Two years ago, we finished renovating the kitchen in an old house we'd purchased a little over six months earlier. It was a landmark moment: it was the first room we completed after gutting our beautiful new home, installing new wiring and heating in every room, and updating parts that hadn't been touched since the 1970s.
And I loved, and still love, the kitchen. Though the house was built in the 1840s and is in the middle of quiet countryside, I wanted contemporary finishes that would fit into the space. Oak cabinetry, greenish Italian granite, contemporary lighting. I wanted a kitchen that was calming, upscale, elegant and approachable, perfect for entertaining and cooking.
But now, two years on, seeing new kitchen ideas emerging on the international design scene, there are some things I would do differently now, and some things I would keep the same and would recommend to anyone embarking on a kitchen renovation.
Kitchen renovation regrets
Kitchen trends change faster than we can update our kitchens, and faster than we can imagine, and the danger of this job is that while my kitchen doesn't feel dated at all, I've been influenced by interviews I've had with designers since then, and seen some new ideas at design fairs that I would incorporate if I were setting up a kitchen today.
Island Shape
(Image courtesy of Lauren Miller. Design by Ashley Montgomery)
It's hard to believe that just two years ago, all kitchen islands were square. Then Italian brand Cesar launched Tangram and I had an epiphany: an island can be any shape. In fact, curved edges are not only beautiful, they also feel more inviting and approachable, just like a round dining table feels more inclusive than a rectangular one, which creates a hierarchy where someone is the leader.
“Adding curves to features like a kitchen island breaks up the angular lines of a space,” says Toronto-based interior designer Ashley Montgomery, who conceived this rounded kitchen (above). “It creates softness and creates unexpected touches. You can also add open shelving to display stoneware bowls or special decorative pieces. If you have the space, this is a great idea!”
Next time I make an island I'm going to round the edges.
Lack of storage space for glass products
(Image courtesy of Pip Rich)
My kitchen is so beautifully decorated for Christmas, with open kitchen shelves lined with jars of artfully selected ingredients (yes, we actually use ingredients) that look great all year round.
But! I love the art of display, so maybe I should have put kitchen cabinets here to store my glassware. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a place to put it, so it's in the cabinets in the adjacent dining room.
Sure, I could replace the jars with glassware, but the problem is I've accumulated a lot of glassware over the years and broken some of it. Now I have a less-than-photogenic assortment that I don't necessarily want to be the first thing people see. Next time? A wall-mounted cabinet would be better for my lifestyle.
Uneven floor
After peeling back about an inch of the old vinyl flooring and concrete, we found the original pavers underneath. We weren't expecting the pavers to remain intact and in good enough condition to be kept.
But it's been in place for nearly 200 years, and years of wear have left it uneven and dented in places. Style? Appeal? Plenty of both. But is it easy to keep the cracks and crevices clean? No, it's not, especially with dogs trampling over it every day with their muddy paws.
“Think about what your flooring will look like in a few years' time,” says Russell Sage, the acclaimed British designer known for his stunning flooring choices in hotels such as the Fife Arms. “Not everything is going to stay perfect, so consider the durability of the surface.” My old stone is durable, but it would take a lot of work to make it look good. If I were to do it again, I would factor this into the project and opt for engineered wood or a more easy-to-care-for laminate.
What I still love about our kitchen renovation
I am still very happy with it, and it was definitely the right choice for our lifestyle and the ease of use of our kitchen. Here are some things I want you to think about.
Pantry Colors
(Image courtesy of Marc Le Galle)
Terracotta and wood are the perfect combination. Both have warm tones that evoke the outdoors, woodland walks and sun-soaked Mediterranean vacations. We're so glad we chose terracotta for the pantry, which features a double-fronted cabinet integrated into a wall that's partially hollowed out to create depth. We'd love to use this shade (Hari by Atelier Ellis) again in future projects.
“Terracotta is a key trend in interior design as we continue to seek comfort and serenity in our homes,” designer Kelly Wearstler told me in an interview around the time I was planning my kitchen remodel. “Not only is the color versatile, it's also inherently warm, making it a natural match for handmade objects made from natural materials like rattan, seagrass, and linen. I love using terracotta in my home; it's a laid-back color with a softness reminiscent of morning sun.”
Wooden cabinet
We're also thinking about having wood kitchen cabinets. Ours are made from oak and were handcrafted by local craftsmen especially for this space, and they still look as good today as they did when they were first installed.
I don't like the sparkle of modern kitchen cabinets – the light-reflecting surfaces – these are more subdued and less intrusive than laminate.
Granite Countertops
(Image courtesy of Marc Le Galle)
Italian granite was also a great choice. I had been thinking about getting marble countertops but was concerned about durability (I was permanently scarred by a previous apartment where the marble countertops were not properly sealed before use).
Two years later, the granite doesn't have a single scratch on it – it's literally like new. The speckled pattern, to me, is more modern and interesting than the veining of marble, which has now been imitated by man-made quartz materials and is no longer as special.
Granite is easy to care for; it wipes clean and doesn't scratch (although I've heard of one case where a woman's huge diamond engagement ring put a dent in it), and it's heat resistant (although I wouldn't dare put a boiling hot frying pan on it). It also comes in a variety of colors to play with; the one I found to be a muted greenish color matches well with the surrounding countryside and, combined with the wood, gives it an overall calming feel.
