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Renovation Novice Seeking Advice, Pretty Please

12 years ago

Hello to all,

First, I'd like to thank everyone on these forums as I have been trolling them for three months and have been illuminated on any number of subjects. I love that folks are so sharing with their experiences and knowledge.

First, a little background. We bought our very sweet 1890 Victorian six years ago. We live in a lovely old Revolutionary War town and our house is in the historic district. It's a three story, skinny but very charming house. We've had a lot of work done to the exterior including an entire new roof (they took the old one down to the rafters) and an insanely labor intensive historical restoration paint job which basically consisted of removing every speck of paint from the house and starting anew. The crew took months, but did a fabulous job.

Luckily, the inside of our house is in pretty good shape. I painted every room, but all in all, it was okay - with the exception of the dated kitchen, which, though sort of sweet with its fifties style knotty pine cabinets, really needed a lift. We're going with some really gorgeous distressed black cabinets, a marble counter top, white subway tile, cork floors, a copper sink and a copper ceiling. We have great Southern exposure and big windows which overlook our nice yard with a beautiful restored old shed from the mid 1800's and then a block away, a two hundred and fifty year year old beautiful old Revolutionary War Tavern. The view is nice, worth the price of the house really!

The kitchen is basically an L but we've worked a 42" peninsula into it to give me more room to work. There are four doors. I'm a serious cook so this renovation is really exciting!

I'm basically looking for some ideas for high end cabinet hardware, lighting, a faucet and some paint color ideas.

For the hardware, I am considering copper to tie with the ceiling and the sink. What do you folks think of that? Also, can you suggest a good hardware manufacturer?

For lighting, I am considering some black metal pendants, very old school.

The faucet is giving me a headache because I want a double handle and my husband is moaning about having two handles. Mind you, he's a lovely guy, but this will have no impact on his life. He doesn't cook at all. In any case, I'll wear him down on the type, but what do you think about the color or finish. Black, antique bronze?

Finally, what color would you be considering if you were in my place? Farrow & Ball sells a color called Dorset cream, which is a warm, rich cream. Our kitchen is the heart of the home and I want it to be warm. Any ideas? Benjamin Moore has a color called sweet butter that is similar, but I really like Farrow & Ball and might splash out on it.

I realize I've thrown a lot out here. Thanks for any & all ideas! Again, I have really appreciated going through the forums!

Jane

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Comments (11)

mtnrdredux_gw
12 years ago
First, your home and project sound so lovely! We want pictures. Second, I love your choices

Are you using all distressed black cabs? Any glass? Even with good light, that might overwhelm a bit.

Re FAUCETS: I would throw in something other than copper, to mix it up a bit. Aged brass or ORB. I have Herbeau bridge faucets in my kitchen and powder room and I love the french red and blue "hot and cold" disks. If your sink is big enough, you can do what we did. We have two kitchen faucets. One is a bridge and one is not (its the Herbeau faucet that looks like a gearshift?)

Re: PAINT Some will disagree, but you may want to try copying an FnB color if you dont want to splurge on their paint. Once you choose a color, get a sample pot of FnB and get a color match in a less costly paint and try them on your wall to see if you care or not. I used all FnB shades of white and cream in my home and I just love pretty much everything on the first panel of their fold our card!
Pointing, Lime, White Tie, etc.

I used Farrow's Cream in my vestibule, entry, and LR in my old house and it reads a very pretty yellow (and that is one shade lighter then Dorset Cream). Try not to get sidetracked by the names --- Dorset Cream sounds great, but it is yellow not cream IMHO.

RE; HARDWARE I don't see people mix nickel much with copper, that I recall. So while I think copper hardware would be too much, nickel may look wrong and orb wont show up. Maybe ceramic? These Anthroplogie pulls are very cool. I used a lot of their hardware throughout my house. Holds up poorly but looks good doing it ... Or get custom knobs with prints of any kind from Etsy or Monkeyshines

http://www.etsy.com/shop/monkeyshines
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: id love these on black cabs, though they dont hold up well
remodelfla
12 years ago
For hardware I'd suggest looking at Horton Brasses. Somewhat pricey; but they cater to this look and will customize.
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rococogurl
12 years ago
Sounds like you have a lovely project. With any of the dark finishes I like to have integral metals -- not coated finishes though some are very good.

Rocky Mountain Hardware makes bronze in several different tones and their quality is tops. I've used them in two homes now and while some of their styles are stylized they have a Mushroom Knob (p 2 of the knobs) in a coppery bronze that I just love. They would be gorgeous with black, as you'll see. I've ordered them from Cape Cod Brass twice now and used CC for all my hardware -- they have a range of other good brands.

Re F&B, I've worked extensively with their paint and it's my go-to brand for interior work. Depending on location, the Farrow's Cream can look like a parchment yellow or much more aggressively egg yolky. Alternately House White is very warm as is New White, which has an umber undertone and White Tie is an elegant ivory. Love their coatings, great to work with and the color complexity is terrific. They hold up beautifully and while people color match them that loses the complexity of undertone in paint with 8-12 pigments when color matching with only 3-4. Only 1 other paint has a similar surface quality in the matte (Estate Emulsion) finish and I really appreciate the effect on old walls. If there are plaster walls in your home you will see that most.

I love a pull down faucet and Rohl has dark finishes in some of their styles though their bridge faucet is classic.

Good luck with your choices! Would love to see the exterior paint job you mentioned if you feel like posting a pic. I so respect restoration and preservation of our visual heritage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rocky Mountain Hardware
marcolo
12 years ago
Look at the pictures in this thread and see if any float your boat.
potterstreet
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks to everyone who responded! I appreciate your advice and positive reinforcement.

Someone asked for pics of the exterior. Would I put them here or should I put them elsewhere.

rococogurl, I am in agreement about the Farrow and Ball. We do have plaster walls. When I first started painting the interior, I used home depot paint. That lasted approximately one gallon and then went over to Benjamin Moore and haven't looked back. If you're going to all the trouble of painting, you should use the very best.

One more quick question - would you go with black metal pendants - very classic looking - nothing trendy. (I hate trendy with a burning hot passion)

Thanks again. Loving Garden Web!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Circus Peanut
12 years ago
If they still make it, I can warmly recommend the Kohler Essex as a gorgeous 2-handled faucet that's vintage-looking without being too trendy. It's on my prep sink; my guy loathes side sprayers, otherwise I'd have it at both sinks just for the looks. It's in "Vibrant Brazen Bronze" which resonates well with my copper countertops & knobs, but isn't that dark fakey black of some ORB finishes:
powermuffin
12 years ago
I bet your home is wonderful! And I am glad that you are respecting it history.
David T Smith has some awesome period kitchens for ideas.

Also for lighting:
http://www.rejuvenation.com/antique/index.html

And the House of Antique Hardware:
http://houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/sc.9/category.-109/.f

What fun you are going to have restoring your kitchen!
Diane

Here is a link that might be useful: Old house eye candy
rococogurl
12 years ago
potterstreet, no idea what your room looks like so cannot comment on pendant finish.

If you like Moore paint expect you'd find F&B even more luxurious in terms of surface.

Most here upload photos to a service like Photobucket then use the direct link and add them here with no space as follows:

The little icon is because there's no link. Photos should show up when you hit preview.
marcydc
12 years ago
Take a look at Waterstone faucets. They have some really cool finishes.

Your house sounds lovely!

Here is a link that might be useful: waterstone
rococogurl
12 years ago
Sorry, the coding got activated. Duh.

It's open brace img src=
then insert direct link immediately after the = and end with closed braces. no spaces

open brace is made by shift-comma and closed brace made by shift-period.
potterstreet
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks to all! Farrow and Ball it is then!!!

Here's a before of the exterior

here's a few in progress pics

here's a few almost finished pics --

i had fun decorating at christmas

Here's an after of the shed - we're having the cupola remade now and also installing a new tin roof --- (can't find a before

and last, but not least, here's a picture of the gorgeous table, my wonderful husband made for us!!

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