A Tale of Two Kitchens

This article explores the contrasting home renovation approaches taken by two neighboring families, the Youngs and the Deatons, in Mt. Lebanon. Both families, residing in similar 1930s-era Tudor-style stone homes, aimed to revamp their living spaces to better suit their lifestyles while preserving the original character of their houses. Despite shared goals, their distinct personal styles led to remarkably different interior designs, with the Youngs embracing a modern aesthetic and the Deatons favoring a traditional one. The Young family, including Jeff and Laura Young and their two children, moved from New York City seven years prior. Jeff, an architect, and Laura shared a preference for modern design with an emphasis on efficient space utilization. They collaborated with CCS Architecture's Taylor Lawson to create an open floor plan, prioritizing quality over simply expanding square footage. Their renovation focused on respecting the existing structure by not adding an oversized extension. The exterior garage was extended using original stone, complemented by new materials, and the slate roof was repurposed. The most significant changes were made to the rear of the house, where a stained black cedar addition now houses a spacious family room and a bright, minimalist kitchen. This kitchen features a 12-foot island with quartz countertops, ample seating, and a light color palette. Dark floors provide contrast, and cabinetry combines white upper units with soft grey island cabinets. A unique black-and-white narrative mural by local artist Kim Fox adorns a wall behind the banquette seating, depicting elements meaningful to the family's history and interests. Storage solutions are integrated throughout, including under-island cabinetry and pull-outs under booth seating. The addition seamlessly blends with the original structure, a feat achieved by Penrod Construction using hidden beams and columns, though a section of the original stone exterior wall remains exposed in the living room. The space is filled with natural light from fixed doors and awning windows. Beyond the main addition, the Youngs relocated their laundry room upstairs, added a mudroom, built a second-story bedroom above the garage, and prepared a space for a future game room beneath the addition. Laura Young expresses a newfound sense of calm and contentment in their redesigned home. Next door, Mary and Scott Deaton, who moved from Washington, D.C. 13 years ago with their daughter Nevada, undertook their renovation to improve family interaction, as their original galley kitchen was isolated and inconvenient for their love of cooking and baking. Their primary objective was to integrate the kitchen into the heart of their home. Working with C W Carlson Construction, they added a 20-foot by 20-foot space to the existing living room, creating a combined kitchen, dining, and living area. Mary Deaton aimed for a fun yet timeless rustic style, emphasizing symmetry, simplicity, and functionality that aligned with the home's character. A bay window offering views of the backyard became a focal point. The kitchen incorporates mixed metals and varied finishes, such as copper, cream, and black granite on the island, and black matte leathered granite countertops with a beveled tile backsplash. Pops of color are visible through glass cabinetry, and exposed wooden beams draw attention to the cathedral ceilings, adorned with whimsical petal-shaped pendant lights from Anthropologie. A farmhouse-style dining table provides additional seating. Archways, consistent with the home's existing architecture, connect to the living area, which is separated from the dining space by a half-wall. A new walkway connects the kitchen to a room now used as Nevada's den, and the former kitchen was converted into a utility/laundry room. The exterior expansion included an extended deck above a carport and an unfinished space below the main floor addition for a future walkout bedroom. Upstairs, the master bath was expanded, and a walk-in closet was added. The Deatons also found that their renovation profoundly transformed how they interact and live in their home. Both renovations, though stylistically divergent, successfully met the homeowners' goals of creating more functional and enjoyable living spaces that respected the historical context of their homes, reflecting their unique personalities and needs. #HomeRenovation #KitchenDesign #InteriorDesign #ModernAesthetic #TraditionalStyle #MtLebanonHomes #ArchitecturalRenovation #FamilyLiving #HomeImprovement #HomeRenovation #KitchenDesign #InteriorDesign #ModernAesthetic #TraditionalStyle #MtLebanonHomes #ArchitecturalRenovation #FamilyLiving #HomeImprovement