, considering our kitchen’s small size, that might not be practical.

I like the tile floor in the kitchen below. It has a fun 1920’s feel.

Hopefully, I’ll soon have the kitchen of my dreams. In the mean time, I’ll enjoy the kitchens of someone else’s dreams.

Not all 1900-1920’s kitchens were painted. Although less common, some kitchen cupboards were natural wood.

Very simple kitchen layout.

Built-in cupboards.

You might also enjoy:
Historical Kitchens (lots of photos!)
Bungalow Kitchen Cupboards
Historical Bathroom Photos

If you live in an old home, and are like me, you are probably curious what your kitchen looked like almost 100 years ago. I have been researching historical publications, magazines, books and online sources for ideas to help us when we restore our kitchen. These images span the early 1900′s to the late 1920′s, but primarily focus on the earlier years.

On thing that I found very interesting is that refrigerators or ice boxes are often shown integrated into a wall or cabinetry. This “trend” is considered modern in kitchen design today. Ha!

You might also enjoy:
Unpainted Historical Kitchens (more photos!)
Bungalow Kitchen Cupboards
Historical Bathroom Photos

Hajoca Plumbing Goods showers

Hajoca Plumbing Goods shower accessories

 


Hajoca Plumbing Goods bath tubs

Kohler “Viceroy” bath tub

Standard nickel plated towel bars

You might also like:
Vintage Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories
Historical Bathroom Photos
More Historical Bathroom Photos
Art Deco Bathrooms

For someone needing inspiration to restore a bungalow bathroom or the old house buff who likes to get all the details period perfect, I am posting images from several plumbing supply catalogs dating from 1910’s – 1920’s. You might also enjoy seeing photos and illustrations of period bathrooms during the same time period.

These sinks were named “Filmore” Lavatory

Hajoca Plumbing Goods offered by the Haines, Jones & Cadbury Company

 


Public sink fixture sold by Standard.

Kohler bathroom accessories

Hajoca Plumbing Goods

Kohler toilets

Bathroom accessories by Hajoca Plumbing Goods

 
You might also like:
More Vintage Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories
Historical Bathroom Photos
More Historical Bathroom Photos
Art Deco Bathrooms

Finding the right shade of white paint can be a very difficult process. After trying numerous whites that were too blue, too green or too just not right, I hand mixed my own color. It is a pretty, soft white with a gray undertone. The bright white trim makes the wall color stand out.

We still have lots of little touches to finish up, but the tub, toilet and sink are installed. Oh, happy day!

We have been asked why we didn’t use refurbished antique or vintage plumbing fixtures. I think they are lovely and worth every penny if you can afford it. But, this is a bathroom remodel on a budget where every penny counts. It was more important for us to put our money towards desperately needed storage space.

Truth be told, after living with our old bathroom for 7 years, I just wanted everything to be brand new and to feel clean. No matter how much we cleaned the old bathroom, it never really felt clean.

Whether you decide to go with antique plumbing fixtures, modern fixtures in a vintage style or something completely modern, get something that you love and that makes you feel happy whenever you walk into the room.

See more: Our Bathroom Fixtures, Inspiration Room

A project looming way in the future, but a project none the less, is our garage. The original owner of our house, John L. Welsh, built a private garage with a dirt floor and a paper roof in 1919. That building is no longer standing.

Aren’t the doors on this garage beautiful?

A newer, larger garage was built a few years ago. The garage takes up most of the backyard. The cement lawn probably makes our garage appear even larger and uglier. Yards in Los Angeles tend to be small and filling in the backyard with cement is actually a fairly popular thing to do.

Designs for one, two and three car garages.

People often use the space for an outdoor patio. The previous owners of this house used the cement lawn to park their cars on. Growing up in the Midwest where green lawns covered acres and mowing took half a day, I find the cement lawns appallingly ugly.

I’ll post some pictures of our ugly garage and cement lawn soon. In the mean time, enjoy these vintage garage photos and illustrations that we are using for inspiration.

This charming illustration is from an Aladdin catalog.

You can see the Tudor influences on this garage.

Many homes in our neighborhood were built with a pergola framing, or if vine covered, obscuring the view of the garage.

This image is from “The Second Book of Houses” and the caption states: Simple and yet architecturally pleasing is the garage on the place of G. C. Price, at Charleston, West Va., of which Dennison & Hirons were the architects.

Image is also from “The Second Book of Houses”

Vintage garage that has survived to the present day.

During our 6 year journey trying to figure out what in the world to do with our kitchen, we stumbled across Hansen Living’s freestanding kitchen cabinets and storage solutions. It was something we both (gasp) liked. The cabinets were designed by Danish architect Knud Knapper after studying the way professional chefs use a kitchen.

The clean lines, solid wood construction, craftsmanship and attention to detail are right at home with Arts & Crafts philosophy. My taste in kitchens leans a little more modern than what is typically found in a bungalow. These cabinets are a good compromise.

I met with Susan Serra, kitchen designer and the US rep for Hansen Living, last summer in New York City. We hit it off immediately. She offered suggestions and I loved all of them.

The cabinets are even more beautiful in person and so finely crafted that they resemble a piece of furniture. I left the meeting with Susan Serra super excited and ready to start planning our new kitchen in the fall.

Then the economy turned and we decided to wait. David was laid off from his job. Our kitchen fund is now our pay the mortgage and buy groceries fund.

But, I am still so in love with Hansen Living. This white kitchen in a historic Copenhagen apartment is what started it all. As soon as I saw these pictures I was smitten.

The pieces are freestanding, so theoretically, you can pack your kitchen up and take it with you when you move.

I hope we will be able to remodel our kitchen sooner rather than later. In the mean time, I will continue to dream…

I have been researching historical photos for ideas to help us when we tackle our bathroom. The photos are taken from magazines, books and online sources covering the early 1900′s to the 1920′s. Most of the photos focus on the early years during that time span.

These rooms may look sterile to our modern eyes, but they were the high-end bathrooms of their day with all the bells and whistles.

Bathrooms were mainly white to appear clean and sanitary.

Wood trim, a wood toilet seat and a rug or two did occasionally sneak in. I really like the window in the above photo.

The bathroom on the right features square tiles on the floor and walls instead of the hex and subway tile more commonly associated with that time period.

Isn’t the tile in the bathroom shown on the right amazing?

You might also enjoy
More Historical Bathroom Photos
Art Deco Bathrooms
Vintage Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories

Our Plan
1) Saarinen table 2) Pelle Bubble Chandelier / DIY: how to make your own bubble chandelier featured in the February/March 2009 issue of ReadyMade magazine…RIP… 3) Farrow & Ball Lotus wallpaper 4) Cherner arm chair 5) Sisal rug with border was featured on Fab a few weeks ago

{Confession: I am completely addicted to Fab and Pinterest and spend too much time on both!}

But, I digress…this is supposed to be about our dining room. The dining room is the first room we restored in our house and it holds a special place in my heart.

The truth is that even though I think the dining room is beautiful, it has never felt like “us”. We got so caught up with restoring the house, the strong architectural lines and period details, that we somehow left ourselves out of the equation.

I want something a little brighter and more playful. I intend to leave all the period details intact except for the light fixture, but that isn’t so unusual. I swap out lights around here the way some women change earrings. I always save the antique lights so I can put them back or move them to a new location if… make that when…I change my mind.

I am trying to find a balance between the Modern furnishings that we love and all the beautiful period details…that we also love.

Mix of period details and Modern furnishings. Image from Pinterest

If you follow me on twitter, you already know that we have installed the Farrow & Ball wallpaper that I have been lusting after this fall. The dining room already looks brighter.

I purchased the sisal rug and it arrived last week. Unfortunately, it is letting off the most noxious chemical smell. My whole house smells like Three Mile Island. This cannot be normal…

We are keeping the baby grand piano in the dining room, so I can’t have a dining room table that is too large. There is also a lot of wood in the room with the piano, built-in china cabinet, box beam ceiling and wainscoting. I think the white Saarinen table will be a nice counterpoint to all the woodwork.

I have loved the Cherner arm chair for years. To me, it is a functional piece of art. I’m not sure if we will have the budget for it. Although, I find it incredibly beautiful…I also find it pretty expensive.

It will be a few months, or maybe a few years, before I get this all together, but I am excited and ready for a change.

These are the books that I refer to time and time again:
Bungalow Kitchens
Bungalow Bathrooms
Bungalow Colors Exteriors

Other great books:
Outside the Bungalow
Inside the Bungalow
Dare to Repair

Magazines:
American Bungalow
This Old House
Old House Journal

Websites:
American Bungalow Magazine’s Online Forum

Other home restoration websites:
HouseBlogs.net

I photographed the kitchen cupboards of a 1911 bungalow a few years back and saved them for the day when we remodel our kitchen.

What I like is the vast expanse of storage. It was difficult to photograph because the cupboards filled the whole wall.

This cupboard was built into the corner.

Bottom cupboards. The middle cupboard had a hinged bottom and was a flour bin.

See more bungalow kitchens!

Martha, Martha, Martha. I LOVE this kitchen! The grayish taupe walls, the expanses of white marble and the beautiful cabinetry…I am drooling. Ms. Stewart recently posted new pictures of this kitchen on her blog.

Look at this display case. Glass on 3 sides gives it an open, airy feeling. I also like all the little touches of metal throughout the room; from the clock, to the warming drawers and the little metal knobs on the cupboards.

One benefit of owning several homes is being able to design completely different kitchens.

This kitchen features natural wood tones, open shelving and white subway tiles.

I really like the look of dishes stacked on open shelving. Although, I wonder how practical that is day to day with dust and animal fur? It might not be the best choice for earthquake prone Los Angeles.

I love all the storage and drawers in this kitchen.

I like the sinks with gooseneck faucets.

We have been getting a few posts lately about people redoing their bathrooms. So, in that spirit I have decided to post some pictures from “New Ideas For Bathrooms” published by Crane in the late 1920s. Enjoy!

You might also enjoy:
Historical Bathroom Photos
More Historical Bathroom Photos
Vintage Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories

Our garage needs an intervention!

I have read that a simple door upgrade can give your garage a whole new personality and that is what our garage really needs – a new personality (among other things)!

The following companies offer vintage inspired garage doors, although costly (think investment). But, how can you place a price on a whole new personality? Just kidding…

Image from Amarr Garage Doors

Amarr Garage Doors (Carriage House Doors)

General American Garage Door Co. (Presidential Series)

Overhead Door Corp. (Ranch House Collection)

Raynor (American Rivers Collection)

Wayne-Dalton Corp. (Wood Doors)

I have also purchased a Victorian decor tank lever from Fashion Plumbing.

Please feel free to post your sources for bathroom accessories and hardware in the comments section.

I have been buying antique light fixtures for years. I adore eBay and find so many irresistible deals on vintage and antique lights. I buy what I love and store it away to use someday, in some as of yet unrestored room of our house. I have so many boxes of lights packed away that I don’t even remember what I have any more. And I am running out of rooms!

I went through all the boxes the other day and it was like Christmas morning. I was overjoyed to find this little light. It goes perfectly in our dining room. I smile every time I see it.

As a rule I try not to spend more than $250. I buy what speaks to me and don’t worry about it’s value or collectibility.

We were recently at a restaurant and I fell in love with this wall! I love the color, texture and large faded text.

The vintage industrial lights are perfect with the wall.

I can’t quite see this look in my bungalow…but the wall color and industrial lights are amazing.

:: Paint ::
Ceiling Color: SW 6387, Compatible Cream
SHERWIN WILLIAMS
website: www.Sherwin-Williams.com

Wall Color: HC-34 Wilmington Tan
BENJAMIN MOORE Historical Collection
website: www.benjaminmoore.com

:: Stain ::
Read all about the paint stripping and staining process, the stain color and stain recipes here.

:: Reproduction Casement Window Latches and Entry Door Strike Plate ::
HOUSE OF ANTIQUE HARDWARE
3439 NE Sandy Blvd P.M.B. 106
Portland, OR 97232
phone: 888.223.2545
fax: 503.233.1312
website: www.houseofantiquehardware.com

:: Switchplates and Return Vent Cover ::
REJUVENATION
2550 N.W. Nicolai Street
Portland, OR 97210
Sales & Service: 888.401.1900
Retail Store: 1100 S.E. Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214 (503.238.1900)
website: www.rejuvenation.com

:: Register Cover ::
THE CRAFTSMAN HOMES CONNECTION
PMB 343, 2525 E. 29th, Suite 10B
Spokane, WA 99223
telephone: 509-535-5098
fax: 509-534-8916
website: www.crafthome.com

Register Cover: Metal Registers Style 1, Antique Brass Finish
They now offer nice Mission and Rickenbacker style register covers that weren’t available when we purchased our register covers last year. Although, I would still probably select Style 1 since it most closely matches the original wall register cover found in the house.

:: 1910 Arts & Crafts/Mission Chandelier ::
ECLECTIC REVIVAL, Fine Vintage Lighting & Decorative Arts
email: eclecticrevival1@rogers.com
website: www.eclecticrevival.com

:: Wooden Electrical Outlet Covers and Deadbolt ::
HOME DEPOT
website: www.homedepot.com
Electrical Outlets had been added to our floors. I replaced the covers with natural wood ones that I stained to match our red oak floors. David found a deadbolt that is from The Craftsman Collection.

:: Furniture ::
CRATE & BARREL, Leather Club Chair and Sleeper Sofa
website: www.crateandbarrel.com

RESTORATION HARDWARE, Metro Recliner
website: www.restorationhardware.com

POTTERY BARN, Side and Coffee Tables, Henry Line
website: www.potterybarn.com

::Window Shades ::
SMITH + NOBLE
phone: 800.248.8888
website: www.smithandnoble.com

:: Paint Stripping, Wallpaper Removal, and Plastering::
J & C Home Repair
626.793.7091 ask for Juan

:: Floor Refinishing ::
DROR MENASHE
phone: 818.705.8799
cell: 213.798.9097

See Bungalow Living Room Before & After photos.

Does anyone know what this is? My thought is it is used to catch water so that someone could pour water from it to wash their hair, but I am not sure?

You may also enjoy:
Art Deco Bathrooms
Historical Bathroom Photos
Vintage Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories

We just celebrated our 5th year of home ownership last week. We are a little over halfway done with the house. What a journey this restoration project has been! We often receive questions about buying and restoring an old house. So, on the occasion of our anniversary with homeownership, here goes…

Would we do it again? Hmmmm. Halfway through our restoration I started to have fantasies about building a completely Modern house, something that you would see on the pages of “Dwell” magazine, where everything would be brand spanking new and streamlined. A few months ago I would have said NEVER. EVER. AGAIN. But, you know what they say about never saying never. 

What have we learned from our experiences? If you are going to restore a house with someone, have a conversation or two about how you actually plan to accomplish this before buying the house. When we talked about fixing up the house, I imagined us lovingly working on it together. I had no idea the images floating around David’s head were of us interviewing general contractors…lovingly together. What can I say? We were young, in love and not so focused on the details. It never occurred to me that David wouldn’t “like” working on the house. 

Things will cost so much more than you expect and take much, much longer than you imagine.

Know your limitations. Sometimes it is much cheaper and safer to hire someone than to attempt to do a project for which you have no skill or aptitude. Hire a licensed electrician, plumber, roofer, or foundation contractor.

It is just a house, just a paint color, just a piece of furniture, just a light fixture, or just a kitchen design. Try to keep things in perspective. If only I could have back all those hours spent pouring through magazines, books, and on eBay. I spent way too much time, and probably too much money, on things that seemed important at the time, but really didn’t matter all that much in the bigger picture.

If I could do it all over again.
1. I would spend more money upfront and purchase a house in the best condition that I could afford. We thought we would save ourselves money by purchasing a fixer and we were worried about house payments. We ended up spending MORE money fixing our house up than if we had bought the nicer, more expensive house.

2. You will save yourself so much money and frustration if you find a house with unpainted woodwork, if that is important to you. Stripping paint is a horrible, horrible process. It is not fun, it is not exciting…it is hard and expensive work.

3. Get to know your potential neighbors. We were lucky that we ended up with great neighbors. If I had been smart, I would have knocked on some doors and met my future neighbors before we bought our house. In my neighborhood, there is not much that happens that my neighbors don’t know about. Your potential neighbors can probably give you the lowdown on the owner of the house, the other neighbors, who or what you should watch out for, and probably some history about your future house.

4. I will not live next door to an apartment complex. We saw some really great houses but didn’t make an offer because they were next to 2-3 story apartments. I like to live next to people who own their houses and have more invested in their upkeep. Plus, I don’t want people to be able to look out their windows and have a bird’s eye view of my backyard.

5. Look for homes that still have intact original features such as moldings, beamed ceilings, hardware, original wood doors, light fixtures, wood framed windows with wavy glass, etc. The more original features the better. Yes, all these things can be added back if they are missing but it is costly – especially to put back wood framed windows.

6. Make sure you get a thorough home inspection, but be prepared for surprises. The home inspection won’t turn up all the problems in your house. Until you take a room apart and put it back together again, there are things you just won’t find.

7. Spend time in the area. Drive around and get out and walk. Is this somewhere where you want to live? Do you feel safe? Make sure you like the block before you buy a house on it.

8. Be patient. It takes a long time to fix up an old house and a good amount of money. Try to be realistic, although, if you have never fixed up a house before it is hard to even know what is realistic. Here is a hint, most of what you have seen on tv about fixing up a house is not reality. It occured to me the other day that it took our house almost 100 years to get so run down, so why did I think it would be completely restored in a few months or even a few years?

9. After you buy the house, invest in an alarm system and take the burglar bars off the windows. Alarm window screens are completely worth the money.

10. Nothing will change the look of your house like a good paint job!