|
REFLECTIONS OF HOME - BY LISA JENSEN
Vintage Design in a Modern Home
My family’s daily routine leaves little time for rest
and relaxation. So I didn’t really expect that echoes
of a slower era in a newly built, almost 2,800-square foot
“vintage” farmhouse would be enough to pull my
four-wheeling mind back into neutral, even for a few minutes’
tour. I was wrong.
Photo by M-Buck Studios
The builders spared no detail in recreating Grandma’s
house – although they added some modern conveniences
that years back would have had Grandma doing the Macarena,
particularly in her kitchen. Highlights included Fisher &
Paykel dishdrawers concealed behind custom, retro teal-hued
cabinetry, roll-out spice racks on either side of the high-end
stove, and a pot filler faucet above the burners. What stole
the show, though, was a custom booth designed to fill the
space typically used in new homes as a nondescript, casual
eating area.
Built-in hutches on either side of the booth bench seats
featured antique glass and pull-out pantries, offering ample
storage and display space while serving as a backdrop with
aged appeal. The booths themselves slid out for cleaning purposes
or to be replaced with chairs, if the mood struck homeowners.
Seat covers flipped up to reveal more storage space below,
providing a practical hide-out for holiday linens, seasonal
décor or board games. Above the table, a vinyl quotation
ordered from www.wallwords.com added creative comfort to the
nook.
Designed by a husband and wife team, this unique space had
me in reveries for hours afterward. Wouldn’t that be
a fun spot to do homework? To roll cookies? To play cards?
To share coffee and a newspaper? To work on a scrapbook? Their
inventiveness wasn’t so ingenious as it was family-inspired:
If we build it, they will sit. And maybe, they’ll like
it so much, they might even decide to do it more often.
For more information about this custom booth
designed by Jarrod and Janel Joppie of Integrity Building
Group, call 616-249-3202.
Banner photo by The Taunton Press |
