Old World Charm
The owners of this unique custom kitchen wished to bring in elements experienced while traveling to British pubs and French cafés, giving the space “Old World Charm.” Satisfying the clients’ needs in this small space proved to be an exciting design challenge. The solution included flipping the location of the previous kitchen and dining area offering longer walls and more overall square footage in the kitchen area. We off-centered the door to allow for more usable kitchen space on one side. Removing a portion of an existing wall allowed room for the wanted kitchen island.
Quality fully custom kitchen cabinets were a must for this project. Kountry Kraft Cabinetry, a custom cabinet manufacturer from Pennsylvania, was selected to craft these beautiful inset cabinets. They feature plywood sides, full undermount drawer glides with soft close, adjustable hinges, and dovetailed walnut drawer boxes.
The “Old World Charm” feel was achieved by using a number of rich materials. Four custom cabinetry finishes were created for the kitchen. The first of these custom finishes is a rustic cherry with a warm mushroom stain and rub-through. Quarter sawn oak is used with a deep walnut stain as well as a gray stain on quarter sawn oak with white glazing. A light gray paint was used on the wall cabinetry. The countertops are elegant Quartzite with green and blue undertones. The kitchen island countertop is an antique chestnut, giving the piece a sense of natural weathering. A brushed and chiseled stone tile floor adds warmth and character. An assortment of bronze hardware pieces, including classic cremone bolts completes this unique kitchen.
A Bosch induction slide-in range was selected for its clean lines and efficiency. The smooth top is easy to clean and has a very fast boiling time. Above is a custom hood in a painted and walnut finish created by Kountry Kraft Cabinetry. This conceals the Bosch hood insert. Behind the range, a glass Italian tile backsplash is used for its simplicity and ease to clean. Outlets are located in the cabinetry left and right of the range so as not to blemish the look of the backsplash tile. A matching quartzite backsplash is located behind the sink. A Kohler pull down faucet with polished nickel finish adds a touch of class to the large single bowl sink. The wall cabinetry is non-beaded inset with a custom light gray painted finish. The door style is a recessed panel with addition rail near the top. A wide bottom rail on the wall cabinets gives a more British feel while concealing under cabinet lighting. Storage in this area includes wine cubbies, pull-out trash and a countertop cabinet for small appliances.
The couple living here wanted to design a cozy seating option instead of the traditional table. A hearth room was created as part of the kitchen interior design. This hearth room features a gas fireplace with a stone façade and reclaimed wood mantel. Leather pub chairs are paired with a café table. The television is concealed behind sliding barn doors above the fireplace. The large window allows an abundance of sunlight to flood the kitchen.
The highlight of this custom kitchen design is the smoothie station!
The piece conceals two Sub-Zero drawers with fully integrated appliance panels. The Sub-zero unit features one refrigerator and one freezer drawer to provide storage for fruits, veggies, juice, and ice. The sink base to the right of the Sub-Zero drawers is a single door base cabinet that looks like a drawer cabinet to create symmetry. A set of pocket doors open to reveal a sink, blender and excessive amounts of storage. The interior of the smoothie station is walnut wood with custom shelves designed to offer storage for the client’s entire special smoothie making ingredients. The additional sink was a must and features another polished nickel Kohler faucet. The 12” backsplash is quartzite to match the countertops.
The toe kick pulls out exposing a hidden stepstool, important to the 5’1” client. Here you see a custom finish on quarter sawn oak. The gray stain and added white glazing gives the piece an aged look. Cast bronze hardware and stunning cremone bolts on the pocket doors add the final touches to this unique custom cabinet piece.
Balancing the smoothie station is a paneled Bosch refrigerator and tall pantry. The pantry storage includes adjustable roll-outs, charging drawer and file drawer. The Bosch refrigerator/ freezer are hidden by fully integrated appliance panels. The quarter-sawn oak on these pieces has a rich English walnut finish. This gives the effect that the two pieces are actually one larger piece. Cast white bronze hardware was used on the rich oak adding a luxurious feel.
Here you can see that the kitchen island and other bases are traditional beaded inset cabinets with a raised panel door style. These feature the rustic cherry with a custom finish. Rub-through on the cabinet corners gives an old-world feel. A Miele dishwasher is to the left of the sink base. To the right is the pull-out for the magic corner storage unit. The small kitchen island provides storage for the Bosch microwave drawer and a large pan drawer. The antique chestnut wood countertop allows seating for up to three. Above the kitchen island is a pair of fabulous pendant lights. These add a touch of whimsy to the room with a fun design and a mix of brass and pewter metals.
No details were left unnoticed in this one-of-a-kind kitchen. This wonderful and unique house is full of traditional design details that make it feel right at home in Exeter, NH. This cozy historic New England town is located north of Boston, MA and south of Portland, ME. It is only minutes away from the charming seacoast town of Portsmouth, NH. It was a pleasure to create such a fabulous and timeless kitchen!