Kitchens 2015: Recipe for Success

Photograph by Jane Messinger

Eclectic Elegance

Location South End
Designer Butz + Klug
Contractor Chris Rice, Furniture Design Services

THE PROBLEM

Nestled in the back parlor of a 19th-century row house, this South End kitchen had been stripped of its original grandeur during a 1970s gut job. The kitchen was a sad affair of generic cabinetry and tile. “Nothing of the original space remained,” says Jeff Klug, of the firm Butz + Klug. “We wanted to restore the room to the way it might have been.”

THE SOLUTION

Mahogany door and window casings infuse the space with much needed character. Floral-patterned copper grills, integrated into the window sills, disguise the home’s radiators. Elaborate decorative plaster molding, installed by Boston Ornament, adds period detailing to the space. “When we bring people over, they have no idea that the room hasn’t looked like that for the last 150 years,” Klug says. “It’s exactly what we wanted.”

Photograph by Jane Messinger

“WOW” FACTOR

Historical accents juxtaposed with contemporary materials create a show-stopping urban kitchen. The original flooring was refinished to match the room’s new, lighter palette. A walnut island, designed to look and function like a piece of furniture, is topped with a honed-glass countertop, which was ground by a Brooklyn-based artisan who specializes in restoring 19th-century glass.

Photograph by Jane Messinger

FINISHES

The Carrara marble countertops and backsplash dress up a wall of painted, flat-front cabinetry, equipped with hidden hardware. A custom stainless steel sink, KWC faucet, and Miele cooktop add a modern touch.

Photograph by Jane Messinger

CUSTOMIZATION

To minimize clutter in the 267-square-foot space, Klug positioned the Miele refrigerator and large slide-out pantry in a vestibule between the kitchen and adjacent hallway. A custom mahogany and glass door, complete with a retractable screen, leads to a deck.

Photograph by Jane Messinger

“It was about restoring the house to what it was originally. Through that binary of contemporary and period features, each element becomes that much more apparent and rich.” —Jeff Klug, Butz + Klug

The Credits

Countertop Backsplash Carrara marble, Marble and Granite.
Island Honed-glass and walnut, Furniture Design Services.
Flooring Oak and mahogany, Furniture Design Services.
Door Mahogany with Phantom screen, KSD Custom Wood Products.
Fixtures RSA frosted dome lights, Chimera.
Hardware Lower cabinet stainless steel pulls, Valli & Valli; upper cabinet undermounted stainless steel pulls, Hafele.

Suburban | Loft | Brownstone | Rural