Outside In

Oftentimes in homes pre-dating the 1900s, kitchens were either non-existent or very small. That was the case with this quintessential Bucks County stone home originally built in 1837. The kitchen definitely needed to be bigger, but before we look outward, we always look within first to see if there is any room to expand the existing footprint. Sometimes there are adjacent rooms that are under-used, or interior partition walls that could be removed. In this case, the only logical solution was to expand outward with an addition, though the property’s topography greatly limited the location options. But it’s not always about the limits of the space, it’s about what can be done with it. We expanded linearly, and as this home is nestled into a hillside, we were able to capture the outside retaining wall by including it into the structure. We incorporated it as one of the interior walls in the breakfast nook, creating a symbiotic harmony between the exterior landscape and the newly renovated kitchen. This was a great example of the design team coming up with ideas and everyone running with it.

Another discovery upon removing the old drywall was that the original stone walls were in beautiful condition and probably hadn’t seen the light of day in 100 years. Instead of covering them up, we decided to expose them, giving another chance to showcase old and new, with the original historic stone merging with the newly renovated light and airy kitchen. Following a thorough acid wash and repointing, this kitchen grew by another four inches which was greatly needed.