Do you have a question we can help you with John?

I already demo’d this kitchen in the first floor. It was cute too, actually dating from the fifties. I have yet to give away the vintage Wedgewood range. The cabinets were also site built, heavy construction, and really fought back. A heavy crowbar, sledgehammer, and sawzall were used before they gave up their grip.

Makes you think. Someday, your lovely pride and joy kitchen, the Taj Mahal, fireclay, perfect backsplash, lovely pendants, it will all be smashed to bits and thrown into a dropbox for landfill. But it won’t fight back much - today’s kitchens are light construction and can be torn out in a jiffy.

I have a sink base like that, with the cabinet recessed. In fact, the stove base is like that, too. So is the cabinet across the room. What were they thinking in 1960? It’s so hard to fit things, or reach things, in those cabinets. Tear it out with no regrets, John.

Nifty that they built this 30 years ago and made it look so nicely retro.

Yeah, sigh. I may try to save some bits, like the aluminum face strips, and reuse them as a little nod to the past.

I’ve saved some of the much older wallpaper from the first floor kitchen, a charming vintage Dutch pattern with windmills and maidens, probably 100 yrs old. I carefully cut out the lath and plaster it was on, and will use it in a little display on the history of the house.

I’m going to tear off the floor they put in then too. Some high quality plastic laminate, looks new after thirty years of rental use. But there is the original tight vertical grain old growth fir under that, that needs to be exposed and refinished.

How much of your aesthetic and customization will this space get? Or will it be a more conventional kitchen for renters or guests? I do hope you can keep some of those curves. Care to share the plan?

Not much - it will be a simple, tidy "office kitchenette". Refrigerator, sink, dishwasher, counter space for coffee machine, microwave, or toaster oven, a little bit of storage in base cabs, no upper cabs. Ideally can fit Ikea cabinets, if not I'll build the cabs. Trying to keep the cost and time down.

Possible design below. The red wall will be added. The wall at bottom will have a doorway cut in.

I don't see any good way to keep anything currently there. I could leave the sink wall untouched, but then there's no dishwasher and the cute fifties' style isn't ideal for an office, in case a client ever sees it.

In the future, like 10 years out when I retire, the building will be paid off and will go to my daughter. The second floor with its two offices and conference room might be converted back to residential. It could be a two bedroom, one living/dining room, small kitchen, one bathroom w/ shower. So I want to leave space for a future small range and future upper cabinets, which I think you'd want for actual kitchen. It will be a (very) small galley kitchen.

In progress

Slightly more progress. I’ve be sidetracked by getting the bathroom and some other walls and ceilings so my electrician can eradicate all the knob & tube and run new circuits with a minimum of fishing. I also need to get my plumber in to remove and cap the lines up into that steel sink cabinet, because I can’t get it out otherwise. I’m pulling up the engineered plastic floor and will refinish the original hardwood; if it doesn’t look good I’ll paint it; if it still doesn’t look good I’ll have a new wood floor laid.