Kitchen of the Week: Modern Conveniences and a Timeless Look

This Pennsylvania kitchen lives in a stone farmhouse that was built in the late 1700s, but it used to reside outside. “It was an old summer kitchen when the house was built,” says Kevin Ritter of Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry, a design-build company. As many who love old houses know, summer kitchens were detached sheds where the cooking went on in the warm months. In the days before air conditioning, that separation kept the entire house from becoming an oven. In this case previous owners had remodeled to connect the summer kitchen with the main house, creating a long, narrow, galley-like cooking space.

Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Trexlertown, Pennsylvania
Size: About 560 square feet (52 square meters)

“The new homeowners wanted to keep the dimensions of the space and the original features,” Ritter says. Those included a walk-in fireplace, the closet door next to it and the windows. Ritter’s challenge was to incorporate those with items that early Americans couldn’t even imagine — a large refrigerator, a coffee station and a microwave — while maintaining the look and feel of the farmhouse kitchen.


In the long, narrow room, with windows and historic elements that had to stay in place, layout options were few. “The room kind of laid itself out,” says Ritter. “The homeowners wanted to have a table by the walk-in fireplace, which still works.”

The rest became a game of finishes. Because the space is outfitted with radiant heat, he chose a brick veneer for the floor. “We wanted something that would be a contrast to the cream-colored cabinets the clients wanted,” Ritter says. “We could have used reclaimed lumber, but that wouldn’t have been the best choice for the radiant heat. Brick was also used in the old houses.”

Ritter notes that brick veneer flooring isn’t for everyone. It must be sealed to protect it from stains. Even then, a bit more cleaning than usual is involved.

Read more about using brick in the kitchen

Floor tile: Inglenook Tile Design


If you are going for a classic kitchen look, hiding the appliances behind cabinetry is key. Ritter tucked as many as possible behind new cabinets that he crafted to resemble furniture. Here a cabinet front can be pulled out to reveal a freezer; the refrigerator is above it.

Another classic touch is the hardware, made by a local blacksmith. “Rat-tail latches are our signature,” he says.


Another classic move is the island. Rather than creating a more modern eat-at counter, Ritter married an island with a traditional kitchen table. “To create the leg of this table, we copied and enlarged the leg of their antique dining table,” he says.


Soapstone is a classic choice for a kitchen counter or sink. This farmhouse sink is backed by a soapstone backsplash that is carved in a beadboard pattern. Soapstone also tops the island and kitchen table.

Soapstone: Bucks County Soapstone; faucet hardware: Newport Brass

Read more about farmhouse sinks


The kitchen’s cabinets were painted with milk paint from the Real Milk Paint Company, distressed by hand and then sealed with a clear coat finish for durability. Ritter used a custom red for the cabinet run behind the built-in table and some of the other woodwork. “This is like a very old red, the color of an old barn,” he says.


A coffee station and microwave oven are tucked behind cabinet doors.


Before launching Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry, Ritter worked with his father to build classic furniture inspired by utilitarian antiques. That taught him about the beauty of farmhouse pieces, and he brings the look to his modern cabinetry, seen in this kitchen. “We really focus on the finishes,” he says. The goal is a distressed look that you would find on pieces from that period.

The new kitchen is a far cry from the original detached shed, but it is done in a style that works with the rest of the house.

More:
Kitchen Workbook: 8 Elements of a Farmhouse Kitchen
Kitchen Counters: Durable, Easy-Clean Soapstone

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