Clean lines in a 1930s Colonial Revival

The owners of this home in Washington, DC sought a classic, understated style for their galley kitchen. Instead of a contemporary refrigerator, they chose Sub-Zero fridge and freezer drawers disguised in a bank of cabinetry under a ten foot-long solid cherry counter. We scribed the base and upper cabinets to fit an out-of-plumb wall, in addition to a ceiling and floor that each run more than 1-1/2" out of level over ten feet.

The homeowners asked us to incorporate some fun, unconventional details in their cabinetry, such as old-fashioned adjustable shelf supports and drawers that work on a traditional wooden runner and kicker system instead of mechanical hardware. Dishwasher drawers to the left of the sink are disguised behind wooden drawer faces. There's a variety of counter materials for different applications--honed slate around the fireclay sink, marble for a pastry-making corner, and solid cherry atop the bank of fridge and freezer drawers. Paint is by Farrow & Ball. Subway tile was salvaged from an old school building.

These photos were shot three years (and several birthday-cake bakings, and many little-boy playdates) after the kitchen was installed.
Adjustable shelves are mounted on traditional wooden supports. This cabinet was patterned after the outline of an original built-in, which the homeowners discovered on the plaster wall underneath a layer of circa-1989 purple wallpaper. The pastry-making area has a marble counter, and the doors are all hinged right, instead of opening together toward the cabinet center. The homeowners had their kitchen's mid-century exhaust fan cover replated and replaced above a new stove.
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