After: kitchen

Besides adding (finally!) a dishwasher and a garbage disposal, the Pauleys upgraded other appliances (including a refrigerator that opens, sensibly, toward the sink). They also introduced such innovations as concrete counters.

Using decorative serving platters, the Pauleys now keep kitchen items handy. “Before, we had to store some dishes in the basement,” says MaryJane, “and we had serving platters under our bed!”

To keep the kitchen from feeling too new, MaryJane installed era-appropriate fixtures and fittings (pendant lights from Omega Too, omegatoo.com; cabinet hardware from Belmont Hardware, 510/548-5757).

A new color palette softens the look. Creamy whites brighten the earth-toned Craftsman palette while greens keep it tied to nature. Cabinet paint is Acadia White #OC-38 (benjaminmoore.com); the island picks up the dining room’s Cleveland Green. In addition, glass tiles add subtle pops of color: Lucido in Coal, Ivory, and Chalk, plus Satinato in Papyrus (all from italics-stone.com). 

The breakfast table—its top is salvaged madrone—triples as a prep station and a desk for doing homework. Bonus: One end of the table has three drawers for still more storage.