This Home Chef Has An Office… and So Much More

Here’s a true story about one of them: Before I went to view the home on 54 Lincoln, I Googled it. I wanted to get a feel for how it looked and what to expect. What I found on my screen was a house that looked like it had seen its better days. Neglected, forlorn, sad.

So I got in my car to meet fellow Kitchen Tour committee members at this, ahem, house, and my jaw dropped. It’s fabulous! Turns out the good folks who bought the home last year did a massive, down-to-the-studs renovation. What was once a woe-be-gone building now was an inviting home. And I hadn’t even stepped inside yet. But when I did…

Absolutely lovely. It’s an open-concept first floor, so at first glance you take in the entire terrific view: cozy living area to the left, a sweet public green space visible through the windows, the dining area beyond, and a great porch area beyond that.

But the kitchen? Oh my. They take cooking very seriously in this home. And if cooking is important, the kitchen is important. This is some cooking space. First off, the main cook in the household had his office built right off the kitchen. Sitting at his desk, he faces the place where he works his culinary magic. I’ve never seen that done before. But now I want an office right off my kitchen.

There’s plenty here to envy. Like the Wolf combi-steam oven, a nifty pull-out pantry, a no-hands faucet, and a knee-tap system for opening the rubbish drawer. That oven has a cooktop that faces toward the living room and dining area and exterior green space. Seems like a small thing, but how nice to see your people when you’re cooking for them. The range vent is cleverly mounted in the ceiling. Genius.

For energy efficiency, there are new windows. For storage efficiency, there are appliance garages, including one in the stairs heading to the basement. For sheer beauty there is leathered granite, gorgeous white oak quarter sawn flooring, and a green/gray backsplash tile that is installed vertically. Love it.

When the owners renovated this 1905 home in 2015-2016, they wanted functionality. They got functionality, all right. And a generous dose of fabulousness, too.

Check out this home and a eleven others on this year’s 26th Annual Kitchen Tour to benefit The Music Hall on Saturday, May 13, starting at 10am. Again, the tour is in the heart of Portsmouth’s Little Harbor neighborhood.  It’s a self-guided walking tour and includes kitchens big and small. Many are in very old homes renovated with very trendy features. Like an office right next to the kitchen. Ooh, I want that.