CATONSVILLE 19TH CENTURY KITCHEN

This job began as an act of love, not mine, but rather on the part of the clients. They bought the home in the older part of Catonsville, MD, a home built in the late 19th century. They wanted to restore it to its original glory which consisted of all naturally finished longleaf yellow pine. They contacted a kitchen designer, Peggy Wannamaker, now located in Blue Hill, Maine, who in turn called us.

This first cabinet was an afterthought to the original design. The top drawers are more like apothecary's cabinet one might have found in a 19th century drug store. One of clients had seen such a chest of drawers growning up in the south. The six larger drawers are really drop down hanging files for her many family recipes.

The walls and trim had many coats of paper which they carefully removed in the evening when they came home from work. The paint , however was deeply ingrained, such that uniform traces of white paint remained there in the grain & joints no matter how hard they worked. The kitchen cabinetry was refinished in the same way. The demands of a late 20th century kitchen called for not only improved appliances, but more cabinetry. After building cabinetry in the same style with the same species of wood, we both painted it white & sanded it off. Well, very nearly sanded all off. We left just a enough to blend in with the existing cabinetry.

The counter top shown appears to have a supporting column running right through it. Actually, the re-enforced cabinet acts as the base of the column which, aftering jacking up that part of the house 1/4", was slipped into place before letting it down comfortably into a snug recess in the counter itself.

The window seat, all done in long-leaf yellow pine as well, served as extra seating for family breakfast and general lounging in the morning sun.