How Period Restoration borrowed from the past to make a kitchen for today – St. Louis Magazine

Randy Renner and his son, Randy Renner Jr., specialize in restoring old homes, but thats not what they did at 7635 Westmoreland, just north of downtown Clayton. Rather, the Renners, co-founders of Period Restoration, built a new house on that lot, one that would be in harmony with the historic residences nearby.

When we do infill, we go to great lengths to make it fit, says the younger Renner. In this case, they werent enacting any specific clients vision. They were constructing a spec home, and relied on their own instincts for the design and build.

They wanted the kitchen to have ample natural light, so they installed three large windows in the main wall. That decision shrank the space available for upper cabinets, but theres plenty of room for storage elsewhere: inside the island, which is 4 feet deep, and on the adjacent wall, which holds lighted cabinets that stretch up to the ceiling.

That ceiling is a showstopper. Its molding is a nod to the coffered plaster ceilings found in many architecturally significant homes in the St. Louis area. Its fine, angular shapes jell visually with the trapezoidal range hood of stainless steel and polished nickeland with the biconical light fixtures and sconces by Visual Comfort.

The Renners wanted the future homeowners to be equipped to entertain, so they installed two sinks and two dishwashers. The island features a niche offering enough legroom for guests wishing to sidle up to it on stools and rest their cocktails on the Carrara marble countertop. Adjacent to the kitchen is a wet bar outfitted in handsome dark wood. Renner Jr. says he and his father prefer to feel their way through projects like these rather than follow a meticulous blueprint.

We dont ever have plans, he says. We just do it as we go. After they finished this project, late last year, the COVID-19 crisis gained steam in St. Louis, forcing them to remove the house from the real estate listingsbut they plan to put it back on the market soon.

Standout Feature:The refrigerator and freezer are concealed by quartersawn oak panels. The latches, from Locks & Pulls Design Elements, are made to mimic the look of a 1920s icebox.

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How Period Restoration borrowed from the past to make a kitchen for today - St. Louis Magazine