The kitchen before it was remodeled by Joe Lutz, 90, of Butler.

BUTLER — Joe Lutz, 90, of Butler has lived in his home since 1965, and he said he has no plans to leave. In fact, he just had the kitchen upgraded.

“We took the floor down to the subfloor and lowered the ceiling,” Lutz said. “So it was 100 percent redone.”

The upgrades cost about $37,000, including new appliances.

“I got a German refrigerator,” Lutz said, “and that cost almost $4,000 alone.”

In the 53 years Lutz has spent in his home, he said this was only the second major remodel.

Most of the 106-year-old building still has its original features.

Many of the previous appliances from the kitchen were too antiquated to keep, but Lutz decided that his old sink was still useful and unique, and he offered it to the construction crew to give it away.

“It was taken away in one day,” he said.

Another original part of the house that Lutz wanted to spare was the stained glass window, which was salvaged from a bathroom remodel Lutz and his wife had done 25 years ago.

The window was saved for years, but it found a new home after the remodel as part of the replacement for the window above the kitchen sink.

Lutz said the most difficult part of the remodel was the disruption in his daily life.“There was a plastic sheet with a zipper over the kitchen as a door,” he said.The work took about 10 weeks to be done.While the private contractor worked on the kitchen, Lutz had to move his microwave and a small refrigerator into the dining room because he wasn't able to access the kitchen at all.Lutz said he was looking forward to the new floor tiles, however, his favorite part of the renovation turned out to be the peninsula counter with stools that he can pull up to it.“I can sit there and read,” he said. “(It's) really a nice part.”Lutz said before he and his wife bought the home to raise their family in, a Dr. Sanderson owned the place from 1937 until he died. Before that, Lutz said the home was built by “The Burg” for the banking business.“It's a good place to live,” he said. “Too much space for me now, but I'm not going anywhere.”

Joe Lutz recently remodeled the kitchen of the home he's lived in for 53 years. He said his favorite part of the upgrades is the peninsula to which he can pull up a stool and read.