Full Marks for a 1920s Schoolhouse Kitchen
After 30 years of cooking for the family, these empty-nesters treated themselves to a beautiful new kitchen
Many years ago, a 1920s schoolhouse was barged from the city to a country site with a view of the Weiti River, north of Auckland in New Zealand, eventually being converted from classrooms to a family home. After 30 years of family meals, baking and preserving, and with the children now grown, the owners were ready to graciously improve their kitchen for the years ahead. They commissioned designer Toni Roberts of Kitchen Architecture to create a kitchen that welcomed visitors with improved light and easy connectedness. The keen bakers and entertainers wanted plenty of storage and bench space to spread out, and had plenty of ideas gathered on the style they were after.
The original kitchen was dark, dated and moody. It was tight on space, with not much more than a sink bench and lumpy tiled benchtop to work on, and the fridge poked into the room. However, the space opened to sunny decks and there was a glorious view of the river (and sunsets) from the kitchen window. It had potential.
The ‘aha’ moment came when Roberts juggled the floor plan to knock a door through to the laundry behind. This L-shaped room, complete with window with a river view, became the scullery, housing the fridge, a second sink for messy clean-ups and plenty of storage.
She relocated other doors for a better flow (the new porthole door provided easier access to the guest bathroom), but made sure to work with the quirky original schoolhouse features, including blackboard walls and horizontal match lining (tongue-and-groove boards).
The scullery is the baking centre, with open shelves to house serving dishes and condiments, and deep drawers to hold bulk flour and supplies, much like an old pantry would have. Roberts detailed special adjustable bottle drawers, a second sink, and homes for appliances.
Cupboard and drawer hardware: Hafele
Cupboard and drawer hardware: Hafele
The owners didn’t want a ‘cottage twee’ kitchen, but did want to respect the history of the schoolhouse. Roberts created three zones in the main kitchen – the stainless steel sink bench beside the cooker, a hutch-style dresser for crockery beside the wood stove, and a generous island work station. She mixed shiny and satin textures, glass and wood, steel and tiles. The cook can now enjoy the ever-changing outlook of the river and sunsets.
The stainless steel bench is a nod to the one in the old kitchen, and reflects light into the room. Open plate-rack beaded shelves display china and accessories. Roberts used white paint to distinguish the kitchen from the connected dining room.
Cupboards in ‘Half Parchment’, walls in ‘Moonstone’: Resene
Cupboards in ‘Half Parchment’, walls in ‘Moonstone’: Resene
The wood-burning stove was framed in the same tile as the splashback, with the original timber match lining left in its original shellacked finish.
Industrial-style stools: CC Interiors
Industrial-style stools: CC Interiors
Roberts kept the finishes pure and simple, using texture to create interest. One of the owners had her heart set on a 900-millimetre-wide cooker, settling on a Belling model, Richmond, with three electric ovens and five gas burners.
To create a strong vertical line at this end of the room, which has a lowered ceiling, Roberts recommended a matching black Belling range hood, and a wall of striking handmade dark glazed tiles laid in a vintage brick bond format. To create as much bench space as possible, and still allow easy access to the fridge and scullery, she designed an angled corner cupboard.
Tile in Vogue ‘Antracite’: Designa Ceramics; Phoenecian tap: In Residence
To create a strong vertical line at this end of the room, which has a lowered ceiling, Roberts recommended a matching black Belling range hood, and a wall of striking handmade dark glazed tiles laid in a vintage brick bond format. To create as much bench space as possible, and still allow easy access to the fridge and scullery, she designed an angled corner cupboard.
Tile in Vogue ‘Antracite’: Designa Ceramics; Phoenecian tap: In Residence
Roberts specified unusually deep, double-rebated panels on cupboards and drawer fronts to get the look the clients were after. It required special hinges to hold the 30-millimetre-thick doors with a careful taper at the back to maintain the narrow door gaps. The dresser and island benches are made from sustainable laminated bamboo, chosen to make them appear more like furniture than built-ins.
Pewter knobs and D-handles: Mardeco
Pewter knobs and D-handles: Mardeco
The island is the first thing visitors see when they enter the kitchen, so Roberts specified open shelves and legs to enhance the furniture look and give the owner more display space. French doors open to an east-facing patio.
Handblown glass pendant shades: CC Interiors
Handblown glass pendant shades: CC Interiors
The original school blackboard is a favourite with the grandchildren. The schoolhouse timber match lining was left on the dining room too.
Three years on and the owners are still telling Roberts how delighted they are with their new kitchen. The connectedness with the dining and outdoor areas add further joy to cooking and entertaining for the owners and all who are warmly welcomed into the space.
TELL US
Do you have a kitchen renovation you’re proud of? Share your before and after photos in the Comments below.
MORE
Houzz Quiz: What Style of Kitchen Should You Have?
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TELL US
Do you have a kitchen renovation you’re proud of? Share your before and after photos in the Comments below.
MORE
Houzz Quiz: What Style of Kitchen Should You Have?
The Scullery Reinvented for Modern Living
7 Super-Practical Things to Remember When Planning Your Kitchen