I LOVE the way your kitchen sounds! Totally ideal -- recognizing it's a twenty-first century remodel while respecting the Victorian heritage.

Caveat: I'm a big fan of a cool (as in cool colors) kitchen: my kitchen is white perimeter, white marble countertops / backsplash, (some) stainless appliances and grey walls / ceiling. What you're describing is totally up my alley!

So I live in a ten year-old house -- nothing special to respect (design-wise) here! And while I wanted a traditional kitchen (which makes sense with the remodel we did throughout the house), I also didn't want it to look ridiculous or twee. We have a stainless apron front sink and a commercial style faucet, and if just for those two pieces I think it elevates our kitchen to a "makes sense" standard. I'm not sure that sentence makes sense, but what I mean is: it's clear the remodel was recent (as in earlier this year), and we're not trying to fool anyone. But really, our goal was to have a kitchen which yes, looks pretty but which really works like a dream. For us, the big stainless apron front sink does just that. For us, the commercial style faucet does just that.

I happen to love stainless countertops. They are insanely practical and gorgeous. I also happen to love soapstone. I mean, what's not to love? But there are pros and cons for both (and many threads addressing those pros and cons already exist here on GW, so I won't attempt to summarize them here), and only you can know what you're willing / able to live with.

For example, most people oil their soapstone. That can be a laborious process -- are you up to it? Stainless is known for scratching and can be irritating for some in the beginning, when the scratching process is just starting. After a while, the scratching tends to be uniform so it's no longer visible. (I think someone here with stainless countertops had them abraded before installation.)

We have polished nickel bin pulls (and appliance handles) and glass knobs and I love them. I think they're beautiful and sparkly, but other hardware can be and is gorgeous as well. Is this something on which you need to decide right now? I wonder if the longer your new plan can gestate the more the hardware choice will make itself known to you ....

I'm about to turn into a pumpkin but I had to pipe in because I am crazy about your proposed kitchen!

I love the 'historic with industrial undertones!' Someone just posted a 'Victorian' kitchen that I think did some of that quite well. (if no one finds it for you by tomorrow, I'll try to find and link it...I have kids that should be in bed and aren't, so I should 'play mom' and am writing quickly) Had to say that I love my section of stainless counter and would certainly consider having it everywhere. I think 'patina'd' stainless can look warmer, or, at least, a little vintage...Kind of like zinc? which has an old-timey feel to it.

Sounds wonderful, Victoriajane. I'd go for the stainless. It's such a wonderful counter material and perfect for the look you want.

My almost-favorite kitchen of all I've had was original bungalow, with gray linoleum on the floor and little sink counter, creamy white paint on everything that could be painted, including built-in hutch, and stainless steel on the work counter (not adjacent to anything at all but added later and unusually spacious and wonderful). This separate room had only one tiny window, a single light in the middle of the ceiling, and no place to sit down, but strange as it might sound was very warm and pleasant to be in.

OH! I used to have a picture of a kitchen that was just that and it was inspired by an actual historic industrial looking kitchen (I think Edwardian?). I'll have to see if I can find that.

In any case I really think what you described would be a great kitchen for your house. Stainless steel countertops are very practical and I think would look nice too. You might want to throw in some wood somewhere to warm up the stainless a bit.

I think it sounds wonderful, with or without the changes. I think either way, you are going to very pleased with your design(s) and materials.

On the stainless counter tops, I was told that if we got some horrendous scratch that we just couldn't live with, they could come and sand/smooth it out, so that is nice to know. We do have very small and insignificant scratches which do not take away from the look and I don't even notice them and I am VERY picky. Just so you know, if you (or your kids!) slide a plate across the stainless, it will scratch - itty bitty, generally, depending on the roughness of the bottom of whatever. I did talk with my older kids on how to be kind to the surfaces. A few weeks ago one daughter ended up gouging our marble island with a knife about 10 times (ouch!!!) but fortunately, it is okay and looks like natural marks in the stone. We had yet another talk about using cutting boards when using a knife!

You are off to a great start!

Thanks for the positive feedback, everyone. Mom2lilenj, if you can find the picture, I'd love to see it. Right now it's just a glimmer of a concept in my mind and I have so much trouble visualizing how something will look before I actually see it. And I completely agree with you, a wood floor will warm it up. We are in the process of choosing our wood. We are considering going with a pine or fir. Anyone want to talk us out of a soft wood?:) Prettykitty, I don't think the scratches on the stainless would bother me. I'm pretty sure I can't go wrong with either soapstone or stainless. I'm just trying to imagine how each would change the tone of the kitchen. The soapstone would be warmer, but more rustic. And with marble on the black island and soapstone on the white perimeter cabs, would it look too, I don't know, matchy-matchy? OTOH, I'm concerned that with the stainless counter , we would now have a little too much metal, along with the fixtures and appliances. But there is something about stainless that says vintage to me , as well, and I love how practical and no-nonsense it is, you know?

I'm sorry I can't seem to find it. I think it was some remodeling magazine on line. Unfortunately I didn't bookmark it because it wasn't the look I was going for, but I do remember it as being neat. I'll try to describe it.

It was a basement kitchen in a late 1900's city home. They called it Edwardian style and the kitchen was an example of a very modern (at the time) industrial revolutionary kitchen. The old picture was of the stove wall. There was a hot water heater on the left, large range in the center and exposed pipes in the corner to the right all under a HUGE hood. The hood was shaped like prettykitty's but larger (like 7' wide) and went up to the ceiling. They kept the hood and inserted a new exhaust system. They then put in a professional looking range (48" I think) with stainless countertops on either side (I don't recall what the cabients were made of) and open shelves above. Then in the corner where the pipes where they put a pot rack make of copper pipes with non-operational valves.

I also remember it had lots of windows along the right wall, which they opened up to a new breakfast room. And there was a large work table in the center of the kitchen. It was what you might call a modern kitchen, but it looked similar to the old picture, which is why I think I remembered to so much.