1905 kitchen brought into 2016: Before and After
I've lurked and searched all through these pages and benefited so much from people's pictures, experiences and discussions. I thought it was time to contribute a bit more now that our kitchen gut-job is no longer so gut-wrenching. I hope someone along the way finds this useful.
Our 1905 Simple Victorian still had remnants of the original cabinets, although someone took a Sawzall to them at some point, rendering them pretty dysfunctional and messed up. The layout meant the work triangle was the entire room (yep, the ENTIRE room) with a door to the bathroom right next to the stove. We had unusual pocket windows that went up in wall, meaning we could not insulate and there was no great way to lock them. That, and the largest one was painted shut and the other two only opened partway. So for years, I sketched, drooled over so many pictures here, planned and FINALLY, 2016 would be the year of the big kitchen remodel! Oh, and throw in replacing the 111 year old hardwoods that were giving up the ghost from the front door, through the living room, dining room and into the kitchen. Here's what the old kitchen looked like:
As these pictures show, the work triangle was situated on three different walls (the refrigerator is just to the right in this picture). Ugh.
On to the renovation:
After consulting with a historic window expert, the three low pocket windows were judged unsalvageable. We replaced them with Kolbe awning windows of the same size and full muntins (it's a historic house, so things like windows have to be approved). The historic preservation committee allowed us to move the windows up about 9", which was crucial to being able to reconfigure cabinetry and counter tops.
We opened up the wall between the kitchen and what was the mud room, now converted to a breakfast nook. Then it was time to take it back to the studs. If you're interested in the demolition and reconstruction process, I'm happy to add to this post, but there's likely a few of you wondering how it all came out, if you've read this far!
The article on Ice-Water-Stone-Fire for work flow was a huge contribution to my ultimate design. It gave me the final breakthrough on my layout: refrigerator drawers in the island near the prep sink and range. The placement of the island changed a little over time, but this is pretty much what we ended up with:
Here's where we are now!
We installed Kemper Cabinetry, Soapstone Counters, Kohler 30" and 36" Whitehaven cast iron farmhouse sinks, Rohl Faucets. Bosch Microwave Drawer is in the island (only unforeseen complication is our Lab's nose prints when he watches what's being heated up in there!).
I feel like I went from a VW Bug to a Ferrari with my 36" Bluestar Platinum Range. I couldn't be happier with it. We installed a 36" Monsoon Zephyr Vent Hood with make-up air. The vent hood cover is a custom wooden design that DH and I painted with a Metallic Masters Aged Bronze paint kit. And yes, after doing a painting project together, we are still happily married! The backsplash is from American Tin Ceilings. We haven't had any issues with discoloration or heat-related issues that I've heard some worry about. But hey, Thanksgiving is this week, so I may have just messed up my ju-ju.
The KitchenAid Refrigerator Drawers mean that all my refrigerated ingredients for cooking are just under my main workspace in the island, right by my prep sink and the range. This is off-limits to everyone but the cook, which means I no longer find that the bacon was I was planning on using in a recipe disappeared after school! It was also the key piece to designing a tight work zone since the fridge is on the other side of the room from the range. A few weeks ago I cranked out 8 pizzas in a couple of hours while everyone hung out in the kitchen. And I didn't have to ask anyone to move even once! Pardon me while I wipe away this little tear of joy in my eye.
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