Real People Real Kitchens: A Seattle Special

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Timothy Siciliano spends roughly four hours a day in his kitchen doing everyday kitchen activities like preparing food, drinking coffee and reading the paper. But before he and partner Patrick Angus (not home at the time of this photoshoot) did a complete overhaul of the space, spending even five minutes there was torture. Timothy describes the former dingy kitchen as "ugly, horrible and disorienting."

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

The color-saturated dining room leads into the kitchen via a swinging door that can usually be found left open. Twenty years ago, the dining room was an uninspiring shade of butter yellow with a thick, equally uninspiring, textured wallpaper featured below the chair rail. Patrick planned to paint the entire room a deep moody blue, but as he started peeling the wallpaper, he discovered a beautiful emerald green color underneath. It was a tad shabby, but Patrick, a lover of old things, could never quite get up the nerve to repaint the walls. Recently however, Patrick found some nerve and finished the paint job. He says, "It looks like a decade old patina, unless you look very close."

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Curtains and blinds have purposely been omitted. The kitchen takes advantage of its southwest exposure. The budget-sensitive gut renovation included base cabinets from IKEA, glass shelves reclaimed from a Barneys department store dumpster and secondhand appliances. Timothy calls it "a mix of function, funk, modern, old and lotsa art."

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Patrick and Timothy surround themselves with things that make them happy and this means "lotsa art." During one of their gallery strolls they discovered sculptor Kensuke Yamada's "Cinderella." Patrick bought it for Timothy's birthday.

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Timothy's tips for a perfect French press cuppa joe:
Make sure the grind is not too fine and not too coarse.
2 scoops per cup – you want it strong.
Let boiling water sit for a moment before pouring.
Pour water in slowly and stir with spoon.
Let sit for about a minute.
Press and serve.

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Patrick bought the old beloved kitchen island at auction. Timothy likens getting it home and up the stairs to building the pyramids. "A friend and I brought it up, "says Timothy, explaining that he was on the bottom. "I kept saying, 'Don't let go, it'll kill me.' Honestly, I don't know how we did it."

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

When it comes to entertaining, the guys enjoy hosting small dinner parties at their home. "Six is the perfect number of guests," says Timothy. With their mix and match aesthetic, guests can be assured that they will never eat off the same dishes twice. An old library rack proves strong enough to hold a countless assortment.

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Patrick's merchandising skills are on display all over the house. He has the knack for combining unrelated collections -- such as French advertising fans, celluloid dolls and vintage noisemakers (Timothy's collection) -- in with the china. He says, "I personally like to see a sense of humor and joy when displaying objects that have been collected over time." Other objects of interest include a set of kidney-shaped Fornasetti plates (bottom row), a silver rickshaw condiment server and a blimp-shaped spoon warmer (top row).

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Patrick believes in the gene. A lineage of stuff runs through his family. Of his paternal grandmother he says, "She loved old things for the stories they told. I think she handed this down to me." As for the Copeland Spode, his largest collection to date, he inherited the first 100 pieces from his mother who received them from his great aunt. He now has about 500 pieces.

From Eyesore to Eyecandy

Whether on display or stowed out of sight, there are always more objects to delight the eye like these mod ceramic containers which store grains and other dry goods.

From Eyesore to Eyecandy