Great new concept....bringing local foods to you kitchen

Recently we found about about Kelly Geary and her venture, Sweet Deliverance. As founder and head chef, she prepares seasonal meals using the best "local ingredients and her boundless culinary imagination".
We think this is a great new concept as she prepares meals for busy families, by using local ingredients, grown by local farmers.
Watch this video about Sweet Deliverance.

The Farm-to-Table Chef for Busy New Yorkers: Sweet Deliverance from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Kitchen sink

Many of our clients opt for a soapstone sink but when that is not an option....there is another favorite. The Shaws Original by Rohl is an impressive, fireclay sink - "crafted over one hundred years using time-honored, traditional methods and materials". The apron-front, farmhouse sink is offered in several sizes and configurations, including a spacious 36-inch model. Another bonus to this sink - its recyclable and environmentally friendly. Pictured above is a Shaws Original 30-inch sink housed in one of our kitchen islands and paired with a particularly figured slab of soaptone from Bucks County Soapstone.

Click here to visit our website at Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry & Design

Vintage lumber

As the green revolution continues, a popular choice for flooring is floor boards resawn from antique beams. We work closely with a company that disassembles old homes, barns and factories. The structural timbers that are pulled from these vintage buildings is often old growth lumber. The lumber is then "sliced" into floor boards.

Click here to check out the Waltz family's operation.

While they specialize in resawn flooring, they are also a great source for antique flooring, beams for timberframing or fireplace mantels and custom sawing.

For a full list of our other partners, see our links page on our website.

New Jamie Oliver show

I design and build kitchens but I also like to cook....and above all, I like to eat. I'm a big fan of Jamie Oliver and just read about his new show that will air on ABC during prime time this winter. While the focus seems to be educating folks so that they can cook healthier meals for their families, there is no doubt that these meals will be quite tasty if Jamie is doing the cooking. The "teach a man to fish" focus is also very encouraging.

Read about it here:

Who wants one?

I REALLY want to make an "antique" kitchen island like these.....

Reinventing the wet bar or kitchen island....

I KNOW! I KNOW!..........These are terrible photos but I can't resist posting them because we are so pleased with this new concept. A huge faux pas for a good blog but I don't know when I will get quality images of this piece.

After a recent trip to Bucks County Soapstone, we were invited to create a wet bar for the Philadelphia Suburban Home Show. They left the cabinet design to us and we left the sink and countertop design to them. The result was this grand, 8ft long piece to serve as a wet bar or kitchen island.

There are runnels in the upper bar that drain into the sink for those mishaps that may occur during late night festivities. The bar area in the back, sports a comfortable foot rail. One admirer commented that it looked like it was "pulled out of an old tavern".

We are offering these free-standing bars as shown or customized.....SHIPPING NATIONWIDE.

Our latest work...

We are very pleased to have finished another beautiful kitchen. This historic home is located in Trexlertown, PA. We haven't sent in our favorite photographers yet so I can only share these snapshots for now.

Bucks County Soapstone provided the countertops, backsplash and the roomy 36" block sink. The brick tile on the floor (with radiant heat underneath) was made by Inglenook tile.

If you have plans to remodel a kitchen in your historic home, contact us today for a free kitchen design consultation.

Seaching for unique kitchen cabinets

Today, the term "custom cabinetry" is used to refer to many types of cabinetry that most of us really wouldn't consider custom. Most stock cabinets are available in 3" width increments but is really custom? Why does a kitchen layout include "fillers" - you know those wasted spaces between cabinets that are merely designed to cover gaps? A better solution is to produce a truly custom cabinet. We do not have standard sizes and we do not need fillers.

While we operate a small, niche cabinet shop - we still keep up with the trade magazines and kitchen trends. I am always struck by the lack of options in affordable kitchen cabinetry - so many of these kitchens are beautiful and well designed but the cabinetry all looks the same.

Our clients are searching for something unique. They want kitchen furniture, something less typical.....something unexpected.

One of our clients suggested we build a 12 ft island that incorporates a 5 ft antique sink from France with a honed granite island. Another client challenged us to build a piece that integrated a massive antique butcher block. This is custom cabinetry.

If you are envisioning a kitchen by Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry & Design -

Contact us today for a FREE kitchen design consultation.

How to trade your garden surplus

In the northeast, our gardens are bursting with fresh produce. If my fellow gardeners are enjoying a massive surplus of certain vegetables - we found a solution!: VEGGIETRADER.COM

Who actually needs 80 cucumbers and no matter how tasty they are....who can eat 10 Cherokee purple, heirloom tomatoes every day?

This website connects you to other gardeners in your area with extra produce so you can arrange a swap. It is free and incredibly easy to use. The site is still in its infancy so spread the word so more people will participate.

Great new countertop idea!

One of my clients challenged me recently to develop a way to integrate a piece of butcher block into an island we were building. She wanted it located on the corner but wanted soapstone countertops on the island. The kitchen isn't "camera-ready" yet but here is a snapshot of the nearly finished island. We love it - anxious to try it again. The block is convenient to the range - easy prep area.

Visit us at timelesskitchendesign.com to see more of our work.

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Barefoot Contessa gives common sense advice on kitchen design....and we agree

House Beautiful has posted this short video of the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten sharing a few of her thoughts on kitchen design. Click here to view it.

Catch the House Beautiful Kitchen of the year, designed in part by Ina Garten. Click here to view the photos.

The kitchen is beautiful...even though it isn't quite our style. We really agree with Ina's comments. As you can see from our portfolio we keep it simple and "unfussy" too. There are very few over-designed, "mantels' above cooking ranges in the kitchens we build.

Take a refreshing look at kitchen cabinetry at TimelessKitchenDesign.com

The skinny on new kitchen floors.

Many of our clients have a difficult decision to make when they choose to replace their floors. I've heard many people warn against using wood on the kitchen floor....nonsense. Well, I guess it depends on the species, the finish and the type of use the floor will get. If you have a 20 kids who all wear tap shoes or metal cleats then....not a good idea.

One of the most beautiful wood floors, and the type many of our clients choose....a floor milled from reclaimed lumber. Todd Waltz mills beautiful floor boards out of 100 -200-year-old beams of oak, chestnut or heart pine. Visit their website for more information - click here.

Timeless Kitchen Design and the Waltzes have partnered on many past projects. Visit our website to find out more about our work.

Kitchen Tour on Nantucket includes one of our kitchens

The Nantucket Preservation Trust will host its Fifth Annual Summer Kitchens Tour will be held on Thursday, July 16 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and will highlight kitchens in the historic Fair Street neighborhood. The home of one of our favorite clients has been featured and so hundreds of folks will be seeing our work in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Visit the NPT site for more information on historic Nantucket. Click here for tour information.

Apartment Therapy discusses our milk paint finishes

Last week, yet another blog has discovered our work and discussed the use of milk paint on kitchen cabinetry. "Apartment Therapy" posted an article that sparked a small debate on the comments posted after the article. Click here to read the post.

I weighed in on the issue.... couldn't resist....

Renovation Junky blog

This week we were contacted by the folks at the Renovation Junky blog. They had admired our work and requested some "before and after" pictures. We had a few "before" shots of our Gladwyne, PA project and of course you have seen the "after" shots in previous posts.

Click here to read their story on the project as well as some good advice for your kitchen remodel.

New Website from Bucks County Soapstone

Our friends at Bucks County Soapstone are launching their new website at lovemysink.com

We think its a beautiful site but we may be a bit biased after seeing a few shots of some of our kitchens. Contact Scott at Bucks County Soapstone for soapstone countertops and custom soapstone sinks. Don't miss their block sinks - solid block sinks carved out of a solid piece of soapstone.

New Sample Cabinet

We recently built this new, free-standing cabinet to serve as a sample in our showroom, even though I am dying to put this in my own house. I love the look of it. The details are inspired by some french country pieces that I've admired recently. The custom color is a gray/green and the chamfer detail is in a rich salmon color. A spare piece of soapstone completes the piece.

This kitchen furniture could be used as an individual piece or an entire kitchen.

Click here to see more of our work or contact us for an estimate or complimentary consultation.

Uphome Event Under the Tent - recap

Thanks to all of those who came out last weekend to the Event Under the Tent at Uphome. We enjoyed seeing so many of our friends and customers. If you missed it, contact Uphomeltd.com to get on the mailing list for future events.

These photos show work by Around the Bend Willow Furniture, D.R. Coble and Co, painted decorated furniture and by Bryce Ritter, painted furniture. To contact these artists see our past post.

We met several folks that are embarking on new kitchen renovation projects. Check our website and this blog for updates on those projects and give us a call if you want to start one of your own!

Bloggers notice our work:

Recently I was contacted by the Best of Remodeling website after they found our website and admired our cabinetry. Best of Remodling is dedicated to the homeowner and the home afficionado who enjoys "spectacular remodeling jobs".

The featured project this week is one of our kitchens in Wayne, PA just completed in late 2008. Click here to see the article and photos.

Not too late to plant!

The number of folks growing their own fruits and vegetables risen this year. A few articles I've read about the subject point to the poor state of the economy as the reason for this. We are growing our own because we enjoy it and, well.....what could be better than a freshly picked heirloom tomato and a handful of fresh arugula and basil out of your own yard? Ok, yes, it is cheaper than buying the highly priced, tasteless varieties at the supermarket.

This year we found Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit, member supported organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage. They sell seeds of many varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables that still have that home-grown taste; unlike much of the store-bought varieties that have now been grown and selected for appearance and shipping durability - not for delicious taste. Here in the northeast, its not too late to start a few mid/late season beds of spinach, arugula and a many other types of garden crops.

Nothing says summer like tossing that beautiful basket of fresh garden produce down on the massive slab of gorgeous, soapstone countertop in a brand new "vintage" kitchen. Check out Seed Savers at seedsaver.org and visit us a timelesskitchendesign.com for that new kitchen.

JOIN US!

Come on out and join us at the Event Under the Tent - a small gathering of artists and craftsmen on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30 at UPHOME in Ludwigs Corner, PA - on Rt. 100 just north of the Rt. 401/Rt.100 intersection.

Check out the rare finds in Uphome and visit the guest artists:

Bryce Ritter - Painted Furniture

Around the Bend - Willow Furniture

Dan Coble - Painted Furniture

Debbie Rodgers - Sculptor

Helen Howard - Folk Artist/Painter

Lisa Goodrich - Painted Bowls

..........and of course, Timeless Kitchen Design

Visit the Uphome website for more details....

More Press

The April Issue of Old House Interiors features an article entitled, "Furniture Quality Kitchens". We spoke with the editors for this article and they have included some of that conversation and a photo of our work in the article. Click here to view the article on our website.

(...and just for the record, I did not quote Duke Ellington in the last paragraph....and I actually disagree with that. A kitchen isn't good because it looks good. It is good when it looks good, is designed well AND functions well.)

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend.

Blind corner solution

What to do about that blind corner in the kitchen? You know, that vast cavern in the corner of the base cabinets? Increasingly, our clients are opposed to the good ole' Lazy Susan. I've always wondered if Susan was really that lazy. I guess she must have been for the name to stick around after all of these years....but I digress.

There are a few modern contraptions that we have used recently with success. The units consist of a two (or three, if you like) tiered shelf system that pulls with a very simple and effortless mechanism. Click here to see a brief video clip. Please don't be fooled by the jazzy tune and contemporary details of the example cabinet. We tucked away one of these units in a blind corner cabinet in one of our recent kitchens. Our goal is to use modern hardware for all interior applications while creating antique surfaces on the cabinet faces. Have a look:

For my fellow coffee addicts...

OK, sorry....I know that this is a kitchen cabinetry and kitchen design blog but most of my clients seem to include a coffee "area" into their layouts - so I have to share this.

I recently became aware of Crop To Cup, a company based in Chicago, that sells family farmed coffee directly from growers in Africa. The farmers receive a 20% premium over the market price, 5% of every coffee purchase and 10% of company profits. A portion of coffee sales also goes back to the areas in which the coffee is grown to fund local project.

The buyer (and drinker) gets a tasty cup of joe and the chance to see for yourself the economic, social and environmental impacts of your purchase.

It is inspiring to see private enterprise at its best...order online.

Add An "Antique" Island To Your Kitchen

If a complete remodel of your kitchen is not in the cards - consider adding one of our kitchen islands. We design each island according to the unique needs of each client. In the kitchens that we design and built, our focus is to create kitchen cabinetry that looks more like furniture so integrating an island - with different paint finished, hardware and countertop surface than the rest of your kitchen - helps us acheive that. Some of our islands are table construction as seen in the small photo.

Occasionally, a client will bring us a photo of an antique piece of furniture and ask that we recreate the piece as an island for their kitchen. We welcome these challenges.

The island in the photo above can also be seen House Beautiful.

Contact us through our website if you would like to discuss adding a kitchen island to your home.

Custom Paint Finishes

I snapped a quick shot of the top of a work table a few weeks ago as I was working up the first of what seemed like several hundred shades of blue for a discerning client.





All of our paint finishes are achieved with milk paint. We have many standard finishes but we often mix custom colors to match an existing interior paint color or a favorite antique piece. Finish samples are created after a design has been accepted and after on order has been placed.





We take pride in our unique finish that has been developed by my family and evolved after 20 years of trial and error. It is one of the many details of our work that sets us apart from the rest.

Mudroom

We have had several requests to build cabinetry for laundry rooms and mudrooms recently. This photo shows cabinetry that was built for a laundry room earlier this year. The free-standing piece was designed using the client's suggestions and requirements. The seat is made from antique pine flooring. The opposite wall (not shown) includes a soapstone laundry sink with integrated washboard and a tall, narrow cabinet storing vacuums and brooms etc.

Click here if you are considering Timeless Kitchen Design for your mudroom or laundry room project!

New Kitchen Photos - Part Deux

These images are from the second set of photos taken by Gridley+Graves photography. Our client was inspired by the colors and textures of french country kitchens but needed a layout to work for a busy family of 5. The seating and tables are by my dad, Bryce Ritter and can be purchased (along with the great lighting above the island) through Uphome . We partnered once again with Bucks County Soapstone and with Metallo Arts on an amazing, distressed copper backsplash.

Click here to visit our website for more details about our cabinetry.