A skilled designer redesigned the 1938 house. Lower-level cooking and dining areas now open onto outdoor spaces that attract family and friends.
It’s hard enough to renovate an old house. Renovating an old house sloping onto a hillside is a different story. This is not for the faint-hearted.
Brad Kent recalls the first time Mandy opened the front door. “We said, “We think we are going to take it!” Then we saw its layout. … Then we discovered that the downstairs is the same size as the upstairs.
Two things were not right. Two floors separated the bedrooms. The galley kitchen was too small to allow for proper cooking. Brad is a professional chef. Brad says that this is his first house and that he’s 52. This leads to a description of what became a very ambitious redo. Within three years, the 2,663-square-foot house was transformed into a 275-square-foot kitchen with a 60-inch range and more refrigeration than a bodega.
This once-stupid walk-out basement is now home to a chef’s gourmet kitchen. It has prep space and is adorned with windows and doors. The room is warmed by exposed joists and walnut cabinets with blue fronts and walnut cabinets.
He was the chef behind a chain of build-yourself pizza restaurants. He needed enough firepower, tools and elbow room to cook, roast, broil, bake and braise whatever he could. Brad says that he has catered in multibillionaire homes, but their kitchens needed to be fully functional. He made sure every inch of the new family kitchen was available for various purposes.
Left – The dining area features a wet bar with open bottle shelves, so guests feel like they’re out in town. Clear cabinets allow barware to be displayed. Right, A panelled door from circa 1910 with a peek-in pane adds an old-fashioned touch to the walk-in pantry. The open plan’s support system is strengthened by a laminated ceiling beam that matches the exposed joists.
Tim Hirschmann
“I had also worked on a yacht, so I was familiar with the luxury of being independent without having to wish for anything.” Brad and Mandy created a wishlist while working with Troyer, a specialist in renovating old homes. Troyer recalls that they wanted a larger kitchen but wasn’t sure where. They also desired a primary suite closer to their children’s rooms. “So putting all of that together made sense for us to swap,” he said. He suggested moving the kitchen downstairs, the primary suite, and the laundry up.
