| preservation of old properties is a favourite | | | | antique or reproduction items. An antique dresser or |
| conversation for householders of vintage properties | | | | a porcelain sink provides charm as well as smaller |
| but rarely do you hear talk about a kitchen restored | | | | things like plate racks and open shelving. Painted |
| to its former glory. Those lovely historical houses we | | | | wood units could warp when stripped so be advised |
| have grown to cherish and respect didn't have the | | | | to try one cabinet door first. Metallic cabinets need to |
| kind of kitchens we want these days. Unrestored | | | | be stripped, buffed, and lacquered to stop them |
| historic kitchens today are antiquated, inefficient and | | | | from corroding. |
| badly laid out. | | | | Stone counter tops are suitable for old-fashioned |
| In a typical prewar home kitchens had been work | | | | kitchens as long as the stone is honed to a smooth |
| areas plain and simple. Everything in the kitchens was | | | | finish, not shiny and modern. Vermont soapstone is |
| freestanding from the massive cast iron stove, the | | | | one fashionable choice. |
| sink on porcelain legs, the icebox and a table that also | | | | For floor covering, designers often advocate |
| served as a workspace. Those that were refurbished | | | | hardwood. Linoleum, much maligned for years, is now |
| in the 1950s, '60s, or '70s typically held even less | | | | making a comeback. Virgin rolls of classic linoleum |
| appeal than those before. The countertop, tiles, and | | | | from previous decades can often be found at rescue |
| ceiling materials in them were no match visually to | | | | companies or at specialty stores. |
| the counterparts they replaced. Appliances were also | | | | On the ceiling, pressed metal makes quite a |
| disappointing at best with their drab colors. | | | | statement, especially when left in its natural condition. |
| Today we want to capture the flavor of the | | | | Another idea is to try heavy Anaglypta wallpaper, a |
| kitchens we imagine our great-grandparents cherished | | | | cream-colored wallpaper embossed in a wide variety |
| and enjoyed. Homey, cozy and full of the aroma of | | | | of classic patterns. It's not as expensive as pressed |
| excellent cooking. Fortunately, replicating the feel of a | | | | metal and once painted, achieves a much comparable |
| classic kitchen in a contemporary house has never | | | | effect. |
| been simpler. As demand for kitchen equipment with | | | | Discovering authentic looking cookers and also |
| a sheen of age has grown, so has the supply of | | | | refrigerators became easier in the mid Nineteen |
| period materials. Architectural reclamation, and | | | | Eighties when the rustic feel was blossoming. Our |
| properly designed replica hardware and domestic | | | | grandparents' stoves have often been refurbished |
| appliances are comparatively simple to locate. | | | | and are now much easier to find. No matches |
| Old-fashioned or antique items can be found by | | | | needed!. Though the majority of old stoves are |
| searching through advertisements in lots of interior | | | | white, some do crop up in cream, green, or cobalt |
| design magazines, asking at local antique shops and | | | | blue. Cooker hoods are tougher to find to match |
| architectural reclamation companies, and also at car | | | | your range since they weren't around one hundred |
| boot or yard sales | | | | years ago. Try buying wood and disguising it into the |
| Perhaps the greatest influence on any kitchen design | | | | upper cabinets. |
| are the cabinets. To give a kitchen a classic feeling, | | | | Classic style hardware is the icing on the cake for the |
| designers caution against filling the kitchen with | | | | implementation of your classic kitchen. Designers |
| fashionable built in units. Architectural reclamation | | | | suggest vintage brass, satin nickel or a black leaded |
| firms usually sell vintage units in wood or metal | | | | surface. |
| finishes. These units mix well with freestanding | | | | |