Stickybeak of the Week: A Retro-Country Kitchen Mash-Up
A turn-of-the-century home gets a splash of colour and creativity
John Varady and Eve Hoyt weren’t interested in taking the standard white-tile-and-stainless-steel-appliance route when renovating their turn-of-the-century country kitchen. They wanted colour, creativity and retro-inspired designs to make a family space that felt unique and reflected their personalities. Interior designer Hannah Dee provided the game plan for a kitchen that put a premium on character.
Dee describes Varady and Hoyt as a very talented and creative couple. She calls Varady a bit of a mad scientist who’s always up to something, from growing hops in his garden that he uses for brewing beer to woodworking in his shop. Varady built the open shelving unit on the back wall of the kitchen using live-edge wood and metal pipes. The shelves display an assortment of brightly coloured Fiestaware that Hoyt inherited from her grandmother. When Hoyt is not homeschooling her two daughters, she is creating neon art for her company, Evening Neon.
Whitehaven sink in Greenwich Green: Jonathan Adler
Whitehaven sink in Greenwich Green: Jonathan Adler
Black appliances were selected to complement the tile floor and to keep with the retro-inspired design. “Stainless steel appliances would have looked too sleek and out of place,” Dee says.
Dee designed custom display nooks in between the cabinets above the range so Hoyt could exhibit her collection of colourful and quirky figurines that she likes to call “its and bits”.
Dee designed custom display nooks in between the cabinets above the range so Hoyt could exhibit her collection of colourful and quirky figurines that she likes to call “its and bits”.
Dee says that no colour was out of bounds, but keeping the kitchen from looking like a clown tent was a juggling act. The artistic glass tile shown above provides a rainbow of colour behind the oven, therefore a solid green subway tile was used on the other wall to strike a balance.
Jewelstone tile: Hirsch Glass
TELL US
What do you think of the use of colour in this retro-country kitchen? Let us know in the Comments section.
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Jewelstone tile: Hirsch Glass
TELL US
What do you think of the use of colour in this retro-country kitchen? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
6 Kitchen Colour Schemes That Will Stand the Test of Time
20 Gorgeous Kitchen Colour Pairings
Stickybeak of the Week: Birch Ply Helps Cotswolds Kitchen Blend In
Who lives here: John Varady, Eve Hoyt and their two girls
Location: Glenside, a suburb of Philadelphia, US
Size: About 18.6 square metres
Designer: Hannah Dee Interiors
It all began with the green and black checkerboard floor. John and Eve wanted a kitchen that wouldn’t come across as brand spanking new or, more important, boring.
Dee describes the kitchen’s vibe as a “retro-country mash-up”. Colour and personality were at the forefront of all the design decisions, but some practicality still came into play. For example, Eve thought that the inclusion of extra cabinets on the outside of the island might be unnecessary, but she was reassured by Dee. “I told her to trust me, you can never have too much storage.” It has been reported that the cabinets are now filled to the brim.
Perch stools: Anthropologie; Globe pendant lights: West Elm; Pure White benchtop: Caesarstone; Key Lime subway tile: Daltile