The house was like a dream: A 1932 Tudor in Cincinnati’s Westwood neighborhood, under the care of the same owners for nearly half a century, and immaculately preserved, with the original woodwork, bathroom fixtures, and Batchelder fireplace still intact. Ken Lay and Mary Bryan, avid Arts & Crafts collectors, knew instantly that it was “the one.”
There was just one problem: the kitchen. Remodeled in the late 1950s when the previous owners took up residence, it was a clunky mélange of poorly placed cabinets, sparkly pink worn Formica countertops, and dingy brown linoleum. “It was a 1950s kitchen, but it wasn’t a cool 1950s kitchen—it was the kind people roll their eyes at,” says Mary. “‘Depressing’ would be the best word to describe it.”
The couple knew they wanted a retro-style kitchen that would both fit the time period of the house and appeal to their finely honed aesthetic sensibilities (Ken is a graphic designer by trade; Mary has a degree in interior design), but they were also aware of falling property values in the area, and didn’t want to sink too much money into a kitchen overhaul. The solution? Buy as much as possible off the shelf, and perform all of the work themselves. The strategy paid off, netting them a refreshed retro kitchen for a price tag of under $3,000.