The original kitchen had been three small rooms—larder, pantry, and cooking room—with a wood stove, a chimney, and a water tank.
After restoring a 1903 house in Victoria, British Columbia, these owners were settled in—until they went on a historic-homes tour and fell for a 1912 house by famed local architect Samuel Maclure. Although there had been only three owners, the house had seen many changes, even becoming a two-family duplex in 1947.
The couple decided to rescue it, and would do most of the work themselves. They put their belongings in storage and camped out in the dining room for months as they set about their rescue mission, fortunate to be armed with the architect’s original plans.
The original kitchen had been three small rooms—larder, pantry, and cooking room—with a wood stove, a chimney, and a water tank. But the space had become one large room in a remodeling done just before they bought the house. So they had a pantry cabinet made in old-growth fir, which faithfully reproduces a damaged built-in from the old pantry. Cabinets in the working end of the room were built to match. The room was refitted with a period wainscot.
A new bank of cabinets in the kitchen was faithfully reproduced from a damaged built-in that remained in the house’s original pantry.
1. NOD TO ARTS & CRAFTS
A period reproduction pendant light over the sink, large brackets under countertop overhangs, and the back door are notes in keeping with the Arts & Crafts design of other rooms.
2. NATURAL MATERIALS
Stone flooring certainly fits modern sensibilities yet suggests the back halls of earlier houses. The use of dark wood and natural stone balances the white cabinets.
3. PLAIN WHITE CABINETS
Made of fir but painted creamy white, plain cabinets are a bungalow-era default for kitchens. Note the graceful arch of the apron, behind which is hidden task lighting.
4. PERIOD HARDWARE
The cup-handle bin pulls and traditional butler’s pantry latches are true to period. The antiqued finish on these and the light fixture mix well with the nickel-finish faucet.
Be Inspired
‘Evergreen’ pendant from Arroyo Craftsman.
A versatile Arts & Crafts design, the ‘Evergreen’ 7″-wide, stem-hung pendant is shown with the Arch overlay in Verdigris Patina; 12 finishes offered. Choose from 13 glass options (clear, seedy, iridescent, mica, etc.) and four other overlay patterns. arroyocraftsman.com
Master Series Copper Pitcher from Cobre.
Copperware stands out behind glass pantry doors in the Arts & Crafts kitchen. Current offerings from Cobre, all artisan-made, include the hand-hammered Master Series Copper Pitcher with an oval footprint to fit on a narrow shelf or mantel, 17″ tall. ecobre.com
Butler Pantry Latch from Horton Brasses.
With a sturdy mechanism, the authentic Butler Pantry Latch made by Horton Brasses comes in seven finishes including the Antique finish shown. Sizes small (1 9/16″ w) and a larger version (2 1/8″ w). Slotted screws provided. horton-brasses.com
‘Country Life’ patterned tiles from Sheldon Slate.
Sheldon Slate Products is a fifth-generation family company quarrying natural slate in New York and Maine, and fabricating slate flooring, countertops, roofing, and custom projects. Flooring slate comes as tiles ¼” thick up to 12×12; 3/8″ thick up to 18×18. Shown at left in their ‘Country Life’ pattern. Multiple pattern choices and design service available; call for quote. sheldonslate.com
