Youngstown kitchen cabinets share star billing with an O’Keefe and Merritt range in Meara’s kitchen remodel

Meara’s “before” kitchen was actually just fine, with that can’t-take-your-eyes-off-it O’Keefe and Merritt range and neutral cabinets, countertops and flooring. That said, it wasn’t the stunner she wanted for her 1955 midcentury modern house built by the prolific Ernest Pierson. The solution? A cost-conscious refresh using Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets headed to the dump, boomerang laminate countertops and a remnant piece of real linoleum flooring. The “after”: Much more than just fine —  Meara’s kitchen is a little piece of perfect. 

Meara writes (edited slightly to combine emails):

My home was built in 1955 by the Ernest Pierson Building Company in Eureka, California. The Pierson Building company built a number of subdivisions in the greater Eureka area in the 1950’s. The homes are some of the only flat roofed ranch homes in the area. It is my hope that Pierson homes will become appreciated for their architectural significance.

I purchased the home in 2012 and have completed extensive renovations. The kitchen was the only room that had not received any attention.

Prior to the remodel the kitchen was a chopped up version of the original. The kitchen had originally had a cooktop and a wall oven which had been removed years prior and portions of the cabinets were modified to make room for a standard range and dishwasher.

I decided to do the kitchen remodel by accident. Friends of mine were doing a kitchen remodel on a rental and the Youngstown kitchen cabinets were being removed and headed for the dump! I let them know that I was interested in the cabinets, we discussed the possibilities of how we could fit them into my kitchen space. Once we agreed on how to maximize the use of the space the project was a go. The cabinets are the original finish, I chose not to refinish them as they are in very good condition. 

The goal of this remodel was for this finished kitchen to look as though it had always been there — and, it was a remodel on a serious budget of $3500.

I began the search for counter top material and flooring. Retro Renovation was a great resource! For the countertop I chose Formica Charcoal Boomerang. I found a great company called Heffrons for the aluminum countertop edging. I live in a small and remote area in Northern California with a limited number of resources. I was lucky enough to take my project to a local counter top installation company (Humboldt Countertops Surfacing) that was excited about my project and worked with me to pull off the vintage look that allows the kitchen to look like it was always a part of my home.

The flooring was a remnant piece of Marmoleum flooring.

The remodeled kitchen is the perfect setting for the O’Keefe and Merritt stove. Rounded upper and lower shelving units were custom designed to finish off the look.

This has truly been a labor of love for me and everyone who has seen the kitchen loves it and reminisces about a cozy vintage kitchen they have enjoyed in the past.

Meara Hattan, Realtor
http://www.Facebook.com/hattanhomes
www.humboldtagenthattan.realtor

Hooray: Another realtor who “gets it”! What a perfect little kitchen, Meara. Congratulations on a nicely executed remodel that was both thrifty and historically appropriate, and thank you for sharing it with us! 

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