Kitchen of the Week: Renewed Vintage Style for a 1905 Bungalow
A 100-square-foot Texas kitchen gets a cozy eat-in area and a historic feel with subtle modern updates
Old Meets New
“We wanted the kitchen to feel familiar, like your grandma’s kitchen, but at the same time feel fresh,” Curtis says. The white enamel Ilve stove recalls a time past, but its beautiful Italian styling also gives it an updated look. She chose a fridge in a white enamel finish to match. It is just out of frame on the left, and the sink is just out of frame on the right, forming a practical work triangle with the range while leaving ample counter space around it.
The history of Shaker-style cabinetry makes it appropriate for a vintage-style kitchen, while its unfussy, straight-lined profile also leans modern. Unlacquered brass hardware lends a warm vintage vibe. Although the floors were too damaged by past renovations for restoration, Curtis replaced them with pine boards that look as though they’ve been here since 1905. The charmingly irregular boards on the ceiling are original to the home and simply received a fresh coat of paint. “The old cracked and worn boards were perfect; we did not want a ceiling that looked shiny and new,” she says.
In addition to cultivating a vintage look with a few modern nods, Curtis wanted to stay away from today’s biggest trends and instead opt for unexpected design elements that she knew would have classic staying power. For the backsplash, for example, she chose 4-by-4-inch white tiles in a running bond pattern instead of the expected subway tile. And while she often recommends minimalist floating shelves in her projects, she put open cabinet boxes on both sides of the stove. Inspired by her grandmother’s freestanding kitchen cupboard, she also sat a cabinet atop the counter on the right. “I love symmetry, but throwing it off felt more vintage,” she says.
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“We wanted the kitchen to feel familiar, like your grandma’s kitchen, but at the same time feel fresh,” Curtis says. The white enamel Ilve stove recalls a time past, but its beautiful Italian styling also gives it an updated look. She chose a fridge in a white enamel finish to match. It is just out of frame on the left, and the sink is just out of frame on the right, forming a practical work triangle with the range while leaving ample counter space around it.
The history of Shaker-style cabinetry makes it appropriate for a vintage-style kitchen, while its unfussy, straight-lined profile also leans modern. Unlacquered brass hardware lends a warm vintage vibe. Although the floors were too damaged by past renovations for restoration, Curtis replaced them with pine boards that look as though they’ve been here since 1905. The charmingly irregular boards on the ceiling are original to the home and simply received a fresh coat of paint. “The old cracked and worn boards were perfect; we did not want a ceiling that looked shiny and new,” she says.
In addition to cultivating a vintage look with a few modern nods, Curtis wanted to stay away from today’s biggest trends and instead opt for unexpected design elements that she knew would have classic staying power. For the backsplash, for example, she chose 4-by-4-inch white tiles in a running bond pattern instead of the expected subway tile. And while she often recommends minimalist floating shelves in her projects, she put open cabinet boxes on both sides of the stove. Inspired by her grandmother’s freestanding kitchen cupboard, she also sat a cabinet atop the counter on the right. “I love symmetry, but throwing it off felt more vintage,” she says.
Find brass cabinet hardware in the Houzz Shop
She also used quartz that looks like marble for the countertops.
Deep Green Color
The Sherwin-Williams Foxhall Green on the cabinetry has a vintage feeling, as a similar shade might have been used in a bungalow back in 1905. “Red and green work really great together even when it’s not Christmas, which is why we chose this antique Turkish rug,” Curtis says. The well-worn piece adds pleasing pattern and color to the floor without overwhelming the room. And it can take on spills and heavy foot traffic.
The homeowners chose deep drawers instead of cabinet doors for more ergonomic and practical storage for pots, pans and other items. Their utensil caddy fits perfectly in one of the drawers, and they pull it out and place it on the counter when cooking.
Read about more kitchens that bring the green
The Sherwin-Williams Foxhall Green on the cabinetry has a vintage feeling, as a similar shade might have been used in a bungalow back in 1905. “Red and green work really great together even when it’s not Christmas, which is why we chose this antique Turkish rug,” Curtis says. The well-worn piece adds pleasing pattern and color to the floor without overwhelming the room. And it can take on spills and heavy foot traffic.
The homeowners chose deep drawers instead of cabinet doors for more ergonomic and practical storage for pots, pans and other items. Their utensil caddy fits perfectly in one of the drawers, and they pull it out and place it on the counter when cooking.
Read about more kitchens that bring the green
As for the open shelves, Curtis carefully considered them with practicality in mind. While items admittedly were shuffled around a little for this photo, these are the exact items the couple keep in the shelves all the time. Their everyday bowls and plates and their most-used cookbooks have been assigned places within easy reach. A step stool lives in the pantry for when they need to access the higher shelves and cabinets for lesser-used items like the cake stand.
A Surprising Sink
A globe pendant over the sink fits in with vintage style, but its simple shape is modern.
Once again, Curtis skirted the expected look, in this case an apron-front farmhouse sink, and suggested a more streamlined undermount porcelain sink instead. The faucet’s profile has vintage style, but its single-hole mount and pull-down sprayer are subtle modern updates.
Browse glass globe pendant lights on Houzz
A globe pendant over the sink fits in with vintage style, but its simple shape is modern.
Once again, Curtis skirted the expected look, in this case an apron-front farmhouse sink, and suggested a more streamlined undermount porcelain sink instead. The faucet’s profile has vintage style, but its single-hole mount and pull-down sprayer are subtle modern updates.
Browse glass globe pendant lights on Houzz
Curtis kept the charming original bungalow door, adding a coat of black paint and new unlacquered brass hardware to match the rest of the room.
Now comes the pièce de résistance — the cozy eat-in area in the corner. By designing a built-in bench, Curtis saved valuable inches, and the paint color matches the cabinets across the room. The iron-and-marble table and caned bentwood chairs were both vintage finds. The black-and-brass pendant sneaks in another more modern element.
When it comes to finding the right table, the designer advises marking the outlines of the table and the bench in tape on the floor. “If you don’t get the scale between the table and the bench or banquette right, it all looks off,” she says.
The oval table’s rounded corners made for the best fit here. “Designing a small kitchen was an incredible opportunity to be thoughtful about everything,” Curtis says.
Takeaways
When it comes to finding the right table, the designer advises marking the outlines of the table and the bench in tape on the floor. “If you don’t get the scale between the table and the bench or banquette right, it all looks off,” she says.
The oval table’s rounded corners made for the best fit here. “Designing a small kitchen was an incredible opportunity to be thoughtful about everything,” Curtis says.
Takeaways
- Open cabinet boxes are a nice vintage-style compromise between minimalist floating shelves and traditional closed doors.
- A Turkish or Oriental rug can stand up to heavy kitchen use.
- Simplified silhouettes and profiles can lend a more modern feeling to a room with vintage style. The examples seen here include Shaker-style cabinetry and the globe pendant light.
- When planning an eat-in area, mark out the built-ins and the table on the floor to get the scale right.
- A table with rounded corners can save a small but valuable amount of space.
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Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A couple with an almost empty nest
Location: Fairmount Historic District in Fort Worth, Texas
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Urbanology Designs
“When this client told me she loved vintage, modern and color, I thought, ‘What’s better than that?’” says interior designer Ginger Curtis. The kids were almost all away in college when the couple began the project. The existing kitchen in the 1905 bungalow was dark and cramped and had 1970s style.
“The rooms in this bungalow are compact, and the family really had to squeeze around everything and each other to get anything done in here before,” Curtis says. With only 100 square feet to work within, she faced a challenge. But by learning how the homeowners wanted to function in the kitchen, she was able to carefully plan the layout and storage in a way that also allowed for a cozy eat-in space in the room. The complete renovation fits right into the period home in Fort Worth’s Fairmount Historic District.
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