Absolutely beautiful! I love it ALL!! Where did you find the 2x4 subway tiles? Would you mind posting a close up of the backsplash? Thank you and congratulations!

Thanks for the info on the soapstone!! Your kitchen makes me happy!

Trailrunner - Do I put my email address here? it's mgh1@bellsouth.net

Just sent you an email....c

Really nice. Looks contemporary and house-appropriate at the same time. I like the detail of the shelf over the radiator and of course, the Chambers.

I am in love with your kitchen! Like palimpsest said, you have made it fit in with the age of your home while having modern conveniences.

Don't you love a Chambers broiler/griddle? I learned how to cook on one of those (the stove/oven combo) and miss it greatly. Enjoy it and your new, lovely kitchen.

Just fantastic job!! You must be so happy - I just ADORE your kitchen!

Sensational Kitchen.
Love that you kept the forced hot water heater.
It looks like it was planned. The floors and backsplash
are stupendous. The built in book shelves are perfect.
Beautiful space.
~boxerpups

The 2"x4" tile was from Tile Shop, they call it "Hampton Carrara Amalfi". I think its actually about 5 different varieties of stone. Note that there was a big difference from box-to-box, so make sure you have it all on site before starting the job. Here's a close-up image of it along with a shot showing the butler call system. We call our house 'The Funkhouse' for obvious reasons.

Oh this is gorgeous! Add me to your list of admirers! Your kitchen does make me a bit sad; we had almost the exact same Chambers stove top. I've been desperate for more counter space and that stunning gem is 42 inches wide. It had to go. We had our 30 inch induction cook top installed today and I must say it takes the sting away. Even the contractor's jaw dropped when I boiled water so quickly.

Stunning! I love all of it--the beautiful blue walls, BS, SS, floor, bookshelves, latches, sink, Chambers, and servants' bell! Kudos to you for creating such a lovely and functional kitchen for such reasonable $$. You're obviously resourceful as well as handy. Enjoy!

I hope you'll be sure to have your kitchen included in the FKB.

Oh my - I really like that callbox, and I'm so glad you didn't remove it. Does your house have a servant's quarters? It seems as if there was a butler, he'd need a room, and if there was a butler, it is highly reasonable there was a maid too. Tell us more - I love historical houses! :o)

Fantastic! This must be one of my favorite kitchen make-overs! And you did exactly what I would like to do (block the entrance to the main hall and put a fridge in it's place) but my hubby thinks I'm crazy. I'm going to show him your make-over! I love everything about your kitchen! The cabinets, the tiles, the floor, the wall color, the appliances, everything!!

What a great rennovation. You updated and kept it in line with the period of your home. It couldn't get any better than that.

Your before pictures bought back memories. Born and raised in NE Phildelphia. I'm very familiar with East Falls. I remember the homes well in the area and yes that picture from the 50's was definitely the kitchen I sat in as a kid at my Grandmom's home in Olney. The old cabinets were the same as ours in the now tiny kitchen in our rowhome that squeezed in 5 for meals.

Our house dates from the mid-20's and its approximately 3000 SF, so not a mansion by most standards. The third floor used to be the servants' quarters. The stairs up to the third floor are completely plastered in, and there is even a small foyer on the third floor which opens into a hallway with bathroom on the right and living space on the left. There are dormer-style windows and the entire attic is covered in bead-board including the ceiling. The woodworking looks almost nautical up there.

The call system has a buzzer on the third floor as well as in the kitchen, but only a location notifier in the kitchen. When one of the buttons is pressed throughout the house, it buzzes in the third floor and in the kitchen and the little arrow points at the room requesting attention. The metal knob sticking out the bottom of the box is the reset and returns all the arrows to vertical.

There are buttons in many of the upstairs (2nd floor) rooms and one in the floor of the dining room, designed to be operated by foot.

Most of the houses in our neighborhood are from the same era and many of the them have the call systems, though I'm not sure how many are operable. The lettering is from the original owners of the house, they lived there from the 20's through the 80's we think.

That is stunning! I love the colors, the soapstone, and that stove! Very cool. It is so period appropriate, and so beautiful. Very nicely done.

I will definitely add this to my favorites file. Looking at these photos makes me want to pull up a chair and watch my grandmother make her famous cookies in her old kitchen......

I'm sure your family will make wonderful memories in this lovely space. Thanks for sharing.

I would buy your home in a heartbeat just to own your kitchen. Count me utterly smitten. I can't praise anything that hasn't already been praised. I have so many favorite features, but the call bell--OMG!!--that is the coolest.

You might consider posting a link to this on the old house forum here on gardenweb. Those folks would love to gawk at your space.

Thank you so much for posting and congratulations on your new (old) kitchen!

Wonderful kitchen! I love the soapstone, backsplash, cabinets, and the idea of putting the countertop over the radiator. You made this small kitchen look large. Good work!

Ditto what palimpsest said. You have achieved a perfect balance of old and new making this kitchen truly timeless. Love, love, love it!

Absolutely stunning. Now I want to see the rest of your house. :-) You mentioned a ceiling fan/light that needs to be replaced. I was just looking at Schoolhouse Electric's online catalog and saw many beautiful fixtures that would be compatible with your kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Schoolhouse Electric

Oh, I just love love LOVE it! That fridge is awesome - count me among the people who haven't seen such a fridge before, though I'd heard the Traulson name. Is the fridge noisy? - I'd heard commercial fridges are noisier than residential ones. You mentioned you had to do some repairs, can you give a little more detail on that? Did you do the repairs yourself, or did the store do them?

I love your Marmoleum floor! We recently re-did our kitchen, mostly DIY, but we were on a tight budget, so we left the '90's vinyl floor squares as is. The stuff is tough as nails which is why we left it, but it's fugly. Now I am intrigued by your marmoleum. Did you have to have special underlayment? How hard was it to install (setting aside cutting the tiles to size). Also, what are the two colors of marmoleum you used?

Definitely yours is one of my new fave Kitchens Forum kitchens!

@ alwaysfixin:
The fridge is a bit noisier than a typical higher-end residential model, but not to the point where the sound takes away from our enjoyment of the space. Its the sort of thing that you get used to very quickly.

We turned behind the fridge into a utility closet, and opened the back panel of the fridge for air flow. At some point I may investigate adding a bit of sound insulation in the front, or remoting the compressors into the space behind the fridge... Or... More likely I will just enjoy the way it is.

It is a dual compressor unit, when the fridge arrived the fridge side was not cooling. We brought in a commercial refrigeration repairman to take a look. The verdict was that it needed a new compressor. We elected to replace both the fridge and freezer compressors at the same time, given that the rest of the fridge is in excellent shape. The cost for the replacement of the compressors was around $1400, way less than a comparable fridge of this size and construction and we have a year's warranty.

The marmoleum install was not too bad - you might want to find the install instructions from Forbo's website to get their guidelines on subfloor. Our old floor was sheet vinyl and installed over luan. We elected to replace the subfloor with more substantial 3/8" plywood. I bought a pneumatic staple gun to help with the task of stapling. I believe it is possible to install marmoleum directly over an existing vinyl floor, however you should consult their instructions. Take your time on the subfloor since gaps and elevation changes will telegraph through.

The worst part of the install is dealing with the adhesive. It is like some horrible mutant child of rubber cement, super glue and thinset. It gets on everything, does not easily come off, and its incredibly easy to glue your knees (or the hair on your knees) to the floor as you are installing. Also you should not wear your favorite clothes or shoes for this task. You will need to rent a 100 lbs roller for the install.

Cutting the tiles to size was a lot of work - I built a jig based around a rented guillotine-style vinyl tile cutter and it took around 10 hours. Forbo does not recommend or support cutting the tiles in this fashion. In fact there is a tech bulletin which basically says: "You should not cut your own tiles, however if you do, these are some hints to make it work. However we are not responsible for the end result."

The two colors are
White Marble - 2607
Black - 2939

I don't have the exact total, but I believe the cost for the marmoleum sheet and adhesive was in the $700 ballpark for roughly 130 SF.

@ beaniecakes:
Thanks for the lighting recommendation - those pendants are really nice (and priced very reasonably). We're probably going to keep our eyes open for something vintage or I might buy the hardware and make my own glass shades. I'll keep the link to schoolhouse on file in case we get impatient with the treasure...

Eastfallglass, I love your kitchen, especially the appliances, floors and counters! That wall color looks so nice and I would love to know what it is. Thank you!

I'm in love with many many details and have a particular appreciation for the uniqueness and DIY aspects of your kitchen. Thank you for posting a close up pic of your backsplash. It helped me decide on what to do with my small master bath. It will be perfect for the look I want (going 2x8 I think). I don't know if they ship to Florida... but at least I have a place to start. Congrats... it's beautiful.

Gorgeous...so much character and function too! Love it!

The wall color is Behr 510C-3 "Rivers Edge".

Totally cool!! The cooktop, fridge, and floor are just amazing!!

Wonderful!

Interesting that the 'cool' turquoise is sunnier than yellow walls. :-)

Your backsplash is amazing. Just gorgeous.

You really have captured the period, but with the contemporary edge. A style combo I love.

Love the paint color! Reminds me of my childhood kitchen in a midcentury modern house my parents had built in Baton Rouge in 1955. It was that color and we even had the dishes to match! 1 set of plastic and 1 set of china. Nice memory :)

That is just gorgeous! Tell me, what colors of marmoleum did you use?

The two colors are
White Marble - 2607
Black - 2939

There's more details on the floor install in the "RE: Fridge and Floor" post a few posts up.

Thanks again for all the positive feedback; I prepared the inaugural meal last Wednesday, and it was a joy to cook in.

Wowza! I haven't been in the forum more than a couple of times in the past many months, but I'm so glad I looked today. LOVE it.

Sorry, I haven't really gone through all the accolades and I image this has been gushed over, but I like the way the backsplash, countertops, floor and quarter-rounds all tie together, sort of moving between them all. It's very artistic. Nice work!

You did a beautiful job. I love the blue walls - they look so bright and fresh with the white cabinets and SS. The Chambers and Traulsen add great style to an already great space. It looks like a wonderful place to spend time.

I love it.

I love what you started with --- fantastic cooktop and great backdoor and fenestration.

I love the tile on a diagonal and the blue paint. Enjoy your new kitchen and congratulations for making it up to date yet fitting the house yet original and fresh!

So beautiful! I'm literally salivating over some of the details, and applaud your use of a bold color on the walls. I didn't know that Chambers made cooktops in addition to ranges. We're finishing up a modest "refresh" of our 20s kitchen, which was last renovated in the late 50s, and have of course kept our Chambers stove.

Love this, how it still looks appropriate but updated. Love the floor, backsplash, and especially the color. Really nice job! Just beautiful.

Wow, your kitchen is beautiful.

First words that came to my mind after reading about your labor, and seeing the pics;
'HEART AND SOUL'

I could love living in it, and can just hear the hum of the old kitchen.
Nothing better.
Congrats!

What a stunning kitchen! Perfect for your home's age, yet fresh and modern. Everything is just right. Like Goldilocks said!

My favorite part is the servants bell. I cannot imagine being the one upstairs pushing the foot button as most days I feel like I'm the one in the kitchen running around with bells going off trying to hit the reset button.

Congrats on a lovely, lovely transformation!

Love your kitchen! The marble tiles, the soapstone, the rangetop, OMG! the way your built the fridge into the pantry wall, how you stuck to the period, but especially impressive is that you did a lot of it yourself. You must be really proud. Enjoy!

OM Gosh, you have my grandmothers floor!

Glad it's in good hands. ;)

Lover everything about your kitchen, before and afters.

Eastfallsglass, what color did you paint your cabinets? I know I already replied but I love your kitchen and the changes that you made. It is so warm, fits with your house, beautiful to look at, functional, and just has that wow factor! Thanks for sharing again.

@lynn2006 - The cabinets are maple, painted white - painted by the cabinet shop. We specified the purest white that they offer. Thanks again for all the kind feedback.

I just love your kitchen ...and hey you have my faucet!! I also have the Grohe Bridgeford in Chrome. It looks great in your kitchen! Really love the colors and finishes. Good job!

Did you ever say what the name of your soapstone is? We're looking at some mumbai gray soapstone from M. Texiera and I'm waiting on them to send me a picture. I do hope I like it since it's on sale. I'd love to find out more about your DIY, since that's what we're going to do. Supposedly, the mumbai gray comes in smaller pieces, so I'm hoping it will easier to transport. How did you transport yours? Were seams a big problem, as I'm sure we'll have atleast one? Is it possible to email you to find out more? Thanks for sharing your wonderful kitchen!

@Lake_Girl - Our soapstone is Barroca. As far as transport - it was cheaper to have M. Tex deliver than for us to rent a truck and drive the 2 hours to pick up the stone. Also there are specific ways that the stone should be moved (on an A-frame) and we wanted M. Tex to assume responsibility for any breakage during transport.

We did not have any seams, but there were a few edges where we used the epoxy to join pieces (on the transition from the sink area to the 'radiator shelf'). The epoxy blends in really nice and is not too difficult to work with.

We had M. Tex do the cuts-to-size (rectangular cuts), I suspect that getting that straight, flat edge for the seam might be difficult using hand-held tools.

Think through the logistics of the weight and size of the stones you are getting. I bought sawhorses and made tables with 3/4" plywood for each section of countertop in the backyard for the final finishing (sink cut-outs, sanding edges, etc). Make sure you have plenty of extra scrap and practice each operation on the scrap until you feel comfortable with it before committing on the actual countertop sections.

If you're close to M. Tex, its worth taking a drive out there to look through their 'recycled' stone - partial slabs. Good luck, hopefully some of this helps.

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, we're not close at all. Otherwise, they probably have remnants that would definitely work for us. They are having a great sale on Mumbai Gray now, but I can't get a great feel for what it looks like. Also, it comes in smaller sizes than some other soapstones, so we'll have a seam for sure. Some seams I've seen online, really don't look bad though. We are DIYers by nature, but this makes me nervous. Our perimeter area (which is all we're doing) is pretty small, so maybe we can handle it. It's basically an L-shape, with a stand alone stove on one side and a sink on the other. Did you cut out the sink after it was installed or before? I think we're using a standard undermount, since our existing cabs won't fit an apron sink (which I love). I can tell you, this is the only way we're going to be able to do soapstone, so I'm hoping it will work. We're waiting on pics from the company, then maybe we'll pull the trigger?? Thanks again!

Eastfallsglass, you wrote: "@lynn2006 - The cabinets are maple, painted white - painted by the cabinet shop. We specified the purest white that they offer. Thanks again for all the kind feedback ." Thank you so much for letting me know. Your cabinet maker chose a perfect white shade and your kitchen is gorgeous!

eastfallsglass, congratulations on a beautiful job! I love everything about your kitchen, even the 'before' space. You must truly enjoy walking into this wonderful kitchen every day!

Eastfallsglass- Your kitchen is beautiful!

What is the name of your paint color? That's exactly the shade of blue, I'd like to put in the sunroom/greenhouse, when we remodel our farmhouse.

Your kitchen is spectacular! I love how much character it has. You know no one else will have the same kitchen as yours. That is the best part! It shows the originality of you. Soooo well done!