Plain English / DeVol style kitchen on a budget?

2 months ago

Hi everyone - I’m the features editor for Off Duty, the Wall Street Journal’s weekend lifestyle section. I’m currently working on a design feature about the growing interest in Plain English / DeVol-style kitchens (especially since the release of the DeVol show on the Magnolia Network) — and some of the ways its possible to “hack” the look on a more modest budget. Part of my reporting is based on my own renovation experiences - but I’m also eager to hear from other designers and DIY-ers who are interested in, or have been working on similar projects.

If that’s you and you’re reading this, I’d love to hear from you! Promise, it will be painless :) You can message me here on Houzz or via my work email at Sarah.Karnasiewicz@dowjones.com

And of course, if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them!

Thanks, Sarah

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Colm
2 months ago
Hello Sarah,

I was working towards this look before before For the Love of Kitchens came out and I’ve visited the DeVOL showroom in NYC to also get details.

Here’s the information I have found so far.

For the DeVOL Shaker Cabinet / Drawer fronts - the rail / stiles measure 67 mm in width -so if you can find a cabinet maker to make it 67 - 70 mm - that will match to the look.

Smaller drawers by DeVOL tend to be flat-front as the rail / stiles won’t work here.

The cup style bin pulls are mounted on the rail / stile directly.

I’m saving money by doing the Shaker Drawer fronts in High grade MDF and boxes as Dovetailed Maple Drawers.

I have asked my cabinetmaker to use tongue and groove beadboard at the backs of all the top cabinets to match the DeVOL look.

The inside of my top cabinets are being painted lighter / or darker colour than the outside.

For top cabinets - they will all have reed glass inserts in place.

My island is being made open at the bottom at minimal cost to emulate free-standing furniture that is a DeVOL trademark.

For the famous DeVOL light fixtures - there is a great company out of the USA that does the same styles and it is all hand-crafted / old-school styles.

https://oldebricklighting.com

https://oldebricklighting.com/collections/farmhouse/products/beck-opal-gaselier-chandelier

I ordered this one and the company is fantastic - they were able to customize the light to fit my space / specifications at a much lower cost than DeVOL’s.

For the cabinet pulls / knobs - the best resource I found was a company out of the UK called Yesterhome. They make solid brass pulls / knobs for a very reasonable cost and much cheaper than here in the USA.

https://www.yesterhome.com

https://www.yesterhome.com/collections/classic-collection

For the cabinet / paints - I have used the Farrow and Ball paints where possible.

For my walls to get that British plaster finish that is neutral - I will be using BM Plaster of Paris CSP-185.

Countertop materials - I am using a natural stone - granite where possible or marble. As I have an older home - I’ll be avoiding Quartz as it doesn’t fit with the age.

Construction hasn’t started yet so no images to show - but should be done in Fall 2023.

Many thanks,

Colm
Kat Berkery
2 months ago
Hi @Colm im having an island made in plain English style by a local cabinet maker. What finish paint do you think is best to emulate the look? im using Benjamin Moore advance which comes in a matte finish or satin. matte seems very flat and satin too shiny. im thinking an eggshell from another product line may be better. Would love your insight! Which F&B finish would you use?
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Colm
2 months ago
Hi Kat, Thank you for asking. Have you tried the Pearl finish on Benjamin Moore Advance? It sits between the Eggshell and Satin sheen. What colour are you thinking? If you want to use Farrow and Ball they have a Estate Eggshell that would be good with a 20% sheen level. I would recommend to have your cabinet maker spray a few pieces of MDF at the different finish levels in your colour and look at them in the lghting you are going to have. I'm using Farrow and Ball in Satin sheen finish. The reason is the colours I am using are fairly dark on some of the cabinets (Studio Green No 93) so I wanted to get more depth from the light hitting the paint. Also the higher sheen level gives more durability to the cabinets in the kitchen. When I visited the DeVOL showroom in NYC, the cabinets had more a satin finish. Thank you, Colm.

Plain English / DeVol style kitchen on a budget?

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Colm

Kat Berkery

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