I can see doing a wider french doored (or pocket french doored) opening to the left to increase the accessibility of the kitchen to the rest of the house, but PLEASE do not make the mistake of "opening up all the walls" in this home! Part of any older home's charm is the distinct closed off rooms that are cozy discoveries. If you do the fireplace "keeping area" in the lower ceilinged part, that will be the most highly sought after gathering spot in the house and you won't want or need to "open it up" to any other room. It will be a destination area. A retreat. As far as layout, it's a no brainer than the sink can go along the right where the tall windows are currently located and the range and fridge can go on the opposite wall. I like the idea of a farm table in the middle, but my back does not if you would use it as a prep area! I would need a 24"x36" prep area that was at least 36"-38" tall. Now, if the farm table were to be T'd off of that prep area, that would be the best of both worlds. That prep area could be a chunky created butcher block, or other antique cabinet. Good luck shopping! I think that's more than half of the fun of an unfitted kitchen.

White paint was too expensive except for the best parts of the house. The inventories for the neighborhood houses (1830s-40s) list a (cheaper) trim color called stone or buff, that was probably a warm light grey, and this is supported by some of the lowest layers of paint on my woodwork. (On the third floor) The hidden portion of my pocket shutters was an ochery light gold kind of color, and it appeared to be a single layer of paint. However, since this surface was hidden when open and faced out when covering the windows it lends credence to the theory that they may have been white and this is how the 170 year old paint oxidized. I did pick a dark charcoal grey as one of my cabinet colors, but more to match the black&gold marble fireplaces than to be "period". So while I do agree that a second color may be good for the unfitted look, maybe not something as strong as black necessarily. As far as the baseboards go, a paint analysis of Lemon Hill, a Federal house here, indicated that there was a dark brown band painted around the entire perimeter of the room corresponding with the lower portion of the baseboard, the doors and their surrounds and the mantlepieces, as if a level line had been painted around the entire room without regard to what detail it was going on. This was apparently done because the floors were mopped or swept with sand and the dark band camouflaged spatter.

Not likely. I use organic methods. I suppose it is possible that a neighbor uses it, but my garden beds are not very close to my neighbor's yard.

Oh, my, the trim work on the outside is wonderful, and I am in love with the bay dormers! The mirrored fireplaces are surely not original, and yet...very cool. The preconfederation/modern thing going on reminds me of a neighborhood near me. The handsome houses were built in the late 1800s for military officers and new owners could not change the original portions which are, of course, incompatible with the way we live now. So the additions (which have to match the original house on the outside) are where the families really live, and are whatever style they want on the inside. Leaving the original portions to be the study, home office, or for decorating. Kind of a waste. But like the Halifax house, being on the water trumps everything, in my book!