Remodeling contractor Jim Hall-Yurasits of Clean Cut Construction of Coopersburg might as well add “magician” to his résumé after completing a seemingly magical transformation to the kitchen of this 1800s stone farmhouse. The Breinigsville homeowners had an interesting request: they wanted to make the kitchen larger without physically adding on to the house while incorporating the rustic theme that is present throughout the rest of the home. Additional requests made by the homeowners, which included saving the original wood floor under the tiles, coupled with working in an older home with an aged foundation made this remodel quite the challenge. After some innovative brainstorming, Hall-Yurasits was able to design a plan to successfully create an ample amount of valued space in the previously cramped kitchen area.
The wall of cabinetry was a key element in solving the space issue by providing storage for a microwave, toaster oven and for the pantry. In order to include this space-saver, the stairway wall had to be torn out and reframed to make room for the refrigerator that was moved to make space for additional countertops. Building the cabinets not only incorporates much needed storage, but also contributes to the illusion that the kitchen is more spacious when in reality, no square footage was physically added.
With the old farmhouse as both an inspiration and a burden, the next challenge was working around the space where there was once a walk-in fireplace. In order to solve the problem encountered when Hall-Yurasits discovered that the original wood floor was missing in the area where the fireplace once was, he put a piece of slate under the new stove. Installing the new slate where the original slate hearth used to be located perfectly complemented the rustic farmhouse atmosphere that the homeowners desired. Hall-Yurasits then mounted the hood cover over the stove, paying homage to the mantel details featured on the original fireplaces in the house. Each detail included in Hall-Yurasits's design plan had the goal of crafting the kitchen to fit in with the rest of the farmhouse.
After creating the new, open kitchen, final details, like the beautiful mosaic above the stove, were installed. An addition from local business and National Historic Landmark the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, the handmade wall mosaic illustrating a woman “bee-hiving” excellently contributes to the overall pastoral feel of the home. The homeowners added a new Wolf range, Bosch dishwasher and GE Profile refrigerator to complete the seemingly magical transformation, ultimately fashioning the kitchen of their dreams.
Rather than a standard, sterile new kitchen that looked, well, new, the homeowners desired something more “homey” and that is exactly what Hall-Yurasits delivered.
Clean-Cut Construction, Inc. | 610.282.4331 | cleancutconstruction.com
