If you bought a historic home, and stood in the kitchen, would you want to keep everything as close to its original setting all the way down to the appliances?  Chances are, the appliances would not measure up to today’s modern technology and energy efficient features.  But it would most certainly be unique and original.  However, if you decide to replace them because you need an actual functioning kitchen, there are updated appliances with a vintage look to them.  This is called “hiding modern amenities”, in other words upgrades without it looking like you got upgrades.

Despite remodelings and our expectation of modern function, the old-house kitchen is a favorite space, often exuding atmosphere.  It’s possible to combine old and new—adding a fireplace or unfitted (mismatched) cabinets along with historical colors and vintage serving ware.  When picking out an oven range, make sure to keep it gas and you could choose to hide it behind cabinetry.  

The refrigerator should not have any type of ice making or water feature on the doors, it should stick to the vintage style of a fridge that is usually in smaller sizes and a rounded top sitting on legs.  

Then there is the microwave, every kitchen needs one, right?  Well you can easily hide one inside of the cabinetry.  This is a perfect example of mixing the old with the new.

However, when it comes to the sink, you should try your best to salvage it.  It’s a unique mark to the vintage look and really should not be changed, including the faucet.  There might be some difficulties getting it to a nice shiny look but it is well worth the hard work.  Elbow grease can remove the stains in the century-old cast iron sinks, but rust damage around the drain can only be repaired with a true porcelain restoration. Provided the sink is not so far gone, several strategies may help refurbish a cast-iron sink finished in vitreous enamel.  As long as the working part of the sink is free from rust spots and large chips—and isn’t rusting away—the sink can be cleaned of stains, touched up with automotive paint, and waxed to protect the fragile glossy finish. Companies all over the country refurbish ceramic tubs and sinks with enamel or epoxy coatings, usually after etching the surface with chemicals that allow successive coats of paint to bond.

So, what about the kitchen cabinets?  Decisions, decisions, and they’re all important. Kitchen cabinets set the tone for overall design, take a beating in use, and will affect resale value of the house. According to Consumer Reports, cabinets take 40% of the kitchen renovation budget. When it comes to a custom kitchen in a period home, the percentage is likely even higher. The nomenclature by which cabinets are sold can seem contradictory. Three categories are generally accepted: stock, semi-custom, and custom. Within each, expectations and quality differ widely. At the far end of the spectrum, a “custom kitchen” can come from a high-end cabinetmaking shop offering design services, a selection of fine woods and finishes, and a deep well of knowledge and experience . . . or it can be the local carpenter’s first such project. A few semi-custom manufacturers offer different lines from budget to deluxe, with upgrades in construction quality clearly described on their websites. Premium semi-custom cabinets are often a good choice, but you probably won’t find period-authentic details. Designs are somewhat generic to appeal to a broad customer base. An example of what’s not offered is inset cabinetry, where doors and drawers are inset into a frame. It’s difficult to craft because of tight tolerances, so most semi-custom manufacturers stay away from it, offering partial-overlay doors (rather than the common full-overlay) as a hedge. In old houses, though, inset cabinetry is more appropriate.

In a kitchen of a historic home, wooden shelves float against the white-tile wall—a modern, minimalist look that emphasizes the pottery collection. Open shelves have always made sense in the kitchen and pantry, keeping items visible and in reach. These are classic designs.  You will find these type of shelving pieces in an historic home kitchen and they will most likely feature open shelves that return at the corner and rest on triangular brackets in a preserved 1830s pantry.  In a Victorian Revival kitchen, you will find each ornamental pine shelf also has pegs on the backer board and you will also see decorative iron brackets that support a single wood shelf.  In a kitchen with an original built-in hutch, that could date as far back as 1797 homes, serves as the butler’s pantry. Open shelves are joined to decoratively cut end pieces, with a simple box cabinet below. Stacked shelves on shaped wooden brackets are a staple.  To keep true to the vintage look of the shelves, you might want to consider keeping the rounded edges that lend a finished look. 

Custom work is often necessary in an old house with non-standard sizes and layouts and out-of-level floors. (If you are gutting the room, walls can be rebuilt to accommodate standard sizes.) On the other hand, your old house can help you save money. Say you have a separate pantry and you’ll be using an antique Hoosier and a vintage butcher-block on legs. The run of cabinets needed may be minimal, so keep the design simple and use production or semi-custom cabinets—or splurge on a smaller custom order.

Whichever way you decide to add some new to your historic home kitchen, keep in mind the original historic part of the home and try to embrace as much as possible.  Do as much research as possible and always try to hire help with the appropriate knowledge in this department.