Historic Home Gets A New Kitchen

In a historic neighborhood, urban professional Eric Copper decides to renovate the kitchen of his newly purchased cottage, giving it a modern rebirth with homage to its past.

By: Lillian Hayes Martin

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Lacking Personalization

Homeowner Eric Copper loved the original moldings and arches found throughout his historical house, but he was a gourmet chef and knew that the kitchen needed to be completely redone to make it his own.

Old and New

Bringing the home into the 21st century while retaining its original character became the goal of the renovation.

Perfect Combination

A mix of modern conveniences, contemporary touches and cottage style makes this gourmet kitchen cozy and sophisticated. Clean lines, warm colors and a more functional floor plan make for a beautiful new kitchen.

Plenty of Room

An oversized, under-mount sink with a stainless steel draining tray works great for chefs using large pots and pans.

Shine On

Glass-encased brushed nickel pendants hang suspended over the island. The industrial-style fixtures are small but make a bold design statement. Halogen bulbs are ideal for crisp, clean lighting.

Attention to Detail

3/4-inch beaded screen molding, attached to the front edge of the shelves, customizes the interior of the cabinets. Further customize by painting the molding the same color as the cabinets.

Colors of the Rainbow

Known for iridescent streaks, Labradorite granite looks almost three-dimensional. Slivers and shards of copper, gold, blue and black make the green granite shimmer when lit.

Bold in Bronze

Classic bronze knobs on the cabinets echo the vintage feel of the home. The dark color contrasts nicely with the light color of the cabinets.

Maximum Use

When redesigning a smaller kitchen, every inch of storage counts. A corner cabinet, tricked out with a lazy susan brings everything within reach and makes it extra hard working. Coincidentally, the arches on the bottom of the stove match arches found throughout the house.

Double Dishes

A two-drawer dishwasher gives Eric greater flexibility when doing small amounts of dishes. If you have a large load, segregate china and crystal for less chance of breakage.

No Space Wasted

Eric created a bar with the found space under the stairs. Glass-door upper cabinets, which were custom made, mix stylistically with a glass-topped counter, 3-D glass backsplash and under-the-counter refrigerator.

Secret Storage

Maximizing storage can be a fun challenge. The cabinet maker constructed a door to a hidey hole under the stairs to look like the rest of the cabinetry in the kitchen.

Prefessional Help

Moving the stairs increased the size of the kitchen and enhanced the flow of traffic. The plans changed the upstairs load, requiring the consultation of a structural engineer.

Retro Appeal

A six-burner, 30-inch freestanding dual fuel range and hood anchors the wall. The retro styling keeps with the feel of the house and adds a playful element to the powerful appliance. A pot filler on the wall lives within easy reach.

3D Backsplash

Sheets of three dimensional, chiseled-edge cut glass tiles create a show stopping statement at the bar. The back of the glass is painted taupe, mixing seamlessly with the color scheme of grays and greens.

Edgy Look

Glass will automatically reflect the colors that surround it. Here, under cabinet lighting makes the cut glass tile backsplash pop, highlighting the different tile widths.