Tom and Sandy Cullen both love to cook. So when they bought a gracious 1908 Tudor on St. Paul's Summit Avenue, a kitchen renovation was at the top of their to-do list.
"It was the original tiny servants' kitchen at the back of the house," said Tom. "There's still a button under the dining room table to summon them."
The Cullens' 2008 kitchen remodeling project grew into a back-of-the home addition to also house a family room. Now the turn-of-the-century house has the open kitchen-family room combo everyone wants today.
The couple consider cooking a social activity, so they equipped their new kitchen with two sets of ovens, abundant counter space and an oversized granite-topped island where the cooks and guests can interact.
For architectural continuity, Sandy designed an oak archway between the kitchen and family room that replicates an archway over the living-room fireplace. The upper glass cabinets match a buffet in the dining room.
"It's the best of both worlds," said Tom. "There's an open floor plan for entertaining, while still maintaining the period appeal. And there's private spaces, too."
The living room's curved brick fireplace with quaint inglenook seating "grabbed us when we first walked into the house," he said. "It's cozy and comfortable and exudes warmth. I love to read in that room."
Inside the coffered-ceilinged dining room, the Tiffany chandelier and oak buffet with leaded-glass doors draw you back to the early 1900s. "An architectural expert said the built-in buffet would auction for thousands of dollars," said Tom.
