To compliment our 2016 fall home issue, I wanted to travel across the river and guest blog in York about a recent renovation I had the chance to witness (and help out with, lucky me, I was able to lay more wood flooring. My favorite!)
My dad, Greg purchased this house about 12 years ago in York’s “Old East York” neighborhood which is right off of Market Street on the east end of town. It’s one of those early 1900s neighborhoods where no two houses are alike, with a good mix of sizes and styles (think Grandview Heights in Lancaster.) The house sat virtually untouched for a while, but things got serious this spring.
Greg wanted a new kitchen that was contemporary and updated, yet still paid tribute to the home’s 1920s Mediterranean style.
Before installing the kitchen, there was a significant amount of demolition to remove the dining room wall, and wire in a ceiling full of discreet LED recessed lights. One-quarter inch drywall was installed on the ceiling, and all four walls and ceiling were skim-coated with new plaster to help unify the space. Wide-plank wood flooring in a bleached-oak was installed throughout the space.
Because the kitchen and dining room were combined to make a 12-x-24’ space, an oversized center island was able to be added. White shaker-style cabinets were installed throughout. Wall cabinets were used to build a hutch-style arrangement surrounding a window. For countertops, Greg chose Carrera marble that was honed instead of polished for a softer finish. This material was used in the backsplash as well. Classic chrome pulls, knobs and faucets were used to complete the look.