Curating what photos tell the story of the space is one of my favourite parts of project completion.

And so, here is the full reveal of the finished Light Filled Folk Victorian Kitchen for the One Room Challengeβ„’.

Come on in.

 

 

 

I could sit in this kitchen and stare out the windows for hours.

 

The white walls, natural materials and plants give the room a Scandinavian feel. The pendant lights still need to be moved over. That’s a long story for another post!

An opportunity arose for a plant nook where the bay window juts out.

I chose this slab of ash to make the shelves out of because of the worm eaten edges. We have similar worm marks in our floors and carrying this pattern into something new helps keep it in character.

 

If you remember the second post in this One Room Challengeβ„’ Series, there are three entryways in this kitchen. Though each room connecting to the kitchen is its own separate entity, to provide a feeling of flow and continuity, the rooms need to relate to one another.

The bright salmon entry is definitely a statement!Β  As you walk into the kitchen you’ll notice the rugs, plants and books picking up that colour.Β  This relates the white and black kitchen back to the entry so that they feel as though they belong together even though they are designed to have a different impact.

Here is what the kitchen looks like from the front entry.

There is a clear line of sight into the laundry/mudroom at the back of the home.

The front door is painted a vibrant teal and you’ll find this brilliant blue as an accent in all of the rooms on the first floor helping to create a cohesive colour scheme. The orange colour on the visible laundry room wall complements the salmon of the entry.

 

I have added copper pulls to this original built in pantry and the copper on the wallpaper really pulls this wall together.

 

We don’t often use the microwave, so putting it into the pantry was perfect!

The built in pantry also has a passthrough that goes to the walk-in pantry. The colourful cloth is hiding the square hole because I didn’t want you to be distracted by the mess that is hiding back there! Once the walk in is complete, I’ll open the peekaboo hole up and you’ll be able to see right through.

If you look closer at the details you’ll find many mentions of what makes us feel at home; the Canadian teapot in the pantry, the painting of my very first dog Jules who has long since passed, the cookbooks that we’ve collected over the years featuring adventurous cooking and materials that bring us joy.

A huge part of the charm of this house is the original features, like this Charles Eastlake latch that is on our pantry doors. We have similar original hardware on our front door and Eastlake inspired fireplaces in other rooms of the home.

While we have modernised this kitchen with updated wiring, plumbing and appliances, a lot of thought and consideration went into making sure to preserve the history this house offered us. We’ve kept all the porcelain door knobs, as much of the original wood as possible and re-created what was damaged. We love the old (mostly original) windows and will not be replacing them with vinyl or any such tragedy!

 

My perspective is a home isn’t ALL about the looks. It really needs to consider how each person uses the space and what elements to include to ensure that you enjoy your life being at home in your home.

O-Ren and Mags say they like their new kitchen too!

That’s it for the Fall 2018Β One Room Challengeβ„’.Β  Β 

I’d like to thank Better Homes and Gardens, as they are the official media sponsor as well asΒ Linda Weinstein for starting and continuing theΒ One Room Challengeβ„’.Β  Β 

Candis & Andy, from Home Love Network are scouting the guest participants and two will be selected by Better Homes and Gardens to participate as featured designer during the next round.

This was my first time participating as a guest and I am hooked! This was a motivating kick in the pants to finish the details and write about the process. I personally find it easier to speak about the work I do for my clients than the work I do for my own home. Thank you to all of my readers and commenters, I’ve really enjoyed the process and I hope you’ve enjoyed it too!

Don’t forget to check out what theΒ Β selected designersΒ and otherΒ guestsΒ  are up to in theΒ One Room Challengeβ„’.

 

 

Did you miss previous posts in this series? Check them out here.

Week 1 – Adding a Kitchen – The Before
Week 2 – Kitchen Layouts and Plaster Dust
Week 3 – Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC

Week 4 –Β Walls, Floors and Trim

Week 5 –Β Cabinets, Counters and Lights