Old house, new kitchen: Cherry/soapstone

14 years ago

I've been a regular visitor to these pages in the last several months and learned so much. Ours is an old house (1900-ish) with small food prep area and butler's pantry and an adjoining morning room that was added in the mid-80s by a previous owner.

My kitchen is 99% done, and I just wanted to share a few photos because I've loved looking at the everyone else's photos on this forum as my kitchen came together. The forum has been both inspirational and informational. Thanks everyone!

Details

Cabinets: Natural cherry cabinets from local cabinetmaker

Cabinet Hardware from Restoration hardware, Ephraim knobs and pulls

Tile: Rixi Agata and Raffi Glass Basketweave Flowing Sea

Counters: from Albarene Soapstone Co, Climax; installed by Va Soapstone

Flooring: Porcelain tile, Caesar Glam Gala

Appliances: GE Profile

Faucet: Delta Allora

Lighting: Hudson Valley

Paint: BM Vale Mist

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Comments (15)

steff_1
14 years ago
Your kitchen is beautiful, love the floors.

Would love to see a closeup of that backsplash when you get a chance.
rjr220
14 years ago
Beautiful! Like steff, I would love to see more of the BS. I would just like to see more! And bigger pictures. And btw, my kitchen is currently in progress and it has many of the same features -- except that it's birch -- but same style, mostly same appliances, simular pendants. Makes me feel better about my choices, as your kitchen is beautiful. I even have a skylight!
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I have never seen Renovation Magazine...would it be at Books a Million ? I should be done looking at pics but just found the work table island design 2 days ago!! I had to revise a lot of the design when we gutted the areas to the left and right of the gas/coal fireplace insert. It is 10ft up and 5 1/2 feet wide and 3 ft deep on both sides. We are planning the coffee bar to the far left and the double ovens to the far right of these spaces. Then the areas adjacent to the now showing chimney will be open up to the ceiling and have art work from our hometown, New Orleans , hung there. We are going to use very subtle track lighting since I hate recessed cans and pendants won't work except over the island. We are using the porter pendant that has a counterweight so I can raise and lower as needed. I just loved looking at JG's book. I did borrow his design for a platerack and his wood countertops. Also we will have a wooden slatted drain shelf over the soapstone sink, that only Europeans do. Anyway, I run on and on about this. I can hardly wait til it is usable. The appliances will be here 7/18. Did you see my demolition pics I posted on the kitchen forum? It was last weekend. They are still around back a few pages. GOOD LUCK !!
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busybme, not kitchen obsessed, but having lived with the kitchen for several years, we knew exactly what we would do when the time came. Didn't think it would be in the budget for another year so we hadn't done any actual planning. We did ask a contractor to come in and give an estimate so we could get an idea about how much we would need. Well, it turns out the price was right (and he would give us additional savings if we could start in 2 weeks). We definitely benefitted from friends who recently did their kitchen. They recommended the armstrong dealer who sold the cabinets at a great price. We really didn't look anywhere else. Also DEFINETELY benefitted from gardenweb photos. We spent hours looking through photos (for backsplash patterns, faucets) once we decided to go ahead with the kitchen. Other than that, there really weren't a lot of decisions to make.
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Maybe you don't want to her this perspective and maybe it does not matter...but I'll preface it by saying I'm an old house snob. If I walked into a kitchen as described above I'd walk right out without seeing any more of the house :o( Now if this is a home you're going to keep for the rest of your life, maybe that isn't a big deal, but if there is any thought of ever selling a historic home, staying just a little on point historically is always a huge plus especially in a kitchen. The sink in the island is challenging visually for a historic home (pet peeve of mine) but that could be minimized somewhat if appropriate materials are used (ie painted cabinets and not the permiter in one color and the island in another which screams NOW). I'm not sure what concerns you have with seams, but something like marble or soapstone, even antiqued granite in a basic black would be much more appropriate, or the copper (which is gorgeous). Corian in a historic home pains me. heck it pains me in any home, but in a historic home the plastic look just screams "plastic" to me when the other finishes in an old home are considered. I wouldn't reduce the fridge size (one can never have too much LOL) especially if it's fridge and freezer. I regret having done that in our other house so my comment is colored with that regret. This is just my old house snob opinion formed after having looked at a lot of homes over the last two year and rejecting several with "new" kitchen they expected me to pay for that were going to be ripped out. Kitchens were deal killers in several houses and in the end we bought the house without one :)
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Ma wizz I've been enjoying seeing your kitchen finishes, ima a total junkie. I took the weekend off to install our hood, glad to hear it Daisy, ventahood was one of my gardenweb finds along with our bluestar. This was our scratch and sent eBay find, love it becasuse it has the dual blowers AND its's 27" deep. Cannot WAIT to test drive my new wok.
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teaforwendy
14 years ago
Beautiful! We need photos we can zoom in on to see your great details!
CA MacDonald
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the compliments! We like it too, and can't wait to move all the way in

Here are a couple photos of the tile. Unfortunately, the flash washes the color out a bit. The effect in real life is soft and subtle.
autumngal
14 years ago
Lovely kitchen! I love the diamond window in it, I'm assuming that's an original detail from the house? Regardless, it's such a neat touch in the kitchen. Enjoy!
zeebee
14 years ago
Wow. Your tile/stone choices - countertop, backsplash and flooring - are real standouts and work beautifully together. Nice job!
sabjimata
14 years ago
LOVE your floor. The unoiled soapstone looks spectacular!
antiquesilver
14 years ago
Beautiful, especially the soapstone & BS.

By any chance, does 'Ginterpark' refer to Ginter Park in Richmond?
CA MacDonald
Original Author
14 years ago
Antiquesilver,
Yes, I live in Richmond.
steff_1
14 years ago
That's a great backsplash. A beautiful application of that glass tile.
antiquesilver
14 years ago
Ginter, there aren't many on this forum from the area & you're the only other I've heard of from the older neighborhoods; I'm on Church Hill. Anyway...the glass in your backsplash is a truly spectacular accent.
clergychick
14 years ago
Gorgeous kitchen, ginterpark! I bet it's even better in person than the pictures, because I know how that Rixi tile just glows.

I'm in the middle of our remodel, and also selected Rixi Tile (Crema and Dore (cream and yellow)). The tile boxes say the tile must be sealed: do you know if that means before they are put in place and grouted (so they are sealed back and sides too) or only after? My GC may know, but he may not: I'd like to be sure in case he doesn't.
julie94062
14 years ago
Love your soapstone with the cherry cabinets (and everything else)! It's so exciting when everything is coming together and "almost done."

BTW, you'll love the Ephram pulls. Every time I open a cabinet or drawer, I think "they feel so good...I love them" (and it's been 7 months). Such a little thing, but they're really one of my favorite parts of the kitchen.

Enjoy your new kitchen...it's beautiful!
mikomum
14 years ago
love the cherry cabinets! I always want to cry when people stain cherry since the natural colors and grain are so pretty!
CA MacDonald
Original Author
14 years ago
Clergychick,
I love the Rixi tile too. My conscientious GC sealed them when he sealed the grout, I believe, so only the shiny side is sealed, not the back. (And that's what the tile sales lady said to do.) Good luck with finishing everything!

Julie94,,,,
The pulls are all in as of this afternoon, and I do like them. Maybe they were a bit of a splurge, but I needed several specific sizes and these fit the bill.

Old house, new kitchen: Cherry/soapstone

Comments (15)

steff_1

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Old house, new kitchen: Cherry/soapstone

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