Rustic Kitchen Goes Back to its Roots
POSTED ON Tuesday, September 20, 2022 IN Kitchen
A custom renovation company peels back years of dated renovations to reveal a farmhouse with a modern kitchen and an authentic style.
In this stunning before and after, an 1840 farmhouse is transformed from dated and patched to a rustic dream kitchen with Green State Builders and Bertch Cabinets.
Homeowners Phyllis and John wanted to restore their historic home to its former farmhouse glory. "After living here for 30 years, it was time for an update. The cabinets were showing their age, the appliances were outdated, and the layout was no longer to our liking."
They looked to the professionals at Green State Builders, who proposed exposing the hidden original architectural elements like the hand-hewn beams, joists, and posts. This design proposal highlighted the farmhouse aesthetic with original (and reclaimed) elements and features like beadboard cabinet faces, while adding modern elements with counters, fixtures, and appliances. The result is rustic original with a modern twist.
Before
The previous kitchen layout lacked efficient functionality and remodels over the years had hidden all of the amazing original architecture of the home dating back almost 200 years. Originally, the project included a remodel of the kitchen following the same layout. "Our goal was to uncover the original charm, while making it highly functional and adding even more antique features," says Jake Cain, owner of Green State Builders.
After
The designers at Green State Kitchens & Bath realized after several drafts that in order to achieve the best results, they needed to wipe the slate clean.
"The toughest task was to keep the historic features, and make it functional for the 21st century family," said Cain. "After about 6 or 7 [design] drafts, we decided to just wipe the slate clean. We had to … just start from scratch. There was no way to make this layout work if even the slightest existing design haunted our minds."
The team sourced original materials to match the historic aesthetic. New Bertch inset cabinetry matches the character of the beautiful architecture and charm of the home, while providing the conveniences of modern cabinetry.
Other changes to the kitchen included removing the center post allowing the kitchen to feel bigger and more open.The reclaimed wood beam added necessary support while drawing the eye to the ceiling. The team obtained antique hand hewn lumber sourced from a similar home built in Vermont in the same year, 1840. They even found old hand-cut nails and bolts to attach the new structural work. The kitchen flooring now has reclaimed antique Beech hardwood from a 15th Century mill in Ontario.
The transformed kitchen presents a blend of white and wood, resulting in a historic, but bright and clean aesthetic. The red accents keep it modern and add a bit of whimsy. The kitchen cabinets chosen were the Remington inset door style in Maple wood with a Dawn finish and Birch wood with Snowflake finish on the solid white kitchen island.
Choosing the Bertch brand was an easy decision for the Phillips and the design team. "Our contractor, whom we trust implicitly, recommended Bertch over any other brand he’d worked with, because of its high quality workmanship and functional design elements," remembered the homeowners, who also enjoy the modern conveniences updated cabinets offer. "The knife block insert is a game-changer, also the corner pull-out for pots and pans. The drawer inserts for cutlery, utensils, spices, etc. are great organizers. Again, living in a historic home, storage space is at a premium. These design features really help us maximize our usable space."
The Phillips were exuberant with the end results of their kitchen transformation which perfectly combined old with the new.
Photo Credit: Scott Barber Films
Green State Builders specialize in custom kitchens and baths in Vermont and are a certified Bertch Cabinet dealer, providing all aspects of residential and commercial renovation needs without having to rely on sub-contractors.
Dealer: Green State Kitchens & Baths
Designer: Kathy @greenstatebuilders
Builder: Green State Builders
RECOMMENDED