2019 Chrysalis Award Winner for Historical Renovation Project by Advance Design Studio Photography by Joe Nowak Design by Michelle Lecinski
Design ideas for a small traditional galley kitchen pantry in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, beige cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor, black benchtop and flat-panel cabinets.

We left the water pipes exposed to maintain the historic look of the house, accenting them with white paint against the blue.
Inspiration for a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops and with island.

Matthew Arnold Photography
Inspiration for a small traditional galley separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Tomasz Juszczak
Photo of a small traditional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Dublin with a drop-in sink, beaded inset cabinets, turquoise cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, laminate floors, no island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Simon Black
Photo of a small traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Inspiration for a small traditional kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets.

Curtis and Peggy had been thinking of a kitchen remodel for quite some time, but they knew their house would have a unique set of challenges. Their older Victorian house was built in 1891. The kitchen cabinetry was original, and they wanted to keep the authenticity of their period home while adding modern comforts that would improve their quality of life. A friend recommended Advance Design Studio for their exceptional experience and quality of work. After meeting with designer Michelle Lecinski at Advance Design, they were confident they could partner with Advance to accomplish the unique kitchen renovation they’d been talking about for years. “We wanted to do the kitchen for a long, long time,” Curtis said. “(We asked ourselves) what are we actually going to do? How are we going to do this? And who are we going to find to do exactly what we want?” The goal for the project was to keep the home renovation and new kitchen feeling authentic to the time in which it was built. They desperately wanted the modern comforts that come with a larger refrigerator and the dishwasher that they never had! The old home was also a bit drafty so adding a fireplace, wall insulation and new windows became a priority. They very much wanted to create a comfortable hearth room adjacent to the kitchen, complete with old world brick. The original cabinetry had to go to make way for beautiful new kitchen cabinetry that appears as if it was a hundred years old, but with all the benefits of cutting-edge storage, self-closing drawers, and a brand-new look. “We just wanted to keep it old looking, but with some modern updates,” Peggy said. Dura Supreme Highland Cabinets with a Heritage Old World Painted Finish replaced the original 1891 cabinets. The hand-applied careful rubbed-off detailing makes these exquisite cabinets look as if they came from a far-gone era. Despite the small size of the kitchen, Peggy, Curtis and Michelle utilized every inch with custom cabinet sizes to increase storage capacity. The custom cabinets allowed for the addition of a 24” Fisher Paykel dishwasher with a concealing Dura Supreme door panel. Michelle was also able to work into the new design a larger 30” Fisher Paykel French refrigerator. “We made every ¼ inch count in this small space,” designer Michelle said. “Having the ability to custom size the cabinetry was the only way to achieve this.” “The kitchen essentially was designed around the Heartland Vintage range and oven,” says Michelle. A classic appliance that combines nostalgic beauty and craftsmanship for modern cooking, with nickel plated trim and elegantly shaped handles and legs; the not to miss range is a striking focal point of the entire room and an engaging conversation piece. Granite countertops in Kodiak Satin with subtle veining kept with the old-world style. The delicate porcelain La Vie Crackle Sonoma tile kitchen backsplash compliments the home’s style perfectly. A handcrafted passthrough designed to show off Peggy’s fine china was custom built by project carpenters Justin Davis and Jeff Dallain to physically and visually open the space. Additional storage was created in the custom panty room with Latte Edinburg cabinets, hand-made weathered wood shelving with authentic black iron brackets, and an intricate tin copper ceiling. Peggy and Curtis loved the idea of adding a Vermont stove to make the hearth-room not only functional, but a truly beckoning place to be. A stunning Bordeaux red Vermont Castings Stove with crisp black ventilation was chosen and combined with the authentic reclaimed Chicago brick wall. Advance’s talented carpenters custom-built elegant weathered shelves to house family memorabilia, installed carefully chosen barn sconces, and made the hearth room an inviting place to relax with a cup of coffee and a good book. “Peggy and Curtis’ project was so much fun to work on. Creating a space that looks and feels like it always belonged in this beautiful old Victorian home is a designer’s dream. To see the delight in their faces when they saw the design details coming together truly made it worth the time and effort that went into making the very compact kitchen space work”, said Michelle. “The result is an amazing custom kitchen, packed with functionality in every inch, nook and cranny!” exclaims Michelle. The renovation didn’t end with the kitchen. New Pella windows were added to help lessen the drafts. The removal of the original windows and trim necessitated the re-creation of hand-made corbels and trim details no longer available today. The talented carpenter team came to the rescue, crafting new pieces and masterfully finishing them as if they were always there. New custom gutters were formed and installed with a front entry rework necessary to accommodate the changes. The whole house functions better, but it still feels like the original 1891 home. “From start to finish it’s just a much better space than we used to have,” Peggy said. “Jeff and Justin were amazing.” Curtis added; “We were lucky to find Advance Design, because they really came through for us. I loved that they had everything in house, anything you needed to have done, they could do it”.

A small guest cottage is tucked in the upstairs of the carriage house of a local historic Victorian home. Although the space is small, the homeowner wanted to be true to the historic architecture while gaining every little bit of storage space possible. We met this goal using frame-less construction cabinetry in a simple traditional style -- adding details such as the turned posts at the bar and rosette/fluting on the upper cabinets. On the refrigerator wall, we reduced the depth of the base cabinets to allow the sink to center on the window -- the corner wall cabinet also had to be reduced in depth to fit. This staggered effect lends charm to the space besides being practically necessary. Note the plank ceiling, window seat & lighted upper display in the cabinets.

Design ideas for a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Photo by Randy O'Rourke www.rorphotos.com
Inspiration for a small traditional single-wall open plan kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances and medium hardwood floors.

Inspiration for a small traditional u-shaped kitchen in Toronto with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, grey floor and white benchtop.

This kitchen was for a Victorian cottage undergoing total modernisation and renovation. The wood burner in the snug, new doors and windows had already been installed, our clients were then looking for the perfect kitchen to knit the sitting room and dining area together. They wanted a classic style in a bold colour, that would make a modern statement but feel appropriate to a Victorian cottage. The brief was to make the sitting room and kitchen feel more connected to each other, creating a more open-plan space. We designed a classic lay-on shaker kitchen in Little Greene Paint Company’s ‘Puck’, a wonderfully bold racing green. To keep the kitchen feeling light and bright, we paired the units with the Carrera Venato quartz worktops. In addition to the worktops, we designed floating shelves and opened out the kitchen by removing a unit that had previously sat between the pillar and wall. All of these elements combined to ensure the kitchen feels bright and modern, even in such a deep and bold colour.

Jonathan Gooch © 2014 Houzz
Photo of a small traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, wood benchtops and medium hardwood floors.

Inspiration for a small traditional galley eat-in kitchen in London with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, light hardwood floors and no island.

Glen Doone Photography
Photo of a small traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Detroit with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, no island and grey floor.

G Saville
Inspiration for a small traditional eat-in kitchen in London with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

We updated this century-old iconic Edwardian San Francisco home to meet the homeowners' modern-day requirements while still retaining the original charm and architecture. The color palette was earthy and warm to play nicely with the warm wood tones found in the original wood floors, trim, doors and casework.

Curtis and Peggy had been thinking of a kitchen remodel for quite some time, but they knew their house would have a unique set of challenges. Their older Victorian house was built in 1891. The kitchen cabinetry was original, and they wanted to keep the authenticity of their period home while adding modern comforts that would improve their quality of life. A friend recommended Advance Design Studio for their exceptional experience and quality of work. After meeting with designer Michelle Lecinski at Advance Design, they were confident they could partner with Advance to accomplish the unique kitchen renovation they’d been talking about for years. “We wanted to do the kitchen for a long, long time,” Curtis said. “(We asked ourselves) what are we actually going to do? How are we going to do this? And who are we going to find to do exactly what we want?” The goal for the project was to keep the home renovation and new kitchen feeling authentic to the time in which it was built. They desperately wanted the modern comforts that come with a larger refrigerator and the dishwasher that they never had! The old home was also a bit drafty so adding a fireplace, wall insulation and new windows became a priority. They very much wanted to create a comfortable hearth room adjacent to the kitchen, complete with old world brick. The original cabinetry had to go to make way for beautiful new kitchen cabinetry that appears as if it was a hundred years old, but with all the benefits of cutting-edge storage, self-closing drawers, and a brand-new look. “We just wanted to keep it old looking, but with some modern updates,” Peggy said. Dura Supreme Highland Cabinets with a Heritage Old World Painted Finish replaced the original 1891 cabinets. The hand-applied careful rubbed-off detailing makes these exquisite cabinets look as if they came from a far-gone era. Despite the small size of the kitchen, Peggy, Curtis and Michelle utilized every inch with custom cabinet sizes to increase storage capacity. The custom cabinets allowed for the addition of a 24” Fisher Paykel dishwasher with a concealing Dura Supreme door panel. Michelle was also able to work into the new design a larger 30” Fisher Paykel French refrigerator. “We made every ¼ inch count in this small space,” designer Michelle said. “Having the ability to custom size the cabinetry was the only way to achieve this.” “The kitchen essentially was designed around the Heartland Vintage range and oven,” says Michelle. A classic appliance that combines nostalgic beauty and craftsmanship for modern cooking, with nickel plated trim and elegantly shaped handles and legs; the not to miss range is a striking focal point of the entire room and an engaging conversation piece. Granite countertops in Kodiak Satin with subtle veining kept with the old-world style. The delicate porcelain La Vie Crackle Sonoma tile kitchen backsplash compliments the home’s style perfectly. A handcrafted passthrough designed to show off Peggy’s fine china was custom built by project carpenters Justin Davis and Jeff Dallain to physically and visually open the space. Additional storage was created in the custom panty room with Latte Edinburg cabinets, hand-made weathered wood shelving with authentic black iron brackets, and an intricate tin copper ceiling. Peggy and Curtis loved the idea of adding a Vermont stove to make the hearth-room not only functional, but a truly beckoning place to be. A stunning Bordeaux red Vermont Castings Stove with crisp black ventilation was chosen and combined with the authentic reclaimed Chicago brick wall. Advance’s talented carpenters custom-built elegant weathered shelves to house family memorabilia, installed carefully chosen barn sconces, and made the hearth room an inviting place to relax with a cup of coffee and a good book. “Peggy and Curtis’ project was so much fun to work on. Creating a space that looks and feels like it always belonged in this beautiful old Victorian home is a designer’s dream. To see the delight in their faces when they saw the design details coming together truly made it worth the time and effort that went into making the very compact kitchen space work”, said Michelle. “The result is an amazing custom kitchen, packed with functionality in every inch, nook and cranny!” exclaims Michelle. The renovation didn’t end with the kitchen. New Pella windows were added to help lessen the drafts. The removal of the original windows and trim necessitated the re-creation of hand-made corbels and trim details no longer available today. The talented carpenter team came to the rescue, crafting new pieces and masterfully finishing them as if they were always there. New custom gutters were formed and installed with a front entry rework necessary to accommodate the changes. The whole house functions better, but it still feels like the original 1891 home. “From start to finish it’s just a much better space than we used to have,” Peggy said. “Jeff and Justin were amazing.” Curtis added; “We were lucky to find Advance Design, because they really came through for us. I loved that they had everything in house, anything you needed to have done, they could do it”.

Tiffany also added a second top row of cabinets to increase storage space while adhering to HOA footprint restrictions. And since function and accessibility for all family members was important, a small utility cabinet with ladder was added for easy access to the higher areas. The ceiling’s ball pendant with yoke hanger construction offers dramatic and decorative elements that play off luxurious Breccia Capraia marble that extends up the backsplash and around the window.