First floor · Franklin Park

Breath of fresh air

The kitchen: a white plaster hood over a 48-inch gas range, handmade zellige tile on the walls, light painted cabinets, and a woven stool at the island

This 1990s home in Franklin Park had good bones and builder-grade finishes. The goal was to give it the character and soul it was missing, and the work touched most of the first floor. We spent months on it, and no detail was chosen without intention.

White oak now runs through the whole first floor, laid in herringbone in the living room. The old orange oak stairs and handrails are stained ebony, with white spindles and risers and a fresh runner, and a small bookshelf fills a former nook at the foot of the stairs.

The kitchen was completely rethought. We expanded the island and gave the room a focal point: a plaster hood over a 48-inch gas range. Handmade zellige runs floor to ceiling on two walls, unlacquered brass hardware will age to a soft patina, and a built-in fridge and pantry make the most of the storage. With light painted cabinets, the whole kitchen feels serene.

The bar is the showpiece: quarter-sawn oak with fluted fronts and unlacquered brass, set off by black handmade zellige. Its floating oak shelves have a routed channel, angled back to hide dimmable LEDs, for mood lighting without the glare.

Construction
Frampton Remodeling
The kitchen before, mid-demolition: orange oak cabinets, a white tile floor, and the old island
Before
The kitchen after: an expanded island with a pale stone top, glass pendants, light painted cabinets, and a built-in refrigerator and pantry
After
An unlacquered brass faucet at the sink under the window, with handmade zellige tile and brass cabinet hardware
Zellige and unlacquered brass
A tall brass sconce on a wall of handmade zellige tile, beside a fluted pilaster
Floor-to-ceiling zellige
The full staircase from the front hall: ebony handrails, white spindles and risers, and a fresh runner
Ebony, white, and a fresh runner
A small arched bookshelf built into a former nook at the foot of the stairs
A bookshelf in the old nook
The living room’s white oak floor laid in herringbone, with the staircase beyond
Herringbone white oak
The bar in an arched nook: fluted quarter-sawn oak cabinets, floating oak shelves lit from beneath, and black handmade zellige tile
The bar

More work

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