Kitchen of the Week: Tipping a Hat to Vintage in Hollywood

A love of antique mechanisms and tools inspired this homeowner to base his kitchen's whole material palette on one object. "At our first meeting for the project, he showed me a 1920s General Electric voltmeter and said, 'This is what I want the space to feel like,'" says designer Amy Sklar.

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: The kitchen is in a guesthouse and studio for a Hollywood writer and performer.
Location: Los Feliz area of Los Angeles
Designer: Amy Sklar
Size: 68 square feet

Once used in labs to measure electrical currents, the quirky collectible epitomizes the client's love of all things vintage.


Classic materials and vintage-inspired appliances create the feel of the antique voltmeter. The simple color palette of white, black, gray and walnut is based on the instrument's dials, wood casing and paper.

Sklar wanted just the right range to fit into this tiny slot between cabinets. Hunting high and low, she found this 21-inch-wide stove, also from the 1920s. The custom hood is made of natural steel.

Stove: O'Keefe & Merrit, Antique Gas Stoves; hood: custom raw Steel with satin finish, Black Star Projects; open shelving: walnut


Before the remodel, upper cabinets made the old kitchen feel dark and cramped.


AFTER: Sklar removed the upper cabinetry and heavy window treatments to let in natural light and open up the space. Uninterrupted surfaces, such as counter-to-ceiling tile, create visual consistency, making the room appear more spacious.

Even without the upper cabinets, the new kitchen has more storage than the previous design, thank to pullout drawers for pots, spices and trays on either side of the range. A microwave cabinet under the bar countertop saves the counter space for prepping and eating.

Backsplash tile: Arden, Ann Sacks; countertops: Lagos Azul limestone, Walker Zanger; cabinetry: custom, Black Star Projects; cabinetry hardware: Variety, Vandykes; sink: Alcott, Kohler; faucet: Hirise Bridge, Kohler


The previous kitchen had an awkward opening to the living room. It was at bar height, but it was small and lacked an overhang for comfortable countertop dining.


AFTER: Sklar opened more of the wall, dropped the remaining half wall to counter height and extended the overhang into the living room. The new Elmira refrigerator next to the sink picks up on the range's vintage elements and color.

Bar stools: vintage, Nickey Kehoe; pendant: Eugene, Circa Lighting; refrigerator: Model 1951, Elmira Stove Works


"We wanted to tip our hats to the vintage vibe, but we didn't want it to look like a movie set from the '20s," Sklar says. "It was important to use vintage elements, but also to make sure we wove them together with modern touches."

More: 12 Inspiring Real-Life Vintage Kitchens

See more Kitchens of the Week

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