The homeowner's own selection of unique shelf brackets adds charm, while white painted bead board behind behind keeps the space feeling light and airy.

The owners of a local historic Victorian home needed a kitchen that would not only meet the everyday needs of their family but also function well for large catered events. We designed the kitchen to fit with the historic architecture -- using period specific materials such as dark cherry wood, Carrera marble counters, and hexagonal mosaic floor tile. (Not to mention the unique light fixtures and custom decor throughout the home.) The island boasts back to back sinks, double dishwashers and trash/recycling cabinets. A 60" stainless range and 48" refrigerator allow plenty of room to prep those parties! Just off the kitchen to the right is a butler's pantry -- storage for all the entertaining table & glassware as well as a perfect staging area. We used Wood-Mode cabinets in the Beacon Hill doorstyle -- Burgundy finish on cherry; integral raised end panels and lavish Victorian style trim are essential to the kitchen's appeal. To the left of the range a breakfast bar and island seating meets the everyday prep needs for the family.

John Hall

Simon Taylor Furniture was commissioned to undertake the full refurbishment of an existing kitchen space in a Victorian railway cottage in a small village, near Aylesbury. The clients were seeking a light, bright traditional Shaker kitchen that would include plenty of storage and seating for two people. In addition to removing the old kitchen, they also laid a new floor using 60 x60cm floor tiles in Lakestone Ivory Matt by Minoli, prior to installing the new kitchen. All cabinetry was handmade at the Simon Taylor Furniture cabinet workshop in Bierton, near Aylesbury, and it was handpainted in Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball. The Shaker design includes cot bead frames with Ovolo bead moulding on the inner edge of each door, with tongue and groove panelling in the peninsula recess and as end panels to add contrast. Above the tall cabinetry and overhead cupboards is the Simon Taylor Furniture classic cornice to the ceiling. All internal carcases and dovetail drawer boxes are made of oak, with open shelving in oak as an accent detail. The white window pelmets feature the same Ovolo design with LED lighting at the base, and were also handmade at the workshop. The worktops and upstands, featured throughout the kitchen, are made from 20mm thick quartz with a double pencil edge in Vicenza by CRL Stone. The working kitchen area was designed in an L-shape with a wet run beneath the main feature window and the cooking run against an internal wall. The wet run includes base cabinets for bins and utility items in addition to a 60cm integrated dishwasher by Siemens with deep drawers to one side. At the centre is a farmhouse sink by Villeroy & Boch with a dual lever mixer tap by Perrin & Rowe. The overhead cabinetry for the cooking run includes three storage cupboards and a housing for a 45cm built-in Microwave by Siemens. The base cabinetry beneath includes two sets of soft-opening cutlery and storage drawers on either side of a Britannia range cooker that the clients already owned. Above the glass splashback is a concealed canopy hood, also by Siemens. Intersecting the 16sq. metre space is a stylish curved peninsula with a tongue and grooved recess beneath the worktop that has space for two counter stools, a feature that was integral to the initial brief. At the curved end of the peninsula is a double-door crockery cabinet and on the wall above it are open shelves in oak, inset with LED downlights, next to a tall white radiator by Zehnder. To the left of the peninsula is an integrated French Door fridge freezer by Fisher & Paykel on either side of two tall shallow cabinets, which are installed into a former doorway to a utility room, which now has a new doorway next to it. The cabinetry door fronts feature a broken façade to add further detail to this Shaker kitchen. Directly opposite the fridge freezer, the corner space next to doors that lead to the formal dining room now has a tall pantry larder with oak internal shelving and spice racks inside the double doors. All cup handles and ball knobs are by Hafele.

2019 Chrysalis Award Winner for Historical Renovation Project by Advance Design Studio Photography by Joe Nowak Design by Michelle Lecinski

Design Firm: Dallas Design Group, Interiors Designer: Tracy Rasor Photographer: Dan Piassick

The clients of this kitchen were well prepared by having put together a picture board which proved useful in designing a kitchen that fitted in with their tastes in design and finishes. The stainless steel benches were perfect for a busy cook, and the easy to clean surfaces worked well with food preparation. Though the principal colour was white, this was set off with the colours used for the floor to ceiling cabinetry as well the warm timber colours.

Photographer: Jim Bartsch Architect: Thompson Naylor Architects Interior Design: Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design

Lambertville Victorian Kitchen Addition

Ken Gutmaker Photography

Curtis and Peggy had been thinking of a kitchen remodel for quite some time, but they knew their house would have a unique set of challenges. Their older Victorian house was built in 1891. The kitchen cabinetry was original, and they wanted to keep the authenticity of their period home while adding modern comforts that would improve their quality of life. A friend recommended Advance Design Studio for their exceptional experience and quality of work. After meeting with designer Michelle Lecinski at Advance Design, they were confident they could partner with Advance to accomplish the unique kitchen renovation they’d been talking about for years. “We wanted to do the kitchen for a long, long time,” Curtis said. “(We asked ourselves) what are we actually going to do? How are we going to do this? And who are we going to find to do exactly what we want?” The goal for the project was to keep the home renovation and new kitchen feeling authentic to the time in which it was built. They desperately wanted the modern comforts that come with a larger refrigerator and the dishwasher that they never had! The old home was also a bit drafty so adding a fireplace, wall insulation and new windows became a priority. They very much wanted to create a comfortable hearth room adjacent to the kitchen, complete with old world brick. The original cabinetry had to go to make way for beautiful new kitchen cabinetry that appears as if it was a hundred years old, but with all the benefits of cutting-edge storage, self-closing drawers, and a brand-new look. “We just wanted to keep it old looking, but with some modern updates,” Peggy said. Dura Supreme Highland Cabinets with a Heritage Old World Painted Finish replaced the original 1891 cabinets. The hand-applied careful rubbed-off detailing makes these exquisite cabinets look as if they came from a far-gone era. Despite the small size of the kitchen, Peggy, Curtis and Michelle utilized every inch with custom cabinet sizes to increase storage capacity. The custom cabinets allowed for the addition of a 24” Fisher Paykel dishwasher with a concealing Dura Supreme door panel. Michelle was also able to work into the new design a larger 30” Fisher Paykel French refrigerator. “We made every ¼ inch count in this small space,” designer Michelle said. “Having the ability to custom size the cabinetry was the only way to achieve this.” “The kitchen essentially was designed around the Heartland Vintage range and oven,” says Michelle. A classic appliance that combines nostalgic beauty and craftsmanship for modern cooking, with nickel plated trim and elegantly shaped handles and legs; the not to miss range is a striking focal point of the entire room and an engaging conversation piece. Granite countertops in Kodiak Satin with subtle veining kept with the old-world style. The delicate porcelain La Vie Crackle Sonoma tile kitchen backsplash compliments the home’s style perfectly. A handcrafted passthrough designed to show off Peggy’s fine china was custom built by project carpenters Justin Davis and Jeff Dallain to physically and visually open the space. Additional storage was created in the custom panty room with Latte Edinburg cabinets, hand-made weathered wood shelving with authentic black iron brackets, and an intricate tin copper ceiling. Peggy and Curtis loved the idea of adding a Vermont stove to make the hearth-room not only functional, but a truly beckoning place to be. A stunning Bordeaux red Vermont Castings Stove with crisp black ventilation was chosen and combined with the authentic reclaimed Chicago brick wall. Advance’s talented carpenters custom-built elegant weathered shelves to house family memorabilia, installed carefully chosen barn sconces, and made the hearth room an inviting place to relax with a cup of coffee and a good book. “Peggy and Curtis’ project was so much fun to work on. Creating a space that looks and feels like it always belonged in this beautiful old Victorian home is a designer’s dream. To see the delight in their faces when they saw the design details coming together truly made it worth the time and effort that went into making the very compact kitchen space work”, said Michelle. “The result is an amazing custom kitchen, packed with functionality in every inch, nook and cranny!” exclaims Michelle. The renovation didn’t end with the kitchen. New Pella windows were added to help lessen the drafts. The removal of the original windows and trim necessitated the re-creation of hand-made corbels and trim details no longer available today. The talented carpenter team came to the rescue, crafting new pieces and masterfully finishing them as if they were always there. New custom gutters were formed and installed with a front entry rework necessary to accommodate the changes. The whole house functions better, but it still feels like the original 1891 home. “From start to finish it’s just a much better space than we used to have,” Peggy said. “Jeff and Justin were amazing.” Curtis added; “We were lucky to find Advance Design, because they really came through for us. I loved that they had everything in house, anything you needed to have done, they could do it”.

Rachel Loewen Photography © 2017 Houzz

Patrick Redmond

View the project case study here: https://ourhomesmatter.com/knightsbridge-makeover