Kitchen of the Week: Old Meets New in Charleston
Original details like plaster moldings combine with modern conveniences in this South Carolina kitchen
Before: The home is a classic Charleston Greek Revival double house. It was built in 1840 atop the foundation of a home that had burned down. The original kitchen had been a small, strictly utilitarian space elsewhere. In more modern times, this space had become the kitchen, but Valk reports that “it needed some love.”
“It didn’t have the appliances or the aesthetics the homeowner desired,” says cabinet designer Stewart Culler Hendrix. However, it had beautiful original neoclassical plaster moldings and wood floors, pleasing proportions and lovely millwork on the ceiling — well-preserved historic details.
Must-have: “Allen is a big coffee drinker and wanted this built-in espresso maker,” Valk says. “It’s so great. It grinds the beans, and you can make an espresso, a latte, a cappuccino, whatever you want.”
“It didn’t have the appliances or the aesthetics the homeowner desired,” says cabinet designer Stewart Culler Hendrix. However, it had beautiful original neoclassical plaster moldings and wood floors, pleasing proportions and lovely millwork on the ceiling — well-preserved historic details.
Must-have: “Allen is a big coffee drinker and wanted this built-in espresso maker,” Valk says. “It’s so great. It grinds the beans, and you can make an espresso, a latte, a cappuccino, whatever you want.”
The plan: The homeowners wanted to honor the home’s architecture and style while enjoying modern conveniences.
Scope of work: This was almost a complete gut job, but they were able to save the existing plaster moldings, floors and ceiling millwork.
Scope of work: This was almost a complete gut job, but they were able to save the existing plaster moldings, floors and ceiling millwork.
Style: “I was really thinking old meets new here,” Valk says. Allen, whose company was completing the renovation, was very careful to save the intricate moldings just below the ceiling. It is a classic plaster design that includes swags and garlands, and he added uplighting on top of the cabinets to highlight it. The clean lines and modern appliances bring the new, while details like the ogee edge on the countertops and Shaker-style cabinetry are appropriate for the Greek Revival architecture.
Cabinetry: “The door style is simple — Shaker with an inside roundover,” Hendrix says. “This allows the cabinets to feel authentic without overpowering the space and allows the original large moldings to shine. We went with a simple, straightforward white paint to keep the kitchen classic and timeless.”
Ceiling: The millwork on the ceiling is part of the original architecture. Valk suggested painting it gray to make it stand out.
Lighting: A silver and crystal chandelier draws the eye up toward the ceiling and plays off the glass of the backsplash and window shelving. Other lighting includes the uplighting on the plaster molding, undercabinet lighting and recessed lights in the ceiling.
Cabinets: Beaded Inset Santa Cruz door in White Icing, Medallion Platinum Cabinetry; chandelier: Currey & Co.; rug: Fine Rugs of Charleston; ceiling paint color: Nimbus Gray, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Gray Sky, Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Sub-Zero
Cabinetry: “The door style is simple — Shaker with an inside roundover,” Hendrix says. “This allows the cabinets to feel authentic without overpowering the space and allows the original large moldings to shine. We went with a simple, straightforward white paint to keep the kitchen classic and timeless.”
Ceiling: The millwork on the ceiling is part of the original architecture. Valk suggested painting it gray to make it stand out.
Lighting: A silver and crystal chandelier draws the eye up toward the ceiling and plays off the glass of the backsplash and window shelving. Other lighting includes the uplighting on the plaster molding, undercabinet lighting and recessed lights in the ceiling.
Cabinets: Beaded Inset Santa Cruz door in White Icing, Medallion Platinum Cabinetry; chandelier: Currey & Co.; rug: Fine Rugs of Charleston; ceiling paint color: Nimbus Gray, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Gray Sky, Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Sub-Zero
Layout: The room is a simple rectangle that measures about 13½ by 13 feet (click diagram to enlarge it). The island creates a convenient workspace between the refrigerator, range, two sinks and microwave and espresso maker. There’s a large farm sink and a prep sink; both are located beneath windows.
“Due to the house being on the historic peninsula of Charleston, we were unable to change or move the windows, so we were forced to work around them for appliance and cabinetry placement,” Hendrix says. This meant they could not have the typical work triangle setup. Instead, the island helps as a station between the range and refrigerator. “We placed the large appliances where we could and sized them appropriately for the space so they didn’t overwhelm. We paneled the front of the refrigerator and dishwashers to minimize the amount of stainless steel,” she says.
“Due to the house being on the historic peninsula of Charleston, we were unable to change or move the windows, so we were forced to work around them for appliance and cabinetry placement,” Hendrix says. This meant they could not have the typical work triangle setup. Instead, the island helps as a station between the range and refrigerator. “We placed the large appliances where we could and sized them appropriately for the space so they didn’t overwhelm. We paneled the front of the refrigerator and dishwashers to minimize the amount of stainless steel,” she says.
Sinks: The main sink is a large farmhouse sink with a classic frame detail on the apron front. The elegant faucets suit the home’s age and style. The one on the left is a hot water faucet. The prep sink (not shown) is hammered stainless steel. Each sink has a panel-front dishwasher next to it.
“Both sinks have a large area behind them, which was really cool,” Valk says. She sourced glass and nickel shelves from Pottery Barn to place in front of the windows. Both spots will let herbs get plenty of sunlight. The planter you see here is antiqued mirror.
Counters: The counters are Carrara marble with an ogee edge.
Faucets: Perrin & Rowe; sink: Shaw’s Original, Rohl; accessories: Domain Home, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma
“Both sinks have a large area behind them, which was really cool,” Valk says. She sourced glass and nickel shelves from Pottery Barn to place in front of the windows. Both spots will let herbs get plenty of sunlight. The planter you see here is antiqued mirror.
Counters: The counters are Carrara marble with an ogee edge.
Faucets: Perrin & Rowe; sink: Shaw’s Original, Rohl; accessories: Domain Home, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma
Backsplash: The backsplash is the most elegant element in the room. It is a diamond-shaped Thassos marble with inset mirrored glass. Meg found it on TileBar.com.
Range: The Wolf range was a splurge. While it brings in the new, it has a classic mantel on the vent hood that connects it to the historic architecture.
Island: “I looked hard for a unique antique island, but we ultimately wound up finding just the right one at Restoration Hardware,” Valk says. It is made of reclaimed wood with a warm gray finish that brings a more rustic touch to the elegant room. Its open form maintains the room’s light and airy look.
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Island: “I looked hard for a unique antique island, but we ultimately wound up finding just the right one at Restoration Hardware,” Valk says. It is made of reclaimed wood with a warm gray finish that brings a more rustic touch to the elegant room. Its open form maintains the room’s light and airy look.
See more kitchen islands
Hardware: Brushed nickel plays off the faucet and appliance finishes. These intricate knobs add another elegant touch.
Now that the show house tours are over, the family has settled in and can enjoy all of the work they put into renovating and restoring their historic home.
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See other Kitchens of the Week
Browse knobs and pulls
Now that the show house tours are over, the family has settled in and can enjoy all of the work they put into renovating and restoring their historic home.
More
See other Kitchens of the Week
Browse knobs and pulls
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Meg and Allen Biggers and their two toddler sons
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 176½ square feet (16 square meters)
Designers: Melanie Valk of Coastal Home Interiors (interior design) and Stewart Culler Hendrix of Classic Kitchens of Charleston (cabinet design)
The backstory: These homeowners, who have a construction company called The Biggers Co., were renovating their fixer-upper in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, themselves when the Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s show house fell through. They heard about the organization’s plight through their cabinet designers, Classic Kitchens of Charleston, and decided loaning their house for the fundraiser would give them the kick in the pants they needed to finish up their renovation on a tight schedule.
“With a show house, a lot of the decorating leaves the house after it’s over, but Meg was very hands-on in the kitchen as it’s such a personal space and almost everything would be permanent,” says their interior designer, Melanie Valk.