Rats nesting beneath the kitchen floor forced the owners of a 1912 foursquare duplex into a renovation they had hoped to postpone. Removing the infestation meant tearing out the floor, exposing the original framing, and rebuilding the kitchen from the ground up.
Reddit user u/munchnerk and her husband bought the house in 2021. They knew its 1970s particleboard cabinets needed replacing, but one appliance was worth saving: a white gas stove dating to the late 1940s or early 1950s.
The finished kitchen has dark cherry cabinets, handmade ceramic tile, checkerboard flooring, and a breakfast nook with doors for their cats. Construction took 11 weeks, with the original contractor bid reaching $110,000 before appliances.
Original Kitchen Had Four Deteriorating Cabinets and Yellow Vinyl Flooring
Pale wood-look cabinets with curved door details occupied one wall, beside a white vintage stove. Yellow laminate countertops, a black microwave, and patterned vinyl flooring reflected updates made decades after the house was built.
Across the room, a stainless refrigerator stood beside the exterior door. Gray walls, cream-painted wood paneling, and thin blue curtains surrounded the window.
Storage was limited enough that the homeowners used freestanding wooden shelves for dishes, cookware, and small appliances. The shelves faced the cooking area across a narrow walkway.
Rats Forced Demolition Down to the Floor Joists
Removing the flooring exposed a dirt crawl space beneath the kitchen. The contractor stripped away the old plaster and wood lath, leaving the wall framing and joists exposed.
To prevent another rodent infestation, the crew poured a concrete slab over the dirt crawl space and applied mortar to the interior of the fieldstone foundation. New subflooring went above the repaired area, followed by replacement plumbing and electrical wiring.
The project also required moving the laundry equipment from the former pantry into a new closet upstairs. With the structural work complete, drywall enclosed the exposed framing.
The 75-Year-Old Stove Was Restored Instead of Replaced
The couple had debated replacing their vintage gas range for five years. Instead, they sent it for professional restoration, including repairs to the oven’s thermostat and thermocouple assembly.
The stove returned in July with its white enamel finish and chrome handles intact. The homeowners installed an externally vented hood above it to address concerns about cooking emissions.
Handmade Fireclay Tile covers the backsplash in mustard yellow, olive green, brown, and blue-gray. Three illustrated Motawi art tiles sit above the burners, surrounded by a cherry wood hood enclosure.
The field tile cost close to $5,000, while the decorative Motawi tiles and trim added about $500.
Cherry Cabinets and Taj Mahal Stone Replaced the Particleboard Storage
Shiloh inset cabinets in stained cherry cover the walls, with brass handles, framed doors, and crown molding. The cabinet package cost just under $23,000.
Brushed Taj Mahal stone countertops added $7,000, including installation. The couple used leftover pieces for small shelves, a windowsill, and the powder-room threshold.
Tall pantry cabinets occupy the wall near the powder room, with deep drawers and long brass pulls. Hardware came from Hardwick & Sons and Tradition Hardware rather than one supplier.
Glass-front cabinets beside the sink display dishes and glassware. The homeowners chose a fireclay sink costing about $200 and a brass faucet costing around $400.
One window needed to be raised to clear the countertop. Instead of purchasing new windows, the homeowner found matching salvaged wood sashes for $15 each, and the carpenter adjusted the existing opening.
Custom Breakfast Nook Hides Storage and Cat Doors
The carpenter built a breakfast banquette with lift-up seats for storage and small openings at the ends so the household’s cats could enter the compartments beneath.
The cat doors were his suggestion rather than part of the homeowners’ original design. The couple also purchased replacement front and back doors through Facebook Marketplace for $25 each.
Renovation Finished in 11 Weeks, Close to the Original $110,000 Bid
The contractor estimated eight to ten weeks and finished in eleven, with charges about 3% above the original $110,000 bid before appliances. Some upgrades, including the expensive backsplash, were paid for outside the contractor’s budget.
After replacing the floor, walls, plumbing, wiring, and cabinets, the owners returned the restored stove to the kitchen where it had stood for decades.
Would you spend money restoring a 75-year-old stove during a full kitchen renovation, or replace it with a modern range?
Image credits go to u/munchnerk