ABOVE: FIR WOOD BEAMS AND RECESSED CEILING LIGHTING ADD TO THE WARMTH OF THE KITCHEN FROM THE PENDANT LIGHTING OVER THE AMPLE CENTER ISLAND – THE FAMILY’S FAVORITE PLACE TO GATHER. RIGHT: THE AIRY KITCHEN IS DOMINATED BY A LARGE CENTER ISLAND OF ALDER WOOD. THE FUNCTIONAL ROOM INCLUDES ARCHED WINDOWS, AND PENDANT AND RECESSED LIGHTING TO CREATE A LIGHT-FILLED SPACE, PERFECT FOR COOKING AND ENTERTAINING.

Renovation Enhances Historic Kitchen PHOTOS BY FOCUS B STUDIO

Architect John Duvall has the expertise to show that a 1928 kitchen can be transformed to function in the 21st century. “The kitchen in this Forest Hills home in midtown Tulsa was designed by the late Charles Dilbeck,” Duvall says. “It is one of the grander renditions of the French country style that was typical of Dilbeck’s work in the 1920s and 1930s. “As with any historic home renovation, our challenge is to achieve our cli

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2017

ent’s functional goals while maintaining the integrity of the original home design. The kitchen is at the back of the home and is the family’s primary circulation path to the rest of the house.” The homeowner, an avid cook, wanted a more functional kitchen design that would open to the adjacent dining room and include a comfortable sitting area. Duvall’s challenge was to integrate modern appliances and conveniences while using design details respectful of

Dilbeck’s original design. “The goal of the design was to create a light, open feeling, while maintaining some of the richness and detail of the original home,” Duvall says. He accomplished the goal with a series of major face-lifts. First, he blended light cabinets with an off-white, glazed, handmade tile on the kitchen’s focal wall. Next, he created a stained alder wood island and stained alder wood open shelving. Along with adding

stained fir beams to match existing beams in the dining room, Duvall also introduced an antiqued brick tile floor extending from the side entry door to the door leading to the back porch. “We continue to see clients wanting open kitchens, full and light, designed around their particular functional needs,” Duvall says. “In this kitchen, we hope the first impression is of a seamlessly integrated design that feels as if it is still a part of the original historic home.”