Kitchen of the Week: More Light, Better Layout for a Canadian Victorian
Stripped to the studs, this Toronto kitchen is now brighter and more functional, with a gorgeous wide-open view
This 120-year-old Victorian home in Toronto has beautiful bones, but the interior needed an update to work for the family of four who live there. Toronto designer Philippe Beauparlant focused the renovation around the kitchen.
Set at the back of the house, the kitchen could be accessed only through a narrow hallway with little natural light. By opening up the kitchen to the backyard, expanding windows and using a traditional color palette, Beauparlant created a space that he says "is of today, with a nod to the past."
Set at the back of the house, the kitchen could be accessed only through a narrow hallway with little natural light. By opening up the kitchen to the backyard, expanding windows and using a traditional color palette, Beauparlant created a space that he says "is of today, with a nod to the past."
Adding a staircase to the basement created room for more storage in the kitchen, allowing the removal of storage space in the kitchen entry hall. Larger windows above the sink let in more natural light than before.
Countertop: Kashmir white granite; backsplash: Pavimenti Bianco, Stone Tile, Toronto; upper shelving: custom walnut veneer
Countertop: Kashmir white granite; backsplash: Pavimenti Bianco, Stone Tile, Toronto; upper shelving: custom walnut veneer
The clients wanted a better sitting and eating area in their new kitchen, but the narrow layout made it difficult to fit in an island. Instead, Beauparlant had a table custom made with reclaimed wood and vintage legs, and designed a vinyl banquette for comfortable seating.
Banquette fabric: Ryder, Cocoa vinyl, Threadcount, Toronto; pendant: vintage
Banquette fabric: Ryder, Cocoa vinyl, Threadcount, Toronto; pendant: vintage
Hints of green in the wood floor and the newly framed backyard view inspired the cabinetry color choice.
Microwave: Panasonic; faucet: Citterio Semi-pro, Hansgrohe
Microwave: Panasonic; faucet: Citterio Semi-pro, Hansgrohe
The stair risers were left open to let light from the backyard filter down into the basement family room.
The new layout not only suits the family's kitchen habits, but betters the house as a whole. Beauparlant recommends that everyone about to embark on a kitchen remodel take the time to consider the right layout.
"It's easy to just replace cabinets and keep everything in the same configuration, but this is often not the best solution," he says. "Lifestyle and trends change all the time, and I'm sure the priorities and decision factors of the previous owner or builder are different than your goals and objectives."
He adds, "I've made some significant changes to this home that has been standing for 120 years. I would hope that what I've created will also last for many more years and homeowners."
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The new layout not only suits the family's kitchen habits, but betters the house as a whole. Beauparlant recommends that everyone about to embark on a kitchen remodel take the time to consider the right layout.
"It's easy to just replace cabinets and keep everything in the same configuration, but this is often not the best solution," he says. "Lifestyle and trends change all the time, and I'm sure the priorities and decision factors of the previous owner or builder are different than your goals and objectives."
He adds, "I've made some significant changes to this home that has been standing for 120 years. I would hope that what I've created will also last for many more years and homeowners."
Share your kitchen remodel! We'd love to see what you did.
See more Kitchens of the Week
Now the kitchen has backyard access and a clear view through a 1 1/2-story glass wall.
Yellow pendants: West Elm; cabinetry: custom; cabinetry paint: Desert Twilight 2137-40, Benjamin Moore