Cement Floors

The kitchen floor evokes the look of broken-in leather. To get the effect, the homeowners acid-washed the cement surface.




Shelf Life

Before the days of built-in cabinetry, most of a household's dry foods, dishes, and linens were kept in a pantry adjoining the kitchen. Unfortunately, from the 1950s on, "modern" kitchen design often did away with this great storage feature. But every kitchen, no matter how fully outfitted with standard cabinets, can benefit from the addition of a pantry - if only to corral the supersize packages of paper towels, pasta, and snacks many of us buy at warehouse stores.

Place frequently used items on the front of the shelf, at eye level. Group like foods and ingredients for favorite dishes together.




Comfortable Country Kitchen

To create this inviting kitchen, the homeowners collaborated with architect Brian Boyle and interior designers Jose Solis Betancourt and Paul Sherrill. The new built-in oak cabinetry received a more mature look via artful distressing with bleach and wire brushing, and was finished with a rub of green and taupe paints. Zinc-wrapped counters fastened with roofing tacks lend additional texture and character. "The more these surfaces get beat up, the better," says Sherrill. "A scratch or a ding becomes part of the history of the house." Its soft, faded palette, gently weathered cabinets, and patina'd tile harmonize with rough-hewn beams and a few antique pieces to create a comfortable, lived-in feel.




New Is Old Again

A new kitchen is made old through old cabinets, like this one that now holds the kitchen sink.




Wood-Front Refrigerator

A refrigerator clad with matching wood blends in seamlessly. Twin pantries provide additional storage.




Tumbled Limestone

Tumbled limestone tiles were installed as backsplash to define items stored on the shelves.




Historically Inspired Details

To achieve the historically inspired "collected style" in a country kitchen, carpenter David T. Smith offers these tips:

# Finishes are often the most important part of achieving an antique appearance. Fabricated nicks and scratches, along with layers of different colors of paint, make the furnishings look gently used and aged.

# Depths and heights should vary per piece, adding personality to a room by making it appear as if each item were acquired individually.

# Hardware that does not match, such as the 18th-century wooden knobs on the island and the brass cast knobs on the cupboard, completes the collected look by drawing attention to the unique aspects of each cabinet.




Retro Appeal

This homeowner upped the cabinets' charm quotient by tacking lacy organza napkins inside the bottom panes of the glass-front cabinets. An old porcelain sink rests atop porch posts framing a vintage-tablecloth skirt. Mismatched lower cabinets are topped with new butcher-block countertops; one was retrofitted to house the dishwasher.




Farmhouse Kitchen

New overhead cupboards were fashioned to mimic original cupboards near the sink. A vintage-style island was custom built with wheels so it can be rolled out of the way or to a new location.





Cupboard Inspiration

Consider ordering custom-built doors for your cupboards. These are made from copies of old French doors.



photo credit: Keith Scott Morton