| renovation of old homes is a favorite conversation | | | | metal finishes. These units blend well with |
| for owners of vintage houses but rarely do you hear | | | | freestanding vintage or reproduction pieces. An |
| talk about a kitchen restored to its former glory. | | | | antique dresser or a dry sink adds charm in addition |
| Those beautiful historic homes we have grown to | | | | to semi-customized items like plate racks and open |
| cherish and respect didn't have the sort of kitchens | | | | shelving. Painted wood units might warp when |
| we count on today. Unrestored historic kitchens at | | | | stripped so the recommendatrion is to check out one |
| present are obsolete, inefficient and poorly laid out. | | | | cabinet door first. Metallic cabinets should be stripped, |
| In a typical prewar house kitchens were work places | | | | polished, and lacquered to prevent them from rusting. |
| plain and simple. Every little thing within the kitchens | | | | Stone counter tops are suitable for old style kitchens |
| was freestanding from the large cast iron stove, the | | | | as long as the stone is honed to a soft finish, not |
| sink on porcelain legs, the icebox and a table that also | | | | shiny and modern. Vermont soapstone is one |
| served as a workspace. Those that were refurbished | | | | well-liked choice. |
| in the 1950s, '60s, or '70s often held even less appeal | | | | For floor covering, designers normally advocate |
| than the ones before. The countertop, flooring, and | | | | hardwood. Linoleum, much maligned for years, is now |
| ceiling materials in them were no match visually to | | | | becoming fashionable again. Unused rolls of vintage |
| the counterparts they replaced. Appliances were also | | | | linoleum from previous decades can often be found |
| uninspiring at best with their drab colors. | | | | at reclamation firms or at specialty companies. |
| Nowadays we want to capture the look and feel of | | | | On the ceiling, is an attractive and rather unique |
| the kitchens we envisage our grandparents cherished | | | | choice, particularly when left in its raw state. As an |
| and enjoyed. Homey, cozy and crammed with the | | | | alternative, try heavy Anaglypta wallpaper, a |
| smell of good cooking. Happily, replicating the mood | | | | cream-coloured wallpaper stamped in a variety of |
| of a vintage kitchen in an existing space has never | | | | period patterns. It is not as expensive as pressed |
| been less complicated. As demand for kitchen | | | | metal and as soon as it's painted, achieves a much |
| equipment with a sheen of age has grown, so has | | | | similar effect. |
| the supply of period materials. Architectural salvage, | | | | Finding authentic looking cookers and refrigerators |
| and well designed reproduction hardware and | | | | became simpler in the mid Eighties when the rustic |
| appliances are relatively simple to find . Old-fashioned | | | | look was growing. Our grandparents' cookers have |
| or antique pieces can be discovered by perusing | | | | often been renovated and are now much easier to |
| advertisements in lots of home design magazines, | | | | find. No matches needed!. Although most old stoves |
| asking at neighborhood antique shops and | | | | are white, some occasionally turn up in cream, green, |
| architectural reclamation companies, and also at car | | | | or cobalt blue. Hoods are harder to discover to |
| boot or yard sales | | | | complement your stove since they weren't around |
| Cabinets, more than any other single part of the | | | | one hundred years ago. Try buying wood and mixing |
| project, decide the feel and feel of a kitchen. To | | | | it into the upper cabinets. |
| impart a historic feel to a kitchen, designers are | | | | Vintage style hardware is the icing on the cake for |
| generally not in favour of filling the kitchen with | | | | the completion of your classic kitchen. Designers |
| trendy built in units. Architectural reclamation | | | | advocate vintage brass, satin nickel or a black leaded |
| companies often have vintage units in wooden or | | | | texture. |