A SNUG KITCHEN

restoration, the couple had plans drawn that imagined the basement as a paneled, Eastlake master suite. An addition to the south allowed for a new 6 ½' x 12' master bathroom.

Walls and ceilings in both rooms were covered in panels of cherry tongue-andgroove boards framed by mouldings. All of the woodwork was cut, installed, and stained on site—a laborious process that took over a year. A rare, R. J. Horner faux bamboo bedroom suite, made of solid maple with accents of delicate bird's-eye and tiger maple veneers, was given center stage. Ornate gaslight-era lighting by well-known makers, including Philadelphia’s Cornelius and Baker, added to the room’s ambience. Reproduction fittings for the master bath— like the substantial, cast-iron 'Vintage' bathtub from Kohler—were chosen for practicality as well as period appeal.

The wife is an avid antiques buff and collector. Soon rooms began to fill with 19th-century carved furniture, museum-quality lighting, and collections of Victoriana, from unusual silverplate to carved marble paperweights and memorials. It was sometime about midway through the basement remodeling that the couple realized they were here to stay.

The next project was the 145square-foot galley kitchen. The space had been modernized with an overbearing row of white laminate cabinets and a cheap sink. White vinyl tiles covered the walls, and imitation brick resilient flooring overlaid the original fir. Having designed the master suite, architect Steve Rynerson understood his clients' vision: He would need to design a jewel box that celebrated the Aesthetic Movement period without defaulting to modern intrusions: no granite countertops, no stainless-steel appliances, no efficient food-prep stations set within miles of countertop. The room was torn down to the studs. Eastlake paneling was designed to envelop walls and ceiling. Under the strict tutelage of an English cabinetmaker,