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Circa 1824 Historic Home Kitchen Remodel Project

We are excited to share this recently historic home remodel, built in 1824. This project presented us with some unique design challenges that we were able to overcome, resulting in a beautiful finished product and a very well-functioning kitchen.

Also known as Antebellum architecture, this property not only gives us an intimate look at how people once lived in this southern region but also shows the characteristics and style of a stunning southern design, which remains rich in history.

Design Challenge: The Floor Plan

Keeping the existing floor plan was not ideal for this particular kitchen layout. We needed to incorporate a washer and dryer into the space. Since it was an older home, there were not many areas to “fit” this in. Combining the kitchen and laundry rooms was the best option for this design solution.

Before

The current laundry room and kitchen were part of an addition that was built onto the home in the 1970s. Wanting to stay true to the original layout, we closely followed the existing design but opened up the space by removing the wall between the kitchen and laundry room. The way that addition was built allowed us to open up the entire area.

New Floor Plan

With the vision of removing walls, this was the newly revised floor plan, showing how much space we would gain and how a more unified space would be created.

The Design Process

The design process began in the center of the kitchen with the hood over the 71” wide La Cornue French Range. The beautiful callback to old-world style set the tone for the rest of the kitchen.

Creating Symmetry

We used the cabinets to create symmetry in the room by using two sinks under the windows. From here, we filled in the spaces from the wall to the sink cabinet and the sink cabinet to the range with the client’s requirements. They chose to use two large pantry cabinets on the walls to optimize storage, and we also had room for two dishwashers. They got a double set of drawer cabinets between the sink and range.

To recap, that’s two sinks, two dishwashers, two pantry cabinets, fourteen drawers, and no wasted space. Only custom cabinets by Walker Woodworking could have achieved this level of customization and given the homeowner exactly what they wanted and needed.

Refrigerator and Washer & Dryer

We still have to find an area for the designer column sub-zero refrigerator and freezer units – each is 30″ and a washer and dryer.

On the wall opposite the left window, we made an area resembling the furniture to house the refrigerator and a stacked washer and dryer, all hidden behind the cabinets.

Hutches & Farm-Style Island

Even with what we had already placed in this space, there was still room to add two hutch cabinets and a farmhouse-style island. Both added elegance and charm to the already beautiful design, not to mention extra storage and seating areas.

Design Challenge: Style English Farmhouse

Once we had the cabinet layout details done, it was time to move into the next part of our goal: to create a look that represented an English Farmhouse style.  The remaining finishing touches were mostly cabinet finish selections. With some guidance and creativity from our in-house design team, we offered the homeowner several unique options. Using the redesigned floor plan, the walls were removed and moved down to the exposed brick of the original home. Initially, the client wanted to use a shade of green that would have complemented the white she had selected well. However, we just couldn’t settle on a color that looked good with the exposed brick. Our next option was a shade of blue that could be painted and glazed to complement the exposed brick. The team at Walker Woodworking made a few samples using colors the design team selected and some photo inspiration to perfect the glazing. We will let the photos speak for themselves.

Completing The Look

For the final step, we needed to design an island that reflected a farmhouse style from the early 1800s. We believed the island was the perfect piece to bring in natural wood tones that looked weathered and aged, using quarter-sawn white oak and a cerusing technique.

On the hutches, we used antiqued glass and cremone bolts, which complement the gold hardware throughout the kitchen.

The Calcutta gold marble countertops and patterned tile completed the look. The homeowner accessorized everything beautifully for the finishing touches.

While this project presented us with several unique challenges, it was a wonderful experience that allowed us to explore many creative ways to blend the old world with the new. The end results were more than just checking off boxes. A satisfaction came from knowing we could bring this homeowner’s vision to life. Click here to see the whole project.

Though our roots are in custom cabinets, we soon realized that we needed to expand our inventory to include lighting, flooring, countertops, and hardware. These elements help to complete the look and feel of a design, bringing in that last bit of the owner’s reflection.

Selecting just the right home accents and elements is often a fun process for our clients. It is an opportunity to add a little bit of themselves to the design, whether they choose the more traditional piece of hardware or go bolder with a contemporary piece. Each has a place and purpose in the design world, so we thought we would discuss a few options.

When it comes to your home, nothing is more important than security. Therefore, if you don’t have a reliable, easy-to-use security system in place, now is the perfect time to change that! And the best part about modern home security is that there are a lot of DIY options.

DIY systems are cost-effective and easy to install, and allow you to monitor your property remotely through a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Research the best DIY home security system for your needs and budget online.

Kitchen sink types and styles are available to fit every need. From multi-bowl sinks to undermounts, farmhouse sinks, and more, sinks are among the lowest-priced components of a kitchen remodel. However, some high-end models can carry four-digit price tags. Fortunately, several well-made, affordable models are on the market.

Don’t panic if you can relate to one or all of these issues. Clutter can accumulate quickly and multiply even faster. But there is hope to get rid of the piles in your home. We will share some of our best tips and tricks categorized by the top three trouble spots in the home.

One of our first objectives in a design meeting is to establish a budget for the entire bathroom project, which could include cabinets, flooring, hardware, and fixtures. This budget will set the tone for the whole project and tell us exactly what products to show you. In this blog, we will share what a reasonable bathroom renovation budget should include and a general estimate for the total.