Thursday 15 May 2014

An Edgy Home Renovation - Part One, The Kitchen


I am sorry I have been a little quiet on the blog this week, I haven't really spoken about it before but I suffer from a chronic condition that causes uncomfortable, gritty, dry eyes that can be exacerbated by too much computer use. I was pretty bad last week and decided to relax my eyes for a few days to see if it would help. They are still not great but a little better so I wanted to forge ahead with a new blog post. I will be posting this interior renovation in several parts, allowing me to focus on separate areas. The original architecture is of the Victorian era, however its renovation is contemporary and edgy, using a clever, two tone, monochromatic colour scheme that gives it a modern feel, I love it and I hope you do too.

The original rear wall of the house has been removed to allow the flow from the kitchen to a conservatory like dining area at the end of this large, open plan space. The owners have chosen to mix traditional styles with a contemporary look. Wood, subway tiles and marble have been used in different areas of the kitchen, adding interesting textures. A touch of industrial style can be seen in the lighting and the rustic bases of the kitchen units. The exposed, painted brick to the right hand side, creates a 'warehouse' feeling. The stunning white Aga takes pride of place and works wonderfully with the bleached, wooden floors. The 'handleless' doors of the base units, keep a streamlined contemporary look.

I love the contrast of light and dark which work wonderfully in this large space. It is clear that careful thought has been put into planning and detail, including colour matching Le Cruset cookware and appliances and detail such as the small recessed herb garden in the centre of the central island. This is a kitchen that will never feel dull, it is light filled and spacious and the owners have respected the buildings heritage, yet created a wonderful, contemporary space. In fact, I am now thinking about exploring the possibility of using a textured wood for the back of my kitchen island when I start my own renovation.
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I hope you have enjoyed a peek at this wonderful kitchen and been inspired. I will explore the living areas and bedrooms in my next post. Images are copyright to jjlocations. If your renovating or thinking of putting in a new kitchen, you may enjoy these earlier posts:'


17 comments:

  1. Every photo just got better and better - and then I hit the stove - OMG - that's all - just OMG !!!
    Take care of your eyes !!!
    XOXO

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    1. Thanks Suzan, yes the Aga (stove) is stunning, in fact I love all of it, if I had a larger space I would probably try to replicate this idea.

      Lee :)

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    2. Kitchen is looking really beautiful...Thanks for posting the images.

      Auckland Based Kitchen Renovations

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  2. Hi Lee - You always find the most fabulous houses! I just love everything about this kitchen, especially the top cabinet units. Love all the different textures and finishes. Look forward to seeing the rest of this beautiful Victorian home. Hope you don't have too much discomfort in your eyes. Have a good weekend.

    Mary @ Orphans With Makeup

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  3. Oh my goodness, this kitchen is a dreamland!!!! Thank you for sharing the pictures. Great with the old wood!
    Have a great time and sunny weekend.
    All the best from Austria
    Elisabeth

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    1. Thank you for taking time to comment Tante, yes very inspiring, I hope you come back to see the update on this post, more images of the living and bedrooms, quite surprising.

      http://leecarolineart.blogspot.co.nz/2014/05/an-edgy-renovation-part-two-living-room.html

      Lee :)

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  4. I hope you are feeling better now-that must be terribly uncomfortable. Take care!

    Thanks for sharing this divine post at the Say G'Day Saturday linky party. I've just pinned a few pictures. What a home!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

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    1. Thank you for your comment Natasha, its a gorgeous home, glad you enjoyed it and thank you for letting me share it on your blog.

      Lee ;)

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  5. Lee- Gorgeous space. Hope your eyes are better. Have you ever tried any homeopathic remedy or increased fish oil?
    pve

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    1. Thank you so much for commenting, it is a gorgeous space as you say, I love the mix of materials and the combination of painted and rustic doors in the kitchen. It has a contemporary but also traditional feel about it.

      Re my eyes, I am having acupuncture at the moment, I did try homeopathic remedy to start with but no improvement after 6 months of treatment. I also take fish oil 1000mg x 3 per day. The acupuncture seems to be helping a little but its early days. A dreaded condition I wouldn't wish upon anyone :(

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  6. This kitchen is gorgeous! I'm in love. Can you tell me what color the dark cabinets are?

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    1. Hi Beatriz, I am sorry but I don't know the colour of the cabinets and I am unable to find out on this particular home. They look a grey black with a slightly blue tint, which is not very helpful to you. I don't know what country you are in, I am presuming possibly the USA so I have looked at Benjamin Moores paints for you and found these two that may be similar: You would definitely have to try a test pot though first, I thoroughly recommend painting a piece of wood in it before you go painting cabinets :)

      Midnight Oil http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/midnightoil

      Graphite http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/graphite

      If your in NZ or Australia, email me, my email is on the contact page. I am very familiar with Resene paints but they are not available in the USA or Europe.

      Hope this is helpful.

      Lee

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    2. Thank you. That was very helpful

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    3. Your welcome, I hope that you find the colour you are after.

      Lee :)

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  7. This kitchen is so gorgeous. I'm in love! Can you please tell me what color the darker cabinets are?

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  8. Gorgeous kitchen!
    Can you tell me anything about the flooring? Is it real wood or tiles that look like wood? Would be able to share where you found them?

    Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Ben I am sorry but this renovation is not my own, I cannot say definitely re the flooring, however they did use some limed Oak strip flooring in this renovation but it does not state where in the house. I would envisage that this is what this flooring is likely to be. If you tell me what area you live in I may be able to find somewhere that may have a similar flooring you can request a sample of. Definitely it is real wood. If you want to refer to the original source, please visit this link. At the bottom of the page is a description of the home.

      http://www.jjlocations.com/locations_detail.php?l_id=3563

      Lee

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