Architect Ellen Bailey Dickson loves the traditional style of her 1940s Tudor in suburban Chicago. But she’s equally partial to mid-century Modern design. Her remodeled kitchen blends both tastes, from the stained-glass window found at an antiques fair to the funky metal light fixtures that hang over the island.“I enjoy dispensing bits of Modern,” she says.“It’s like having little surprises to catch people off guard.”
In order to give the kitchen more square footage for cabinets, Dickson switched its location with that of the old dining room. She also knocked down the wall between the two spaces so they flow easily into one another. To keep the cabinets from appearing monolithic she varied their finishes, hardware, and dimensions, designing one section to look like a freestanding hutch. The cheerful yellow wall tiles—some plain, some patterned with either dots or waves—are applied in a random order that fits the room’s relaxed, playful tone.
Dickson and her husband wanted their three school-age children to be able to help with cooking, so they installed the oven and freezer down low, where the kids can reach them. Two additional advantages, in her book, are the room’s extra-deep sink and unusual trash can location. “After making dinner, you can put all of the dirty pots and pans in the sink,” she notes. “It’s so deep that you can’t see them if you’re sitting at the dining room table.” And placing the built-in trash can by the food prep area instead of under the sink saves time during cleanup. “You can get everything thrown away quickly,” she says.
Project Credits
Builder: Quality First, Chicago
Architect: Bailey Edward Design, Chicago
Project size: 405 square feet (includes dining room)
Construction cost (kitchen only): $167 a square foot
Photographer: Anthony May Photography
Resources: Cabinets: Wood-Mode; Countertops: Terrazzo Marble Supply; Dishwasher/range: Fisher & Paykel; Lighting: Artemide, and LBL Volo; Oven: GE Appliances; Plumbing fittings: Grohe; Plumbing fixtures: Franke; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero.
