Kitchen of the Week: A Rustic-Chic Look They Can Call Their Own
Reclaimed barn wood, whitewashed brick and hand-scraped oak floors add character to a Toronto couple’s kitchen
Becky Harris
November 18, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
It’s hard to believe that the first floor of this typical suburban home originally was chopped up into four modest-sized rooms and a small entryway. After 20 years here, the homeowners were ready to make dramatic changes. They wanted to open things up, get rid of wasted space and add architectural details that would give their home character. Using their own design chops and elbow grease, and the expertise and skills of contractor Manny Neves, they created a light-filled, wide-open space where the kitchen is the star. Reclaimed barn wood ceilings, Shaker-style cabinetry and exposed brick walls give the space homey, rustic-chic style.
Photos by Adrian Ozimek
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their cats
Location: Outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Size: 294 square feet (27 square meters)
The most striking new feature is the ceiling. Once a sea of white drywall, the vaulted portions are now covered in beautiful reclaimed barn wood, lending a sense of age to the home. “The ceiling was so boring, and because the homeowners already knew they wanted an exposed brick look in here, they really liked the idea of going rustic,” Neves says. Because they opened up the floor plan to let in more light and used lots of white, the ceiling doesn’t darken the space too much.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their cats
Location: Outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Size: 294 square feet (27 square meters)
The most striking new feature is the ceiling. Once a sea of white drywall, the vaulted portions are now covered in beautiful reclaimed barn wood, lending a sense of age to the home. “The ceiling was so boring, and because the homeowners already knew they wanted an exposed brick look in here, they really liked the idea of going rustic,” Neves says. Because they opened up the floor plan to let in more light and used lots of white, the ceiling doesn’t darken the space too much.
BEFORE: The first floor was chopped up into small rooms. The dining room is top center in the plan seen here; the kitchen has the tile floor and the living room is in the bottom right corner. The lower left corner was awkward wasted space off the entry. Note where the fireplace was, as in the “after” plan you’ll see that it moved. (This wasn’t hard to do since there was no real chimney involved.)
AFTER: Now the rooms are open to one another. To do that without busting the budget, the layout had to be worked around the existing structural support and mechanicals. Those are contained behind the shaded box that represents the sofa in the middle of this plan.
Because the box was smack-dab in the middle of everything, the couple and Neves used it to help determine where the different rooms would go. This photo was taken from the dining room, with the living room to the left and the kitchen island just out of view on the right. The table you see toward the back is in the kitchen’s new breakfast area.
One of the homeowners turned the box into an asset by dressing it with a salvaged door she’d found. She used chalkboard paint behind the window to create a message board.
One of the homeowners turned the box into an asset by dressing it with a salvaged door she’d found. She used chalkboard paint behind the window to create a message board.
In this photo, the mechanical-structural box is just out of view to the right. There was still room to build a substantial island that serves as the centerpiece of the kitchen. One side of the island contains the sink, flanked by the dishwasher and trash and recycling bins. There was just enough room to tuck in stools the homeowners wanted on the opposite side.
The island is 42 inches wide by almost 10 feet long. “I love it when I have enough room to make the island deeper, because then there’s room to place extra storage on the seating side,” Neves says.
The island is 42 inches wide by almost 10 feet long. “I love it when I have enough room to make the island deeper, because then there’s room to place extra storage on the seating side,” Neves says.
Before Photo
BEFORE: Here’s a look at the old kitchen. The dining room was through that doorway on the left. The spot where the vaulted ceiling ends will help you match this photo up with the next.
AFTER: “Once the reclaimed barn wood was installed, it didn’t look quite right where the wood met the drywall,” Neves says. “Transitions are important.” He came up with the idea of adding a strip of riveted cold-rolled steel between the wood and the drywall. In addition to giving the space a finished look, it adds another interesting texture and patina.
He also needed a way to tie the two ceilings together over the island. So he made sure that the two pendant lights were hung at the exact same height, “down to a sixteenth of an inch,” to create visual continuity.
He also needed a way to tie the two ceilings together over the island. So he made sure that the two pendant lights were hung at the exact same height, “down to a sixteenth of an inch,” to create visual continuity.
One big splurge the homeowners made was on the countertop, which is a marble-like quartz with a beautiful diagonal vein through it. “The large size of the island allowed us to place the sink in a way that wouldn’t interrupt that beautiful vein in the quartz,” Neves says.
Another detail worth noting is the touchless faucet. Because it’s motion-activated, there’s no worry about spreading contaminants when turning it on and off.
Counters: Statuario Nuvo, Caesarstone; faucet: Sensate, Kohler
Another detail worth noting is the touchless faucet. Because it’s motion-activated, there’s no worry about spreading contaminants when turning it on and off.
Counters: Statuario Nuvo, Caesarstone; faucet: Sensate, Kohler
The whitewashed brick on the walls looks like real exposed brick, but it’s a veneer. Key to making it look real was Neves’ suggestion to wrap the wall to the right of the tall cabinet. “By wrapping this wall, you see what looks like the thickness of full bricks, rather than revealing that they are a thin veneer,” he says.
One of the homeowners contributed her painting talents in several spots. First, the whitewashed brick veneer the couple wanted was on a three-month backorder and they didn’t want to wait. So they ordered regular-colored bricks and, over the course of two weekends, the homeowner painted the 700-plus facades to give them a whitewashed look. She also saved money by distressing this inexpensive Ikea cabinet, giving it an antique patina. Neves bolted it to the wall to make it look embedded in the brick.
“They didn’t want guests having to guess at where to find a glass or a coffee mug so they opted for this glass-front cabinet,” he says. “Everyone can see everything they need and grab it without a cabinet search.”
“They didn’t want guests having to guess at where to find a glass or a coffee mug so they opted for this glass-front cabinet,” he says. “Everyone can see everything they need and grab it without a cabinet search.”
Here’s a closer look at the homeowner’s faux painting handiwork. Shaker cabinetry adds a classic farmhouse touch, while long bar pull hardware updates it and coordinates with the stainless steel appliances and stainless steel apron-front sink.
Brick veneer (painted by homeowner): Brampton Brick
Brick veneer (painted by homeowner): Brampton Brick
To the left of the island is the breakfast nook. The floor-to-ceiling cabinets provide pantry space and room for cleaning supplies. In order to span the area between the refrigerator and the tall cabinets, Neves suggested a window seat with more storage underneath. On the left you can get a peek of the breakfast area.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The dining room was dark and closed in. Since this kitchen renovation included the entire first floor, we’ll take a look at the other rooms that surround it.
The vaulted barn wood ceiling extends to the new dining room, located where the living room used to be. Originally the homeowners wanted to create a second set of doors out to the deck, but the logistics of replacing deck and moving structural elements wasn’t worth the effort or cost. Instead they opted for coordinating sliding shutters that resemble barn doors.
Barn door track hardware: Richards-Wilcox
Barn door track hardware: Richards-Wilcox
In this shot you can see how the spaces relate to one another. The living room was slid into the wasted space off the entry to make room for the new dining room.
Originally, each of the different rooms had different flooring, so it all needed replacing. The new flooring is 5-inch hand-scraped oak that grounds the entire space with an antique look.
Originally, each of the different rooms had different flooring, so it all needed replacing. The new flooring is 5-inch hand-scraped oak that grounds the entire space with an antique look.
Here’s a closer look at the living room. Neves moved the gas-insert fireplace to make it fit into the layout in a pleasing way. He gave it a new stone veneer surround and crafted built-ins around it, which make it the focal point of the room. The homeowners asked him to fill the cabinet door frames with chicken wire to continue the rustic theme.
It’s hard to believe now that this was once a typical suburban tract home. Today it’s full of welcoming rustic-chic character.
Fireplace insert: Vermont Castings
Contractor: Manny Neves of Hardcore Renos
Browse more Kitchens of the Week
It’s hard to believe now that this was once a typical suburban tract home. Today it’s full of welcoming rustic-chic character.
Fireplace insert: Vermont Castings
Contractor: Manny Neves of Hardcore Renos
Browse more Kitchens of the Week
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I find that strong responses and debate are signs of a design that has a strong point of view. When there isn't so much of a reaction, the project is often milquetoast!