the kitchen: details

Thank you all so very much for your wonderful, fabulous, delightful comments and emails.

You made me laugh.

You made me cry.
My heart is full...  thank you!

In this post I will go back through each photo giving details of the room. I hope to answer all the questions that you asked, but if I miss anything, or you have any additional questions please let me know .

(further info can be read by clicking on the highlighted words/phrases)

This is the view as you walk into the kitchen from the entry.

The antique French wood chandelier was found in pieces in a field at Brimfield.

The antique pedestal table was originally found with a leaf in it that made it oval, which I loved, but ultimately, I felt it worked better in the room as a round table.

The slipped chairs are from Ikea. (Henriksdal Arm Chair- unfortunately, the chairs are no longer available.)
Three of the chairs have antique tapestry pillows.

Seagrass rug from Lowes.

The menu board was originally an antique mirror frame that we found in a shop in Oklahoma. Dan cut a piece of plywood to fit and I painted it with blackboard paint.

The french doors were added during the renovation.

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The fireplace was added during our renovation, the original fireplace (which only opened into the formal dining room behind the kitchen)  had major repair issues and was taken down to make a see-thru fireplace between the kitchen and the dining room. The bricks are from the original fireplace. The mantel board was found in the barn.
The 19th c. French painting (in its original frame) above the fireplace was found at Porte de Vanves (a weekend street fare) in Paris.

A 1913 Biltmore hotel tray (one of a pair that I have) holds hotel flatware and an antique ironstone pitcher in which I always keep some kind of white flowers.
The doorway to the left of the fireplace takes you to the dining room. The black door takes you outside to the back porch.

The cupboard to the right of the fireplace is original to the house, and has its original iron bin pulls on the drawers. I adore the small panelled door! On the door is an unframed antique bovine painting hung with antique chain and an antique square nail found on the property. I researched the old iron bin pulls hoping to find replicas for the island. I did! I was thrilled, yet they were slightly smaller and the detailing was slightly different. I kept looking. And, then I found exact replicas- exact size and details, but they were in solid brass. I purchased them, and spray painted them a mat black to match the originals. The two iron handles on the island that you see in this photo are from Restoration Hardware.

Closeup of the cupboard.
Antique ironstone, hotel silver, cake stands and my cookbooks fill the shelves. The antique white jardiniere that you see on the edge of the mantle in this photo was found at the Scott Show in Atlanta, it's an unusual piece with the top lip being rimmed in iron.

The wire basket found in France sits on the large hotel silver tray that is the mate to the hotel tray on the dining table. It holds an antique English ironstone ham stand with a small fern, and two topiaries.... one from Snug Harbor Farm in Maine, and the other I have been growing for nineteen years!
The marble on the island is honed Bianco Venatino. I had originally thought I wanted Carrara, but found the slabs at the time of the renovation to be very creamy (instead of white) and to have very little veining. When I spotted this slab at one of the many stone fabricators that we visited I fell in love! I loved the veining and the movement of the piece. I felt the island at a little over 3 feet x 7 feet needed to have a presence, and the movement of the veining gives it that importance in the room.
(To read my post on marble click HERE.)

The countertops are soapstone. I love them! They have a small amount of green veining which I find beautiful. In my research I read that soapstone can be soft depending on where it is quarried. I have not found that to be true of mine, as it is very durable. For the first month I mineral-oiled it once a week, then for the first year once a month, and now just occasionally. If anything scratches it the oil covers the scratch. And, nothing stains it which is really nice. It is also very heat tolerant, so you can sit hot pots/pans directly on it.
(To read my post on soapstone click HERE.)

The hardware on the drawers is polished nickel from Restoration Hardware.  I used bin pulls (Gilmore) with handle pulls (Aubrey) in two different sizes (6" and 8", depending on the drawer size) to vary the look.
I designed the kitchen using all drawers. Years ago I found this idea in a magazine and thought it was brilliant! I have one corner cabinet and a cabinet for sheet pans and cutting boards; every thing else is a drawer! I can not tell you how easy it is to just pull open a drawer to find what you are looking for, and to lift up the heavy pots.
Glass front refrigerator is Sub Zero.
The island pendants are turn of the century mill lights found at Smith-Zukas Antiques in Maine.
The light above the sink is from Circa Lighting.
The wood ceiling is 6" v-match tongue-and-groove which I paint with a gloss; a little trick I use all over the house-  it makes your ceilings look taller by reflecting the light.
My backsplash is real beadboard, and the floors are random width Eastern white pine from Carlisle which happens to be a local company located 35 minutes from our house. We loved knowing that just as the original floors,  the new floors were also from New Hampshire!  All the floors in the house are finished with tung oil which is what was used a hundred years ago.
The wood brackets under the glass front cabinets, the large polished nickel silver cupboard clasps (these are much larger than Restoration Hardware's) and the exact replicas for the bin pulls on the island were all found at House of Antique Hardware.
Ella's bed was purchased years ago (actually for her sister Kelsey) and I do not remember from where... sorry.




The glass in the cabinets is original to the house! We took the antique wavy glass from windows which were removed during the renovation and had it cut for the cabinet doors.
The glass front cabinets are filled with ironstone, hotel silver, green yelloware, hotel and vintage bamboo flatware, drinking glasses and crystal, and white everyday plates. While some things, of course, get used more than others I do believe in using all my pieces;  I open and use the cabinets daily!

The sink bridge-faucet is a Perrin and Rowe, and the farmhouse sink is a 36" Shaw. I removed the doors I had originally had made for under the sink to soften the long line of cabinets with a linen skirt.
All of the rugs are antique. The one in this photo was found in Portland, Oregon some 20+ years ago for $5! I love the wear on them, and the softness they give a room.

Stack of ironstone, wicker, and wire baskets on a hotel tray with a demijohn bottle and a small lamp made from an old ironstone sugar.  The little lead bird in this photo was a turn-key to an old stove,  found at Round Top.  Several of you commented on the lamps that I use in the kitchen- I have used small lamps in my kitchens since I was in college!  There are so many wonderful old items that can be turned into lamps.  I really like how they bring you eye down to the counter and highlight the display.

For reference, the kitchen measures 14 feet by 30 feet, and I have 9 foot ceilings on the first floor of the farmhouse (8 1/2' upstairs)  which is very rare in antique homes here in New Hampshire!  The church window frame came from Fredericksburg, Texas and was given to me by my sister Susan after she could no longer use it.
In the right side of this photo (currently closed off) under the transom window is the entry into the barn room!  There are about 4 steps down to get to the room.




Wall color is Benjamin Moore Gray Owl OC-52

Cabinet, trim and ceiling color is Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17.
The woven wood shades are made by: Ambria, collection: Rangoon; color: Green Tea.
They were custom ordered through Lowes.