Like Grandma’s Kitchen

When Roland Behee and Laura Cameron–Behee moved into their 1910 American Foursquare,

in 1999, the cramped shoebox of a kitchen needed work, but it wasn’t on their priority list at first. One of their two daughters had just been born, and the second would come along soon.

Remnants of a 1960s remodeling included failing cabinets, a dropped acoustic-tile ceiling, and a layout that included “the mother of all bottlenecks” at the back door. The stairs from the basement, the door to the laundry room, a kitchen door, and the stove “all kind of converged in the same space,” Roland explains.

The couple and their growing family nevertheless lived with the cramped kitchen for years. Then, serendipitously, Laura met designer Chandra Sadro, who joined the Everett, Washington, historical commission when Laura was its chair. By then, the couple was envisioning a nostalgic “grandma’s kitchen” with floor-to-ceiling cabinets and vintage fixtures, including a cast-iron porcelain sink they’d

Beadboard remnants, a found sink, and a nostalgic photo lead to a vintage- style kitchen for a house in Everett, Washington.

found discarded in their neighborhood.

“I love designing for historic homes,” Sadro says. “I’d never had a client who wanted a kitchen that looked original, right down to cabinets with no toe-kicks. Laura’s goal was to create a ‘contemporary-period kitchen’, one that looks as close to vintage as possible. Her dedication was admirable! We had great fun on this very special project.”

Poking around behind the acoustic tile, Roland and Laura had found fragments of beadboard, along with evidence that the ceiling was once much higher—probably the same 10' height as rooms in the rest of the house. That tantalizing glimpse reinforced their desire for a homey, authentic kitchen with lofty beadboard ceilings and beadboard backsplashes.

In researching details, the owners and Chandra Sadro turned to Jane Powell’s influential book Bungalow Kitchens. “One particular page in the book had the look we wanted,” Roland says, “including swing-out doors under the sink.”

By now, the couple had a clear idea how the kitchen should look, but they weren’t sure how to accommodate their list of must-haves within the available space. Besides ample cabinets and counter space, the wish list included a walk-in pantry, an eating nook, an improved laundry room, and, if at all possible, a sunroom. Laura had fixed on that idea early, having spent time as a volunteer and later archivist at the 1878 Blackman House museum in Snohomish. “My favorite part of that house is the sunroom, and I wanted something like it in my own home,” she says.

Sadro presented Laura and Roland with three design concepts. The only one

It fits right under the window in a bank of cabinets. It was in mint condition when the couple discovered it discarded on a neighboring street.

LEFT The owners have spent 20 years bringing good looks back to the 1910 house, which they describe as “a pretty typical Northwest Foursquare.”

RIGHT Cozy and sunlit, the dining nook is furnished with built-in bench seating, a vintage table, and an antique ceiling fixture. The original kitchen was located in this area. BELOW Stacking the washer and dryer made space for a counter and utility sink in the laundry room, which is trimmed out now with finished walls and architecturally correct mouldings. Designer Chandra Sadro made the skirt that hides an open shelf under the sink.