Kitchen of the Week: Victorian Style the Nonconformist Way
There’s a uniquely creative spirit about so many of the projects I cover in Portland, Oregon, that I’ve often wondered what they are putting in the water in that city. “It’s the clients around here,” says Anne De Wolf, a principal at Arciform, a design-build firm. “They are creative, they’re fantastic, and they are nonconformists.”
In the case of this remodel of a young family’s Victorian home, which included an addition, the clients did not want their kitchen to look like everyone else’s. The new design keeps some 19th-century character without being too literal. Where the new construction meets the original house, the Victorian and newer elements merge in harmony.
The family wanted room for hanging out and doing activities, while not being hemmed in by a lot of cabinetry. To get it, they consigned most of their storage needs to a large pantry.
The kitchen is cleverly tucked along the back wall, while a large island made of dark stained reclaimed alder provides a nice, clear workspace. The island is open on one side and conceals a microwave drawer on the other. The countertop is schist.
The backsplash is a handmade Moroccan ceramic tile with a slick glaze. Covering the entire wall, it defines the kitchen work area. “They have a wonderful uneven texture,” says De Wolf of the tiles. The vent hood was repurposed from the owners’ old kitchen; one of the clients hung the “Joy” sign that anchors it. Displayed on a wall, wooden cutting boards make handsome accessories.
The new addition starts to the left of the refrigerator. The posts were a structural necessity, but De Wolf made them an asset, using them to define bays for the expansive pantry. The open shelves were inspired by ones seen in an old-fashioned small-town grocery store; they create a divider between the kitchen and the pantry. Clerestories maintain an open and light feeling.
A large piece of steel on the right ties in to the metal brackets and braces used throughout the remodeling project. The plate serves as a magnetic board for schedules and invitations, and the family can write on it.
The clients wanted to bring more of the Victorian era’s Gothic style into the new kitchen, so De Wolf installed this custom window, made by Versatile Wood Products. The smaller stained glass window is an antique that also nods to the Victorian era. In contrast, the stainless steel sink adds a modern touch.
Tip: When using an eclectic material palette, De Wolf recommends using each material more than once. “This keeps it from looking like a hodgepodge,” she explains. For instance, the stainless steel on the countertop is echoed in the nickel on the pendant lights, which looks similar. The backsplash has a bluish tint to it, which is picked up in the trim and a bit in the schist countertop. These moves seem minor, but they tie the room together.
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Kitchen of the Week: Victorian Style the Nonconformist Way
