Except for the kitchen. Remodeled in the '50s, the boxy room had plastic tiles running halfway around it and white metal cabinets backed awkwardly against the walls. Not just outdated, it was completely at odds with the purposeful beauty of the rest of the house.

An addition with a mission
“From the time we bought the house I was thinking about renovating the kitchen,” said Kathy. But bringing the warm, wood-trimmed character of the rest of the house into the kitchen without making it seem dark and tight was a daunting task. It was also clear that an addition would be needed. Not only was the existing kitchen too small, but the Friedmans wanted to take the opportunity to introduce other modern comforts -- air conditioning and an extra bathroom -- to the house. In the final plan, both air conditioning ductwork and a first-floor half-bath were worked into spaces that had been part of the old kitchen (see floor plan).



Given these considerations, the Friedmans chose not to recreate a Craftsman kitchen in all its authenticity but to reinvent it in a way that embraced the craftsmanship and spirit of those early 20th-century designers in a more contemporary space. To the Friedmans, that meant focusing on four themes central to the Arts and Crafts movement: simplicity, honesty, utility, and beauty.

At the same time, they realized they needed a strategy to bring their favorite style a bit closer to the bright, open kitchens of today. They found their answer with the help of Gerald Morosco, a Pittsburgh architect schooled in the Prairie style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Morosco helped the Friedmans discover how elements of this related but slightly more modern style would gently nudge an authentic Craftsman kitchen just far enough forward in time to accommodate a 21st-century family.

by Debra Judge Silber : Taunton.com