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Fashioning the flavor of the past while incorporating efficiencies of today
When settlers came to the old West, oftentimes they brought what they owned, including furniture from Europe that they acquired as heirlooms before they immigrated, according to Sandra Pearson-Martindale, ALLIED ASID, Pearson Interiors, Ltd., Phoenix, AZ. "So much of what is in this renovation is a mix of styles, materials, antiques and new pieces to reflect that facet of a western kitchen."
The owners of the 18' x 19' kitchen were specific about the old western ranch look they wanted for the remodeled space. "Something Miss Kitty (the lady saloon-owner character with an unexpected touch of class and a heart of gold in the 1950s/60s western-themed television show 'Gunsmoke') would have had in her home," Pearson-Martindale explains.
In addition, the owners requested Pearson-Martindale work with the colors deep red, mustard yellow and navy blue, and mix antique pieces with modern-day conveniences. The remainder of the Saguaro Heights, AZ home, built in the 1980s, is decorated in the same old western style as the kitchen. The renovation plan had the kitchen area opening into a wet bar with both spaces visible from the living areas. Pearson-Martindale had to conceal the modern conveniences within a nostalgic look to achieve an overall balance among the adjoining spaces.
Focal points in the kitchen are the cooking areas. "Most kitchens are the heart of the home. This one is probably more so," Pearson-Martindale says, "since the owners bake all their own bread and cookies, as well as prepare all the meals for the family and workers on this `in town' ranch. This room is constantly a beehive of activity. This also led to the challenge of performing the remodel while the needs of a busy kitchen never stopped."
Set in one corner of the room is...