Complete Gut Remodel of the Kitchen in Our 1800s Home

by Stacy | BlakeHillHouse

8 Materials

The kitchen in our home from the 1800s had not been touched since the 1960s. Our goal was a kitchen with modern amenities that fit in with our Victorian /Colonial home.

complete gut remodel of the kitchen in our 1800s home, chalkboard paint, home improvement, kitchen backsplash, kitchen cabinets, kitchen design

After several meetings and a couple of different bids, we chose the remodeling team at our local Lowe's Home Improvement store to tackle the bulk of the gut remodel of our kitchen. Andy and I agreed to paint, lay the tile backsplash, and refinish the wood floors as DIY projects.

The kitchen before was loved by the previous occupant. She had it installed in the 1960s when she and her husband moved into Blake Hill House.

She took very good care of it, but it suffered from over 50 years of wear and tear. The house also stood empty for almost two years before we bought it. Unfortunately, nature took advantage of that fact. Nature always wins. The metal cabinets rusted, and there was a great deal of rodent activity despite our best efforts to eliminate the population.

We needed a clean kitchen with modern amenities, including a dishwasher. We also needed to make sure that the electrical would be capable of supporting our new appliances and a heavier load. In addition, the layout did not work for our family of six, and the lighting and prep space were inadequate.

That is why we ended up gutting the kitchen down to the studs. We kept the original windows (which we always believe are far superior to their vinyl counterpart), doors and ceiling. Everything else was removed.

Fortunately, all of the knob and tube wiring had already been terminated during a previous upgrade. Therefore, all the newer lines were inspected and replaced as needed. They installed additional lines to the panel so we would not have to run to the basement to flip breakers all day.

After 2.5 long months, the new kitchen was complete!

For the rest of the photos and many more details, please visit our blog.

This kitchen is our largest project to date, but we have done plenty more to restore and preserve this treasure of a house that we bought two years ago. The previous owner, Dorothy, was beloved by all. We do our best to honor her love for this house as we make changes that fit our modern family. Please visit our blog to learn all about this fixer upper.

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Kraftmaid Cabinets (Lowe's)
Replica Antique Hardware (House of Antique Hardware)
Silestone Countertops (Lowe's)
Encaustic Cement Tile (Overstock.com)
Schoolhouse Lighting (Alcott by Feiss) (Locally, but it is available at Wayfair.com)
Paint (Citilite by Sherwin Williams) (Lowe's)
Chalkboard Paint by Valspar (Lowe's)
Frames in various shapes and sizes (Local Flea Markets & Thrift shops)