This Elegant Philadelphia Kitchen Has a Secret Pantry and Storage Galore

Designer Mindy O’Connor’s ingenious updates made this Colonial home a dazzling family headquarters with historic soul and one-of-a-kind contemporary perks.

March 22, 2022

By: Lauren Oster

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Photo By: Sarah Millet Photography

How to Adapt an Historic Home for a Modern Family

Architect and designer Mindy O’Connor (the principal and creative wellspring of Philadelphia’s Melinda Kelson O’Connor Architecture & Interiors) is a home whisperer. She specializes in nudging her clients’ spaces into their loveliest, most functional forms — and that talent transformed this handsome-but-outdated 1910 Colonial in Chestnut Hill. “This home always felt very loved, busy and comfortable because of the family that owns it,” Mindy says. “But it had a completely disconnected kitchen and dining space, as well as inadequate storage and a confusing entry. It lacked cohesion and flow between rooms and had no real front door.”

Mindy’s well-considered edits and thoughtful design gave the home new life. “I am pleased that it still feels busy and comfortable, but now we can add elegant and beautiful to the descriptors,” she says. “And even more, it works as a functional set of connected spaces that are perfect for living and entertaining.” Follow along as she explains just how she made that happen. And see how her ideas can transform your headquarters.

A Renovation That Improves Flow Is a Worthwhile Investment

The home’s formal “front” façade originally faced the side yard rather than the street, so its befuddling “main entrance” from the driveway was a back door to the kitchen. Mindy solved the identity crisis by designing an addition with a new “front door,” which was no easy feat. “We worked hard on creating the right openings in the entry foyer to make sure that we created a circular flow throughout the home and got rid of the back door problem the house previously had,” she explained. She and her team also created a circular flow between the kitchen, dining and den spaces by letting massive cased openings serve as their connection points. That Herculean effort gave the finished home a much more intuitive connection to the outside world — and let it breathe.

Save and Display Blueprints as Mementos of Your Home’s Evolution

Architects’ hand-executed blueprints, drawings and designs tell their subjects’ stories in a way that’s both practical and easy on the eyes — and the renderings Mindy chose to display usher visitors into this home with style. “The client was fortunate to acquire the [grounds’] plans from a previous homeowner, and we were excited to display two of the original plans in the entrance as a fun introduction to the house and how it has changed over time,” she says. “The fact that the original drawings are printed in a deep blue made this decision even more perfect for the client (who loves all things blue) and fit the larger design palette perfectly.” Mindy used a grass cloth wall treatment in a subtle gray to add both warmth and formality to the space.

Unusual Wallpaper Techniques Can Make a Space More Spectacular

Mindy defined the landing at the foot of the stairs with both a warm, graphic area rug and a one-of-a-kind overhead fixture — and she used the latter to introduce a theme she revisits elsewhere in the home. “We customized this ceiling light ourselves by lining the inside of a drum shade fixture with a blue wall covering (by Christopher Farr) that we also used to line the upstairs hall,” she says. This decorative detail adds a lot of life to the large, traditional entry and ties the space together with the upstairs hall. We love how that turned out!”

Mix Fabrics by Choosing a Base Color and Adding Patterns

Ready for a crash course in pattern mixing and textile selection? In the entrance addition, Mindy’s team covered the custom bench with “something that was elegant and rich in color but also practical and resilient,” she says. “In order to pull in the reds from the rugs in the living and hall spaces, we used a fabric in persimmon, which offered a perfect tone that was not jarring or formal but bright and dominant enough to carry itself against the blue tile floor. Once I had the base, we played with the many fabrics in our office to find the perfect combination. The small scale repetitive leaf pattern appealed to the client and offered a quiet neutral for the back pillows, while the two tiny pillows in a bold print add some life to the space and pull in the blue."

Cultivate Luxury With Timeless, High-Quality Materials

Punctuated with a trio of sconces and styled with Bells-of-Ireland stalks and ferns, this sink area feels elementally elegant. “I always prefer to use the architecture, light and materials to create richness in any space, rather than rely on more stuff or ornamentation,” Mindy says. “These materials will exist here for a long time, and the different wood treatments, marble and stone, and deep paint colors with lighter wall treatments we selected all lend themselves to a timeless aesthetic.”

The accessories she did select had a dual purpose. “We chose brass Hector Finch sconces above the kitchen windows to provide additional work light above the countertop when needed, and quiet peripheral lighting when dimmed during more formal dining,” she explains. “We chose lights that were small and playful in scale but that also created a sense of continuity with the many other small brass finishes in the room.”

Uncluttered, Functional Spaces Just Feel Good

Mindy’s approach to this home’s renovation and design demonstrates that less really is more. “That unfussy aesthetic also allows for the views out and flow between spaces to be enjoyed,” she says. “The principal idea was to create something beautiful that was also extremely functional for modern living, contextual to the historic house and warm and cozy for this informal family. Simplicity can be harder to design as it is done with fewer, intentional moves but tends to yield more richness in the end when the spaces are filled with people and daily life.”

To Customize Cabinetry, Think Function, Then Adjust for Location

When you’re integrating a new, custom piece in an historic home, begin the process by considering how you’ll use it. “I typically focus on the needs for the piece and then the context it is living in, trying to make each element feel natural to the space,” Mindy says. In the case of this built-in, “the glass hutch felt appropriate to highlight some of the pretty plates and is in keeping with the historic home’s style, while at the same time very modern, simple and pretty,” she explains. “In keeping with the symmetry of the kitchen, this piece needed to be the same size as the breakfast larder. In order to avoid too many solid doors, we chose to add glass to this piece to create a more open feel and then added interior lighting for added ambient light and warmth.”

Let an Extra-Special Appliance Take Center Stage in the Kitchen

Mindy’s team installed an investment-grade French Lacanche “Sully” range as the kitchen’s undisputed star. “The clients had also lived with a smaller Lacanche range in a previous kitchen and loved both its look and its unique cooking properties,” she explains. “We worked together to select the color, as one of the many wonderful qualities offered by Lacanche is their finish options. It really becomes a major element of the design and palette in a way that many appliances do not."

For that reason, Mindy leaned into the range’s prominence in the space. “The stove is the center of the kitchen and is the only appliance visible in any part of the room,” she says. “All other appliances (dishwashers, refrigerator, ice maker, wine fridge) are hidden by cabinetry panels or tucked away inside the cabinetry (coffee maker, toaster, microwave).”

Don’t Skimp on Details as You Plan Kitchen Storage

It can take a bit of time to wrap your head around how well this kitchen cabinetry suits both the space and the family that uses it. “The bank of large identical drawers on the back side of the island house everything from salad bowls to coffee mugs. Each of the top drawers has a smaller drawer hidden inside to accommodate the full range of smaller cooking utensils,” Mindy says.

The bread board, in turn, is more than a bread board. “We also created custom wood pull out cutting boards adjacent to the breakfast larder at the Carrara counter for slicing bread in the morning and for lemons/limes in the evening without risking etching on the countertop. Likewise, in the back pantry we created a custom pull-out tray in order to set down items that are being carried to the back refrigerator and/or freezer.”

Go Ahead and Mix Metals in Kitchen Fixtures and Hardware

“I believe firmly that you can mix metals in a space as long as you tie it all together with the right eye,” Mindy says. We used a lot of brass in keeping with the historic house hardware and accents but stuck to nickel for the more workhorse sink faucets. Both the range and the light fixtures mix metals which allowed us to make interesting connections with all the finishes.”

Kitchen Cabinets Can Be Beautiful Inside and Out

If you’ve developed or deepened an interest in baking over the last few years, consider specializing a cabinet, as Mindy has here. “The baking cabinet has custom brass rails in the doors with storage for small spices and syrups as well as generous shelves for all other ingredients. The ample drawers and shelves easily accommodate an electric mixer, all baking pans, measuring cups and kitchen utensils.”

Details like these are both cool and quite practical. “This house has many cooks, and when a baker is at work, they have easy access to all their ingredients, tools and equipment,” Mindy explains. “Located right next to the stovetop, one of the ovens, one of the sinks and even a dishwasher, the baker can work completely uninterrupted while someone else is busy cooking on the stove or doing dishes.”

Deploy Multiple Types of Stone in the Kitchen

Instead of carrying a single mineral across the kitchen island, countertops and backsplash, Mindy began with a darker central slab and changed course as she moved outward. For the island, “we knew we wanted to use the Pietra Del Cardosa (a unique blue-gray schist from the Italian Apuan Alps) in the kitchen because of its wonderful color palette and its slightly better resistance, once sealed to stains/etching, than the marble,” she says. “The client had a slab in a previous kitchen and loved how it aged, and I’ve used it many times in my projects for that reason, as well as its versatility in working with many aesthetic directions for the design. We paired it with Carrara marble on the perimeter cabinetry and stovetop backsplash to continue with the bluish/gray color palette and encourage a classic but lighter look."

A Designer's Tips on Creating Subtle Distinctions Between Spaces

“While the dining room, kitchen and keeping room are part of the same larger space, we used four separate elements to subtly create the feeling of definition, giving the spaces in this open plan home a more intimate feel,” Mindy explains. “The use of crown moldings in both the dining area and keeping room gives these smaller spaces the sense that they are independent rooms.” No place to add that detail in your home? “If crown molding or other ceiling definition doesn’t work in your space, area rugs can help to accomplish a similar delineation of spaces,” she says.

Use Wall Treatments and Lighting Design to Define Rooms

“Three very different wall coverings contribute to the sense of independent spaces,” Mindy says. “The dining room is painted in a warm blue/gray [Valspar’s Gravity], the kitchen area is white, and the keeping room is covered in a lightly printed wallpaper. Upon entering the space one might not immediately notice the different colors, but they are present to give each space its own unique identity.”

She employed more explicit cues as well. “While the differing wall coverings provide a subtle differentiation of space, the use of bold light fixtures makes very clear that each space is its own room with its own function. Each of the three spaces is not only centered with its own hanging light fixture but also layered with recessed lighting at the perimeter walls that were intentionally placed as if each room were independent.”

Not Every "Historic" Floor Is Worth Saving

While reviving a home’s original wood floors can be incredibly satisfying, it’s sometimes best to thank them for their service and move on. “We installed all new hardwood floors, in red birch, as the existing ones were in a softer pine and not holding up well, nor able to take another sanding,” Mindy says.

Choose a Variety of Woods To Lend a Dining Room Casual Charm

The unfussy collection of furnishings Mindy selected for the dining area builds texture in the space. “Mixing woods and finishes can really make a space feel more warm and relaxed,” she explains. “While the floors, dining table, and antique jelly cupboard are all different wood species, they share a warm but light tone, and really play off one another. Different ages and species in furniture can add depth and character to the room. The darker leather on the chairs and black and brass accents on the lights and chairs serve to give the space more definition, while the woods create a natural warm feeling.”

Turn a So-So Architectural Feature Into a Spectacular One

While it’s tempting to fixate on what must change in an outdated space, it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled for quirks that could become showstoppers — like this glorious wall in the keeping room. “The width and curved shape of the window-flanked door was original to the house, but it was nondescript and unremarkable — the windowpanes were not original, the hardware was outdated, and the transom shape was filled with solid wood,” Mindy recalls. “We converted these windows into gracious [features] with the sidelights and transom. We strove to make the millwork appear original to the house. This door was a highlight!”

Take Your Time Styling Shelves

Before you conduct a search for all-new tchotchkes to populate a bare set of shelves, revisit what you’ve already got; there’s no simpler way to ensure that a space represents what interests you. In the case of her clients’ keeping room, “I styled [the built-ins] exclusively with their belongings that we curated and brought in from other rooms or cupboards in the house to finish the piece,” Mindy says. “I like to create styling on the bookcase that really works for and represents the family. This family’s love of cooking is evident in the impressive cookbook collection.”

Consider Skipping Cabinet Hardware Altogether

When it came time to finish the keeping room’s fireplace and built-ins, Mindy installed a Carrara marble surround and stopped there. “We chose to go without hardware because the vision for that wall was really simple and subtle, and we wanted to distinguish it completely from the kitchen and its cabinetry as a separate space” she explains. “We felt the hardware would imply more kitchen cabinets.”

Look to Independent Studios and Local Artisans to Make Your Space Unique

The striking black-and-white nest Mindy displayed above the fireplace “is a photograph by Barloga Studios, and we loved the graphic quality and how striking it is against all of the other subtle colors and wallpaper in the room.” She chose a fern-patterned wallpaper by Galbraith & Paul, “a Philadelphia studio workshop specializing in hand-block printed textiles and studio printed wallpaper available to the trade.” She and her team designed the cabinet, then turned to Van Etten Artisans in Wood (the Bucks County cabinetmakers who also outfitted the kitchen) to build it from custom-made band-sawn maple.

When Springing for Custom Cabinetry, Consider Adding a Few Surprises

Speaking of bespoke fixtures, these built-ins boast a panel that slides to reveal a television. “In the keeping room, I just love the sweet little seating area, and the custom bookcase with the slider and hidden pantry are some of the moves we strove to get just right,” Mindy says. What’s that about a hidden pantry, you ask? Oh, this home’s gourmet functionality didn’t end in the kitchen.

This Secret Pantry Is an Inspiring Surprise

That’s a door to the right of the television, and it leads to a bonus room! What was originally a covered porch area behind the keeping room had been renovated into an awkward, underused mudroom before Mindy and her team stepped in. “This family has many cooks and many different dietary needs, so despite the large size of the kitchen, after all design considerations, we realized that still more storage space was needed,” she explains. “I wanted the keeping room to feel complete and comfortable with its own identity where people can relax, socialize or watch TV by the fire, so a full pantry right near the kitchen, but behind a hidden door, was the perfect solution! I created the custom bookcase unit [complete with gas fireplace and hidden television] in the keeping room with the hidden door as our perfect solution to creating a sitting room that stands on its own but offers quick access to extra storage.”

Turn an Underused Mudroom Into One-of-a-Kind Storage

Since this space lacked access to both the driveway and the home’s main door, it made sense to seal off the small exterior door and reimagine it as an elegant second pantry. “It is a lovely surprise, with its original round window and exposed brick,” Mindy says. She also used part of the former mudroom to solve one more problem: the home’s lack of a first-floor powder room.

Pair a Stately Powder Room Sink With a Dynamic Patterned Wall

Carrara marble makes one more appearance as a sculptural wall-mounted sink with brass hardware in the first-floor powder room. “The sunburst tiles epitomize the client’s taste and spirit and fit perfectly inside what was once an exterior doorway,” Mindy says. “The hand-painted sunburst pattern is happy and playful for a house with three daughters but still sophisticated enough to work with the elegant sink.” And that’s how an historic family home segues into its next chapter.