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Steve and Lynne Sikora chat in their new kitchen in Fox Chapel that was chosen as a runner-up in the small category of the Renovation Inspiration Contest.
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Fox Chapel kitchen is palette-pleasing end to Craftsman renovation

Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

Fox Chapel kitchen is palette-pleasing end to Craftsman renovation

French cooks call the main dish the piece de resistance. Well, this kitchen was the culmination of a whole house renovation. And it didn’t go down easy.

“Demolition took longer because of structural issues in the floor and ceiling,” said Steve Sikora.

Half of the framing beneath the floor had to be replaced on the 1915 Craftsman-style bungalow that Mr. Sikora shares with his wife, Lynne, in Fox Chapel.

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The ceiling rafters were mere 2-by-4s spliced together in the center, posing a challenge to architect Fred Fargotstein and contractor Sage Builders. But they overcame these obstacles, cooking up a kitchen that is warm, functional and perfectly complements the rest of this 100-year-old house. It was chosen as a runner-up in the small project category of the Renovation Inspiration Contest, which is judged by staffers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Construction Junction, a nonprofit retailer of architectural salvage and surplus building materials in Point Breeze.

Almost since the Sikoras bought the red-brick house in August 2003, they have been working with Mr. Fargotstein to restore it. They started with the exterior in August 2007 and finished 14 months later. Next was the front porch, living room, dining room and bathroom, an 11-month project completed in April 2014. Mr. Fargotstein, who started sketching the new kitchen in 2008, couldn’t wait to dig in.

“Fred kept saying, ‘When are we going to do the kitchen?’” Ms. Sikora recalled.

The project, which also included the master bedroom, started in July 2018. Demolition of the dark 1970s kitchen was the biggest snag. Then came the fun part: installing the materials they had chosen.

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“I always wanted soapstone, something functional, not too fancy,” Ms. Sikora said.

The same counters that work so well in high school chemistry labs are perfect for a Craftsman kitchen. They’re impervious to heat and develop a patina from use. Although soapstone does not require sealing, some homeowners oil it to darken it. The Sikoras chose not to, preferring the gray matte finish it had when Dente Classic Stone delivered it. The new kitchen has more cabinetry and room to work.

“Fred gave us a lot more counter space,” Ms. Sikora said.

Mr. Fargotstein, an architect who specializes in Craftsman style, encouraged the use of light maple for the Canyon Creek cabinets sourced from Bittner Distributors in the Strip District. The water glass doors on the cabinets were inspired by a custom-made buffet in the adjacent dining room. Maple was also used for new simple crown molding and a floor made with rustic 5-inch-wide planks installed by Larry Lint Flooring in Irwin.

Even the tile backsplash has a Craftsman aesthetic. The Sikoras chose a hand-made subway tile from Red Clay Tile Works in Bellevue with a white glaze that lets the red clay peek through.

Project manager Andrew Shaw, with help from Sage Builders’ partner-in-charge Kevin Hannah, replaced vinyl sliders with more period-appropriate 3-over-1 wood double-hung Marvin windows. The three new windows in the back wall are twice as big as the old one, offering a much better view of the backyard garden. Masons Tom and Dave Case seamlessly patched the brick around the window.

By the back door, Mr. Fargotstein reconfigured an ugly hallway and closet into a mudroom with a pantry, a bench, slate flooring and a glass door that brightens the kitchen even more. Instead of traditional cabinet knobs, Mr. Fargotstein suggested bin pulls that complement the new stainless-steel KitchenAid gas range, French-door refrigerator and a second wall oven.

The Sikoras were delighted with the result and with the contractors.

“It was something I always wanted,” she said. “All the people we met along the way, they executed the vision. I didn’t expect to enjoy that part of it so much.”

Kevin Kirkland: kkirkland@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1978.

First Published: June 28, 2019, 12:00 p.m.

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Steve and Lynne Sikora chat in their new kitchen in Fox Chapel that was chosen as a runner-up in the small category of the Renovation Inspiration Contest.  (Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
Soapstone counters were a functional, low-maintenance choice for the new kitchen.  (Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
Water glass in some cabinet doors and simple crown molding are in keeping with the house's Craftsman style.  (Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
A buffet with seeded glass in the adjacent dining room inspired its use in the kitchen.  (Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
A little red shows through white glaze on the subway tile backsplash by Red Clay Tile Works.  (Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
A new mudroom has a bench and slate floor.  (Lake Fong/Post-Gazette)
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
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