Victorian
The homeowners wanted brass hardware and painted cabinets, but they weren’t sure what color to choose. Worrel suggested a jewel-tone green for both the cabinets and the island, because “green is a traditional color that still feels fresh, and it pairs very well with brass.” The design team covered the new cabinets and the island in Dollar Bill Green paint from Benjamin Moore. The mottled green ceramic tiles that cover the backsplash are handmade. “The tiles have little imperfections that keep them from looking too new,” Worrel says. The kitchen’s final touch of green comes from the countertops, which are a dark green soapstone that almost looks black. The cabinets feature unlacquered brass hardware that naturally looks aged. For the upper cabinets, Worrel combined two layers of meshed brass to create custom inserts. “I was inspired by vintage pie cabinets that people used to cool food before refrigerators [existed],” she says.
The husband loves to make craft cocktails for family and friends, so creating a spot for a little bar was important to him. Worrel added four rows of open shelves to house glassware and liquor bottles. Below the shelves, the soapstone countertop is an ideal place to prepare cocktails, and the built-in refrigerator below keeps mixers and other beverages cool and readily accessible.
Worrel had a custom banquette built in three pieces designed to perfectly hug the angled walls in front of the windows. A subtle animal-print indoor-outdoor upholstery from Perennials covers the banquette for user-friendly durability and a dash of pattern. Just like the rest of the kitchen, the breakfast area is a stylish mix of vintage and contemporary design. The brass chandelier is original to the house and a great juxtaposition to the sleek white midcentury Saarinen table underneath. Worrel chose four black Thonet bistro chairs as a bridge between the vintage chandelier and modern table. “The Thonet bistro chair was designed in the Victorian period, but it’s really one of the earliest pieces of modern design. It’s a classic look that always feels fresh and relevant,” she says.
Previously blocked off by a full wall, the once coffin-like foyer is now welcoming and elegant, thanks to lower stairs upgraded with handcrafted newel posts and custom wall paneling installed by the TOH TV crew. Paint: Benjamin Moore's Misty Memories Foyer chandelier: Historic Houseparts Hardware: House of Antique Hardware
Columned half walls now delineate the entertaining spaces—living room and dining room—without closing them off, while an antique oak fireplace mantel supplies character. Paint: Benjamin Moore's Alaskan Husky (living room walls) Custom drapery: Fabrika Drapery fabric: Indian Arbre in Hyacinth; Schumacher
An antique mantel and a newly installed colorful tile surround give the existing dining room fireplace—outfitted with a gas insert—an entirely fresh look.
The living room drapery fabric's whites, grays, blues, and lavenders established the color palette for the entire house, including the new powder room. Bath fan: Panasonic Insulation: Roxul Console: Palmer Industries
"We wanted drama," notes interior designer Amanda Reid, who came through with strong visual elements for the first-floor powder room, including Farrow & Ball wallpaper, 8-inch hexagonal marble floor tiles, and a marble vanity original to the house. The stained-glass window has sentimental meaning—Murat and Katherine purchased the pane as newlyweds and asked architect Mat Cummings to build the powder room around it. Wallpaper: Lotus pattern 2062; Farrow & Ball Paint: Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace (trim)
In the master bedroom, an existing bay window invites in natural light, and walls with a stenciled floral pattern in soothing tones of pale lavender and gray continue the color palette.
The master bath exudes a spa-like serenity with a glass-walled shower, a marble floor, and the original claw-foot tub reconditioned with nickel-plated feet and a new accent color of eggplant. Tub refinishing: The Tub Doctors Shower fixtures and fittings: Kohler
New glass doorknobs with oil-rubbed bronze rosettes echo the period theme. $112; Baldwin Hardware
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The goal was to create Victorian-era style while updating the space, giving the kitchen the appearance that it had gently evolved over time. “I like to avoid an L-shaped kitchen when I can, because it means I can mix the finishes on both walls and on an island,” Zaveloff says. The upper cabinets are white, the lower cabinets are black and the island is walnut. Along with the mix of cabinet finishes, an encaustic cement tile floor, walls covered in elongated subway tiles, painted brick, simple pendant lights and traditional hardware give the room a vintage look. “I wanted to use natural, humble materials,” Zaveloff says. “The terra-cotta wall tiles have a very uneven, handmade feel, and the Carrara marble counters have a bakery feel.”
Working with different walls meant Zaveloff could lose the two-tone scheme on the pantry cabinets opposite the range wall. A workstation sink makes the kitchen island an efficient prep area. These sinks come with various inserts such as cutting boards and colanders. The brass faucets, ogee-edged marble countertop and glass pendant lights add to the Victorian vibe. Midcentury modern counter stools mix in an element from another era.
The appliances are also modern additions, including this range from Wolf. A beautiful stainless steel custom hood with brass straps ties the appliances into the design scheme. Zaveloff tucked a new stainless steel fridge into the corner just out of frame on the right. This placement keeps the large appliance from dominating the room.
The homeowners also had a kitchen sitting area on their wish list. Thanks to three new casement windows, the new sitting area is bathed in light. Two comfortable armchairs and a table create a perfect spot for enjoying coffee and the newspaper in the morning or grading papers in the evening.
“When my clients called me, the first thing they said was, ‘We want a fireplace or wood-burning stove in here and no one will do it,’ ” Zaveloff says. “We will take on any challenge as long as codes allow for it.” History provided an assist, as they found a hole and chase from an old chimney in the wall near this spot during demolition. Zaveloff was able to create a chimney with a new metal chase above the kitchen up to the roof. Inspired by the placement of wood-fired pizza ovens she’d seen, she placed the fireplace at this height so the homeowners could enjoy the view of the fire from the other end of the room. “This way the island does not block it,” she says.
the large kitchen island measures 9¾ feet by 3⅓ feet. “I always like for an island to look more like furniture than a typical kitchen island,” Zaveloff says. This meant using a slim countertop with an ogee edge and elements like this end that looks like a chest of drawers. The furniture-like look, walnut finish and traditional hardware give it Victorian-era style. And details like this give the room a more collected feel.
“Usually I would never, ever locate a powder room directly off a kitchen like this if I could help it,” she says. “But this one is so pretty with the tile, the mirror and the Fornasetti wallpaper that you actually want to leave the door open. Especially because the toilet is tucked around to the side so you don’t really see it.”
Green hexagonal floor tiles and walls tiled from floor to backsplash height add to the vintage charm of the room. Even the toilet seat nods to the past
The fireplace and built-ins look like they’ve always been here, but all are new to the room. There was an old chimney here but no fireplace. The designer created one and installed a gas line to fire it up again. She found the vintage mantel at Columbus Architectural Salvage in Columbus, Ohio; installed an insert from Heat & Glo; and added a patterned tile hearth to the floor. The fireplace looks like a coal-burning version from Victorian times. Zaveloff surrounded it with new built-ins that look like they’ve been here for 150 years. There’s a handy bar on the right with an antiqued mirror backsplash. “The kitchen is the hangout spot,” the designer says. “My clients are big readers, big foodies, they love to hang out and talk, and now their kitchen is the center for all of this in their home.”
High-Tank Toilets Taking the two-piece look to the extreme, retro chain-pull toilets with tanks set higher on the wall give a certain old-world charm to a room. A well-made high-tank toilet will function just as well as a “close-coupled” (standard) option, so the choice comes down to look more than mechanics in most situations, although these toilets can be a little more expensive. If you want your toilet to be noticeable and charming instead of minimalist and hidden away, this is an option to consider.
The owners love De Gournay’s hand-painted wallpaper and decided this bijou powder room would be a great — and more cost-effective — spot in which to showcase it. “It’s made to order and very expensive, so we needed a relatively small space in which to put it,” says O’Tuama. Edwardian fittings were sourced to give the space a traditional feel, and a skylight was added to pull in some natural light and really make the orange come alive.
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