Allison Deep and Ben Perry quickly fell in love with their 1922 Mac-Groveland colonial when they bought it in 2017—but it was in serious need of a kitchen upgrade. The couple’s only problem? They had no idea where to start.
“Everybody says this, but we spend most of our time in the kitchen,” Allison says of her family, which now includes 3- and 7-year-old boys. “We knew from the start that we wanted to redo the kitchen, but we were stuck on what we wanted to do.”
After seeing Jkath Design Build and Reinvent’s truck driving around their neighborhood, Ben and Allison tracked down designers Katie Kath and Katie Wick for a first-floor remodel that would make the space functional yet timelessly beautiful.
“These kinds of projects are our love language,” Kath says. “The character, the charm—this is where we thrive.”
The Jkath team removed a wall between the formal dining room and kitchen, opening up a previously compartmentalized space, and added red oak floors to match the rest of the home and a walnut island with turned legs that echo the stairwell’s original banister. Light-blue cabinets pair with light fixtures from Architectural Antiques to nod to the home’s history, without feeling dated. “So many different, unique elements came together in this space,” Kath says. “Eclectic was the name of the game.”
“One hundred years ago, there were layers of design elements everywhere. We tried to incorporate those layers here, too.”
— Katie Kath, designer
1 of 7
Photographs by Spacecrafting
kitchen-center-island
Island Dreaming: Designers Katie Wick and Katie Kath’s first design included a peninsula—but they realized an island would open up the space in a way a peninsula couldn’t. “They said, ‘A peninsula might look a little too suburban for your home, but an island takes it back to that colonial style.’ And I had never heard that about an island, but they were right,” homeowner Allison Deep says. Cupboards Woodlawn Blue, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com
2 of 7
Breakfast nook
Breakfast is served: The kitchen’s original banquette was in need of a serious refresh—so Jkath’s in-house cabinetmakers rebuilt the six-person table and benches into a four-person to make it more usable as the family’s breakfast nook. Glass mosaic hexagon tile underneath (The Press by Jeffrey Court) adds a touch of pattern and breaks up the area’s wood tones.
3 of 7
Design In The Details: Diamond air vents nod to colonial-era larder cabinet vents—while also adding a custom-made feel. “I decided a long time ago I really wanted a blue kitchen,” Allison says of the cabinets and paneled appliances (left), which Kath calls a soft neutral. “I’m from Kentucky, so it felt like a bit of a southern-living thing.”
4 of 7
appliance-garage
Hideaway Storage: To keep clutter off the counter, an appliance garage holds the coffee maker and espresso machine. The cabinet next to the microwave drawer hides a laundry chute that was original to the home—and gets used often, says Allison. And a drawer below the floating shelves acts as a hidden charging station, with outlets and phone cords inside. Squirrel and Sunflower wallpaperin Clay Bisque, by Mark Hearld, thepatterncollective.com
5 of 7
lots of drawer space
Practical Magic: Wick and Kath ensured the kitchen would have more drawer space than deep cabinets, which provides easier access and organization opportunities for cooking gear. Polished HanStone Quartz countertops, which also extend as a backsplash behind the sink (inset at left), are easy to clean when the family’s young boys help with cooking experiments.
6 of 7
mudroom
Clean Sweep: Down the hall, gray V-groove paneling brightens up the mudroom near the home’s back entry, while built-in pegs provide an easy place for the family and guests to hang up coats and bags. Floor-to-ceiling cabinets act as the family’s pantry.
7 of 7
entryway bench
At Your Service: In the foyer, Jkath cabinetmakers built a new radiator cover that doubles as an entryway bench. “We actually use this space now,” Allison says. “The kids love to play with the little door by the bench. They play restaurant there.” H and H Sewing in Highland Park made custom cushions for the top of the radiator bench and the banquette.
Design: Katie Wick (primary designer) and Katie Kath, Jkath Design Build and Reinvent, 1408 Northland Dr., Ste. 303, Mendota Heights, jkath.com
