We don’t know whether Martha Stewart would be thrilled with our kitchen at the Wattles Mansion, but we certainly are! We have improved an interior area that was important both to the usability and rental of the mansion for events and filming and to the historic understanding of the home.
In the past, Hollywood Heritage has had many inquiries for filming in the kitchen, which had retained its early twentieth century look. The butler’s pantry, the big main kitchen, and the two small pantry rooms had thankfully never been remodeled. However, the sagging plaster and floor, electrical conduit on the ceiling, 1960s peeling linoleum and monochromatic beige color on the walls and woodwork made the kitchen drab and not photogenic. The renovation is a real asset since the vast majority of homes from this era have extensively remodeled and updated kitchens.
Our work was based on keeping the authentic original layout and repairing tiles, sink, faucets, etc. rather than updating and replacing. We then had to choose between a full restoration to the aesthetics of the early part of the century—tan walls and dark stained cabinets and wood trim—or a scheme based in the 1920s—cream color painted cabinets and wood trim with mocha colored walls and 1920s linoleum tiles. We chose to start the process of a full restoration with a look reminiscent fo the 1920s in order to blend appropriately with the restoration of the rest of the house.
The decision was based on three criteria. The first was the fact that although the house was built between 1905 and 1907, the house retains the look from the twenties when the Wattles family made substantial alterations. Second was the time factor. An extensive historical restoration could have taken six months or more. This would have made the house unavailable for use. And the third was cost. A complete original restoration would be substantially beyond our current budget.
Our chosen approach enables us in the fu8ture to strip the painted cabinets and trim back to dark stained wood so that the kitchen will have the aesthetic effect of the original kitchen. In the meantime, we have a very attractive kitchen for our use, for filming (we have already had a film shoot using our "new" kitchen), and for events.
Thanks go to our Wattles Committee member Barry Milofsky; to our managing director Steve Sylvester; to past President Erik Stogo; and to Fran Offenhauser for donating all of the plaster work.
Come by and look at our new kitchen!