Empty 1880s Vermont farmhouse--where would you place furniture?
Got the keys this week to this 1880s Vermont farmhouse, and we don't want to move any furniture in before painting and planning carefully.
1) Kitchen
We'd like to add a small kitchen island, perhaps parallel to sink on other side of fridge with seating for at least two. Also want to add a dishwasher, remove the small white corner shelves and maybe replace with floating shelves along the fridge wall--could add a lower cabinet there, too. (Will likely replace cabinets and stove, fine to move nearly anything in the kitchen, though makes sense to leave sink where it is from a plumbing and window point of view.)
Unfortunately, low window is blocking several design options, but replacing it with a different window isn't in the budget for this house, which will largely be a rental. Big bulky green cabinet will be moved
2) Living/dining area
Could use the dining table seen in photo, or place a small round somewhere. More importantly, what kind of seating can we get in that "living room" space for three or so adults? A small couch and a chair? Three chairs? We will likely convert the first floor bedroom to a family room, so we will have an alternate seating area for a comfy couch and chairs, but if we could have some appealing seating off the kitchen that would be great. Alternatively, kitchen can extend into that living room space and island could be lengthwise and bigger to seat four.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Comments (15)
6 months agoThe floor plan you posted does not reflect your current kitchen, does not give accurate room measurements or reflect the locations of windows. Most of our space people will move on when they see: 1. the space, 2. the lack of numbers, and 3. the word ”island.” Check out the New to Kitchens thread to see what information they will need in order to help you out.
The sort of bad news is numbers or not, you don’t have room for an island with seating for anyone, and can’t really add cabinets to either side wall because of various issues I can see already.
The sort of good news is that once you replace the cabinets on the back wall put in new, smaller range (24”), smaller sink and maybe an 18” dishwasher, you’re probably done. Your focus might be to make that kitchen beautiful, new, and petite (think, Ikea Enhet) and place some extra storage where that green thing is. Give us an actual floor plan and we’ll let you know for sure.
6 months agolast modified: 6 months agoI'd choose IKEA Vedhamn in European Oak to go with those floors. Drawer unit base cabs. 24" sink base will fit a 24" single bowl with a 21" interior width.
Find out about VEDHAMN oak kitchen fronts - IKEA
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Comments (33)Hmmm, here in New England many of our houses definitely meet the definition of "old". From mid-eighteenth century on...yep, that's "old". Creepy? Some of the basements in these homes have to be seen to be believed. I'm just the opposite of you. I'm strongly attracted to the "old". They talk to me. I love running my hands over the old timbers. I'm also quite sure you'd find our furnishings "old" since they are mostly from that eighteenth century time-frame. We have a few "newer" pieces...as in c. 1800-1835. Even our dishes can be dated to c. 1848-1850. Every time I reach for a plate I think about all of the historical conversations they've witnessed over their lives. When I clean the pre-Revolution corner cupboard that stores those dishes I think about women washing dishes together and, in hushed voices so as not to be overheard by the men, talking about whether war will come soon. Every morning as I'm rummaging for a pair of clean socks in my c. 1825 New York City dresser I think about the woman who was fortunate enough to have such a lovely piece & wonder what she thought about as she looked in the dresser's mirror by the candlelight coming from the attached candle arms. Was she happy? Did she love the beautiful mahagony dresser as much as I? Did her husband commission it or was it a dowery gift from her father? It's no ordinary dresser so I know there's a story being hidden in one of the secret drawers. My DH loves his collection of 17th & 18th century wine glasses & flips & I know he frequently wonders about their previous owners & ponders what history they have been privvy to overhear. The very fact that a fragile glass with its 7" air-twist stem is still here after 300 years says that we are not the only people who have treasured its beauty & grace. I've got one shelf in an old bookcase that's known as my "archaeology" museum. Here in New England, it's common to find pits & pieces of other people's lives buried in your gardens. I've got the handle to a redware pitcher, several keys of varying designs/sizes, half a dozen intact bottles, many pottery shards (a couple large enough I've been able to identify their patterns), & lots of other fun stuff. My dream home would be a 17th century cape anywhere along coastal New England...as long as nobody had "gutted" it's interior and history. So, there's somebody for most all types of houses. Some like only new...never used by anybody but them. Others, like me, seek out the old. If I purchased a home that had been furnished with "old" stuff...I'd be very anxious to see what they'd missed & left behind for me when moving out! (grin) /tricia...See MoreSlightly OT: in limbo, discouraged...what would you do?
Comments (14)Dear all--thank you so much for these responses. I knew I could count on GWers for wisdom. This situation is ripe for overthinking, something I am much prone to anyway...it is really fascinating to me how these issues of home, personified in the kitchen, are really so deep and wide. I want to respond to each individually but everything seems to be intersecting--so this is for all of you--an I'd love to keep the conversation going-- first things first--jaeedwards, you are absolutely right, and one thing that slows me down is this guilt I feel that I sometimes lose sight of what really matters. It is hard to tease apart materialism from practicality from real need sometimes. But something you said really made a practical point to me--one of the main things I want IS a table!!! Right now we usually sit crammed around the island with our knees squished, and everyone leaves too soon because we're uncomfortable--so that is in my top three--because that IS where memories are made. The more practical I can be, the better. I am trying to say to myself, we are so blessed, this is a wonderful house, life is good, a few changes would make things a little easier, and sooner or later we will move because it's practical and life will continue to be good. As a friend of mine said to me recently, we have privileged problems. Pbris--yay--okay, I think I'm going to use that copper hood, darn it! Seriously, after reading what you said I am fairly certain that most of the changes we want to make are really just for us. That's why the giant bids stopped us short. I think this house is just about maxed out in terms of value, and spending $220K (yes, that's what the bids were!) makes no sense. So--Bmore and cooksnsews--we need to figure out what we would spend on ourselves. (This is where DH and I might have some problems--he is an ascetic Yankee and I am a hedonistic southerner, LOL) Actually, when I think about it, if I just painted the cabinets white I would be so much happier! Farmhouse--what you say makes a lot of sense--unfortunately the two bids were quite close. That's why I got so discouraged--I assumed the first one was just insane and the second would be more realistic. What I am thinking is we should do minor things, and make sure that nothing we do precludes something bigger later, if we decided to really stay. It is weird though when you suddenly start thinking about moving...your heart isn't in the work as much. Mamadada, you understand these crazy MA prices!! We are lucky in that our home has basically held its value (down a little from the crazy inflated values of a year or two ago, but still a lot more than we paid for it). About yards, I am actually a fan of small gardens...they are much less overwhelming and I can be sort of OCD and pluck every stray blade of grass :). But my ever-larger sons really want room for the pitchback and a basketball hoop... I did go to some open houses on Sunday. It was educational. One of them was this lovely Victorian but walking into it just made me tired...I could just feel things breaking as I stood there! I think our next house (if there is one) might be of a more recent vintage. That or already COMPLETELY overhauled (dreaming...). Thank you all again. This forum is wonderful....See MoreHow Would You Handle This Living Room/Dining In Farmhouse Theme?
Comments (66)Justin, we built a house in 1985 that reminds me a lot of your house. I really struggled with finding and placing furnishings that fit the scale and drama and rather oddly shaped spaces ( that we specified). We now live in a small farmhouse on a small horse farm. White plastered walls, white painted trim.Much easier. May I suggest you look at Texas Hill Country farmhouses for inspiration? They tend to be strongly defined but simple, sometimes incorporating "Spanish" elements, if you like those. ( This is kind of random, I do think your front door should be changed. It doesn't seem to fit either farmhouse or the house, in my opinion. You can do better.) PS. In this soaring space, pay close attention to your fixture choices. I think the one shown in this Hill Country house would fit well, for example, but the right scale, no matter the style, will really make a difference....See MoreRelated Professionals
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This is what the IKEA planner gave me. Again, hypothetical. Tall cabinets would be where that green cabinet is now, technically in the dining/living space..
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Ok Nellie S & Co., back! Please forgive, allni have atm (vacation) is a ruler!Ohhhh sndca nephew--Sharpie lol! 🍁❤️
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