Shawn Aversa was tired of drinking his coffee in the dark. No matter the time of day, the kitchen remained in gloom, “which is strange because the back of the house gets the most sunlight,” attests Shawn.

After living in their 1899 Queen Anne Victorian in Pittsburgh for seven years, Shawn and his husband, Jamie McAdams, decided it was time to renovate—not only to upgrade the kitchen for better functionality and flow, but also to add a sunny rear addition that would capture all the light they were missing.

Before: Kitchen

The existing kitchen was decently sized, but it had some quirks that Shawn and Jamie had discovered over time. It was lacking storage despite a more recent remodel, and the pantry, located up a few steps and off a stair landing, was an afterthought.

When it came to entertaining, the space was too small for people to mingle; plus, it was disconnected from the rest of the house, which made for awkward dinner parties. “We would have friends over, and we’d be like, ‘Okay, well, you guys enjoy yourselves, and we’re going to go into the kitchen for the next hour to clean up and get ready to serve,’” jokes Shawn.

The solution was a rear addition, just shy of 400 square feet, with a soaring ceiling that peaks at 16 feet and windows on every wall, as well as a few skylights for good measure. A casual lounge area occupies that space, and local design studio Jacob Evans helped thoroughly reorganize the kitchen.

After: Kitchen

Now, a central island clad with Nero Marquina black marble anchors the room. The cooktop and hood vent were relocated to sit between a preserved window and a door to the exterior. The refrigerator is concealed behind sleek cabinet fronts, and additional zones were specified for functionality, such as the coffee bar and wall ovens in a designated niche.

The pantry was relocated behind a bright pink door on the main floor, so now the couple don’t have to run up and down the stairs every time they need to grab something. Around the corner, a transformed butler’s pantry is now a wet bar and beverage station with easy access to the dining room.

Shop The Look

Shawn chose finishes with durability in mind: The couple live with three dogs, and “you always have that one dog that never quite got housebroken all the way,” he quips.

The cabinetry is a light, textured laminate, and the floors are terrazzo tiles—costing “about a quarter of the price” of poured terrazzo, notes Shawn. High-honed marble countertops aren’t too glossy and retain their natural coloring through the finish process. “I don’t like anything shiny, but honed ended up taking too much of the black out,” says Shawn. “So, we went with a high-honed finish, which I didn’t know existed.”

The spirited new living area features colorful stripes painted by Shawn and a cheerful, aqua fireplace by Malm. The wall art makes the television placement feel more intentional while the fireplace is a nod to Shawn’s childhood growing up in New Hampshire. “It would be like my New Hampshire stamp on this Pittsburgh-modern [space],” he says.

Now, the Rainbow Room, as the couple has nicknamed it, beckons every morning. “It’s light, it’s bright, it literally gives me life every day,” says Shawn. “We get excited about being in there—it’s like Christmas morning.”

Before: Butler’s Pantry

After: Beverage Center

More Before & After:

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Project Credits:

Architect: AE7 / Jeffrey Wetzel

Builder: Century Interiors, Inc

Interior Design: Von Walter + funk / @von_walter_and_funk

Joint Kitchen Design: Jacob Evans Kitchen & Bath

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Before & After: A Snazzy Addition Rejuvenates a Queen Anne Victorian in Pittsburgh