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General renovation of old houses is a favorite topic of conversation for householders of vintage properties but hardly ever do you hear talk about a kitchen restored to its former glory. Those lovely historical homes we have grown to love and admire didn't have the sort of kitchens we count on these days. Unrestored historic kitchens today are old-fashioned, inefficient and badly laid out.
In a typical prewar house kitchens were work places plain and simple. Every thing in the kitchens was freestanding from the huge cast iron stove, the sink on porcelain legs, the refrigerator and a table that doubled as a workspace. Those that were refurbished in subsequent decades usually held even less appeal than those before. The work surfaces, floor, and ceiling materials in them were no match visually to the hardwoods, linoleums, and metals they replaced. Kitchen appliances were also uninspiring to say the least with their dismal colors.
Today we want to capture the flavor of the kitchens we envisage our great-grandparents cherished and enjoyed. Homey, cheerful and crammed with the smell of fine cooking. Happily, recreating the feel of a vintage kitchen in a contemporary house has never been simpler. As demand for kitchen equipment with a patina of age has grown, so has the supply of period equipment. Architectural salvage, and effectively made replica hardware and domestic appliances are comparatively easy to locate. Old-fashioned or antique items can be discovered by perusing advertisements in lots of home design magazines, making enquiries at local antique shops and architectural reclamation companies, and also at car boot or yard sales
Possibly the greatest influence on any kitchen design are the cabinets. To give a kitchen a historic feeling, designers are generally not in favour of filling the kitchen with trendy built in cupboards. Architectural salvage firms usually supply classic cabinets in wood or metal finishes. These units blend effectively with standalone vintage or replica items. An antique dresser or a porcelain sink provides charm in addition to smaller items like plate racks and open shelving. Painted wooden units might warp when stripped so the recommendatrion is to try one unit door first. Metal units must be stripped, polished, and lacquered to stop them from rusting.
Stone countertops are suitable for old style kitchens so long as the stone is honed to a smooth finish, not shiny and modern. Vermont soapstone is one well-liked choice.
For flooring, designers normally advocate hardwood. Linoleum, maligned for years, is now making a comeback. Unused rolls of classic linoleum from previous decades can frequently be discovered at salvage firms or at speciality stores.
On the ceiling, is an attractive and somewhat unique choice, especially when left in its untreated condition. As an alternative, try heavy Anaglypta paper, a cream-colored wallpaper imprinted in a wide variety of period patterns. It's less expensive to install than pressed metal and once painted, achieves a very similar effect.
Discovering authentic looking stoves and also refrigerators grew simpler in the mid Nineteen Eighties when the country feel was blossoming. Our grandparents' cookers have often been renovated and are now easier than ever to find. No matches required!. Although most old stoves are white, some do crop up in cream, green, or cobalt blue. Cooker hoods are tougher to find to complement your range since they were not around 100 years ago. Try buying wood and disguising it into the upper cabinets.
Vintage style hardware is the icing on the cake for the completion of your period look kitchen. Designers suggest antique brass, satin nickel or a black leaded surface. The hardware makes the entire kitchen seem as well established, the same as the rest of your vintage home
Phil Marston is a freelance writer and editor of InteriorsofDelight.com. For more information please visit the site.
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