Create an ideabook for your next remodeling project!
Browse more than 1,000,000 photos from top designers and save your favorites
10 Victorian Kitchen Features for Modern Life
Keep the practicality and beauty of a traditional kitchen while enjoying modern amenities and style
Houzz Contributor. Based in Cambridgeshire, U.K., Julia Pockett is founder Director of Sujiivana Design Ltd (http://www.sujiivana.co.uk), an on-line emporium of home accessories and of interior design services. Specialising in affordable design, Julia has worked on projects including full property refurbishments, individual room designs and home staging.
Houzz Contributor. Based in Cambridgeshire, U.K., Julia Pockett is founder... More »
The biggest changes in Victorian houses have occurred in the kitchen, making it virtually impossible to create an authentic replica without compromising on modern comforts. The modern stovetop has replaced the wood-burning stove, the fridge has replaced the larder and the dishwasher has replaced the scullery. But this doesn't mean we can't modernize a kitchen while retaining some of the Victorian influences.
Austere and functional, the Victorian kitchen looked much different than the rest of the home. Homeowners wasted little expense on architectural features in this room. Now, this aesthetic can lend itself to a clean and contemporary makeover, or you can work on introducing similar moldings and finishes to the rest of your Victorian home to give it a more traditional feel — authentic or not.
Austere and functional, the Victorian kitchen looked much different than the rest of the home. Homeowners wasted little expense on architectural features in this room. Now, this aesthetic can lend itself to a clean and contemporary makeover, or you can work on introducing similar moldings and finishes to the rest of your Victorian home to give it a more traditional feel — authentic or not.
by LKM Design
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The range. Traditionally the biggest feature in a Victorian kitchen, the range usually sat within the chimney breast. If you have the room, a woodstove will make your Victorian kitchen cozy and atmospheric. Set it next to your dining table for mealtime warmth and add some cast iron or copper pots and pans for authenticity.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The chimney. It makes the ideal — and traditional — home for your range and oven. You can find modern ranges available in a huge array of colors today. For me, this kitchen strikes the perfect note for an austere Victorian kitchen brought up to date, thanks to the introduction of the red Aga.
|
by Emily McCall
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The dresser. Apart from the range and oven, the dresser would be the only other piece of fitted furniture in a Victorian kitchen. There were no upper, eye-level cupboards. Open shelving, much as in a modern professional kitchen, made for efficient access to everyday items. Good original dressers can be pricey and hard to come by, but if you find one you love it will be a lifetime purchase. Keep in mind that you can strip and repaint it to go with any traditional kitchen colors. |
| The kitchen table. The essential kitchen table completed the Victorian kitchen. Instead of being a place to eat, it sat in the center of the room as the main work area. It isn't too surprising that work islands are so popular today — the ease of working in the center of a room and retrieving items stored around the edges comes from Victorian homes. Choose a contrasting color to the wall units to break up uniformity and make the table stand out as the work area. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Wall finishes. In a Victorian kitchen, wall finishes needed to be durable. This painted tongue and groove in this kitchen feels authentic, and the tiles create a practical backsplash (sometimes called a splashback in the U.K.) to the traditional butler sink. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The layout. Reminiscent of a Victorian kitchen, this kitchen has a central workspace, plain cupboards at the base level and open upper shelving. Functional, efficient and designed for a busy cook, the modern space still feels Victorian. Traditional moldings around the window and the painted wooden backsplashes and units all give it Victorian style. |
by Heydt Designs
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Tiles. The Victorians did use tiles in their kitchens, as backsplashes and elsewhere. However, finding a complete set of these authentic tiles is difficult today. Try subway tiles for a contemporary look with a traditional twist, as they echo the plain functionality of the Victorian kitchen. For a quirkier vintage look, searching salvage stores for mismatched but same-size tiles to design a feature behind the stove.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The sink. Traditionally, the sink and prep area were located in the scullery. Most sculleries have either been lost in favor of open-plan living or converted into utility rooms. Either way, the sink usually had an open plate rack above it. I love how this kitchen blends an old butler-style sink, tiles and plate rack with cupboards painted in a modern black. The chandelier would've been a bad idea in a practical Victorian kitchen, although I don't disagree with adding a touch of glamour in a kitchen today. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Lighting. Victorian kitchens and modern kitchens both prioritize good lighting, although lighting may have been more important in Victorian homes, since most kitchens sat in the basement. The task lighting would have been simple and practical and located over the central worktable. The lights here are a nod to that practicality — the "rise and fall" feature means they can be adjusted for the kitchen island's dual purpose. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Finishing touches. If you have taken the traditional-style route, make sure you carry it through. There are some excellent reproduction taps and fittings. And remember, just because you have chosen a Victorian kitchen doesn't mean you can't use modern appliances. Simply hide them away or invest in the huge array of retro styles available.
More: Back to the Future of the House
More: Back to the Future of the House
Ideabook updated on Oct. 5, 2012.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
http://www.AliciatappDesigns.com
I used to cook on an Aga - different color to the red one. I definitely miss it.
It's a british tv-series it think from 1989 that educates you on the life in a victorian era. They even found a woman that used to work in such a kitchen to interview. It's really fascinating once you let yourself relax and just go with it. You see because the program is older it doesn't have the same fast pace as tv does today but I think it actually suit the show really well.
Regarding the Aga I spent my childhood in a farmhouse with an Aga and always missed it. It really is a focal point and so much more than a cooker. We have actually just ordered one in pillar box red hopefully to be fitted before Christmas......can't wait!
Nigel, I'm sooo envious of your Aga purchase I am dreaming of my next kitchen where I too will have a feature red Aga - aahhh!
A good tip is to look at refurbished Aga's. There are many co.s offering this in the UK at substantial savings over new. Also the bright red enamel we wanted is no longer offered as a new option but the refurbishers can still do it.
P.S. I don't work for Aga!!! I sound like I do. ha ha
P.P.S Definitely splashback.