Behind The Scenes
A Late 1800’s Historic Farmhouse Kitchen Renovation.
OBJECTIVE
This 140-year-old brick farmhouse renovation included a small outdated kitchen. The twofold design objective needed to keep the home’s interior/exterior historical aesthetic and structural integrity, and meet the client’s following needs:
* “Furniture look” cabinetry.
* More freezer, refrigerator, and storage space.
* Larger cooking area with unique focal point.
* Larger food prep and baker’s island.
* Larger and brighter sink/clean up area.
* Friends and family seating for informal gatherings.
CHALLENGES
Expansion of the existing footprint required proper reconstruction of the pre-existing kitchen’s eastern and western portions. Secondly, new cooking surface ventilation ducting was required.
1) Eastern side, a new exterior wall was double-framed 8 feet farther from the pre-existing exterior wall, and the latter opened and supported with steel columns and beam.
2) The western exterior wall became a cased opening with a steel beam support leading to a new morning room space.
3) The cooking surface ventilation was ducted through a brick chimney chase on the southern wall.
After construction, all new structural components were concealed by a painted tongue-and-groove ceiling, mouldings, and custom kitchen cabinetry.
SPECIAL FEATURES AND SOLUTIONS
Parisian full-inset painted and antiqued Lyptus cabinetry with appliance panels, Ovolo corners, furniture feet and moldings, and polished nickel pulls created a “furniture look” overall.
The wide Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, housed in a cabinet reminiscent of a furniture heirloom piece, has antique mirror inserts reflecting light. Wall cabinets, lit with LED strips, sit directly on countertops maximizing storage. Small appliances are concealed on either side of the range. A back-lit blue agate slab uniquely accents the blue 60” Ilve range. Half of the larger island fulfills all needs for food prep. The other half is 30 1/2” in height for pastry prep; immediately behind it stands a custom English pantry larder with custom inscribed drawers, “Goodies” and “Bread”, offering a personal touch.
Adding to the sense of age are 5cm honed Calacatta Gold countertops, and the same material works as a small window ledge for plants behind the sink/clean up wall, bringing the outdoors in. Additionally, a reclaimed wood floor contributes to an older world feel.
The second island–adjacent to the morning room –is movable. Although its footprint is larger than deemed appropriate by the designers, the client insisted on it size and orientation as she “knew what is best” for her friends and family gatherings.
