HISTORIC REPURPOSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA WHEELER Traditional doesn’t have to feel old or outdated – and when it’s done right, a traditional style will stay fresh today, tomorrow, or even ten years from now. That was the concept Joni Zimmerman of Design Solutions kept in mind when she started work on a kitchen that was the last major project in the restoration of a historic home. “We needed this entire kitchen to feel as if it existed in this historic home the way it would have years ago,” Zimmerman says. “It needed to feel authentic to the house.” To accomplish this design goal, Zimmerman incorporated materials from the original house in innovative ways as well as “little personal elements” that make the design true to the home’s past. The kitchen’s range was built into the area that was the home’s original fireplace, and the wood countertops were made from a walnut tree that was cut down on the property. Even the light hanging over the kitchen table was something the owner saved so it could be repurposed.
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