By Anne Patterson
"I make every square inch count," says Mary Jane Pappas, president of Pappas Design, a Minneapolis kitchen design and space planning firm. Her skills were certainly needed when it came to remodeling a small outmoded kitchen in a historic mansion in St. Paul, Minn.
The main working area of the kitchen is only 10½ feet by 13½ feet, and the homeowner didn't want the room enlarged. Mary Jane's task was to provide a much more efficient work space that had more storage and also was more attractive, with details relating to the rest of the traditional house. Rossbach Construction of St. Paul, Minn., was the remodeling contractor.
Ingenious storage solution
The best location for a large Sub-Zero refrigerator was along one wall that has a jog in it.
"I decided to put the jog behind the refrigerator to good use with an 18-1/2 -inch-deep pull-out storage spine," says Mary Jane. "I designed the pantry in three pull-out sections to prevent any one part from being too heavy and cumbersome," she adds.
"My clients' house has richly detailed woodwork in many areas, and I wanted to bring some of the same feeling into the kitchen." Custom cabinets with framed doors reach up to ceiling height, providing needed storage. There is a place for everything, even a spot for the client's favorite radio, which she didn't want left on the counter.
Detailed cabinetry
The range area, with its colorful tile backsplash and custom wood and plastered stove hood, became the focal point of the kitchen. On either side there is room for narrow upper cabinets to hold spices.
The cabinetry detailing, such as shaped feet, some radius corners, and some braiding, reflects wood details in other rooms. Several leaded glass and arched cabinet doors, along with limestone floors and granite counters, contribute to the rich traditional look.
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