Victorian kitchen renovation. Help please! PHOTOS

[Namechangedzzz]

Hi. We will shortly be renovating our kitchen completely. It is important to us that although it is a new kitchen it still has a bit of Victorian in it as the rest of of the house has a lot of original features. (The current kitchen doesn't.)

We have had pictures through which I am disappointed with but I think it is because they don't have any nod to the Victorian era in them which we will add through sash windows, Victorian style drawer handles, lights, tiled floor etc. The tiles I like are cream with a light grey and light blue in them but could easily change this. We are getting quotes from a joiner for the cupboards and also from the people our builder usually works with (magnet).

There will be a tall pantry where they have put the fridge and the fridge will move next to the back door (taking out some of the drawers/cupboard). There will probably be 3 windows at the end and not two.

So my question is... Bearing in mind it isn't a massive kitchen, what colour cabinets and what type and colour of worktops should I have please? Any help gratefully received!!! (Initially I had thought both natural wood by the joiner but DH is very worried it will be too dark and I think I can see his point.)

Natural wood doesn't have to be dark. We have maple, it's very light when new, and only a little warmer in tone after many years. I agree dark woods can be oppressive, we're getting rid of the dark ones in this house we bought (we brought our old light wood units with us to install instead).
We have the corbiere one-
www.marpatt.co.uk/corbiere-kitchen-doors.php
but in maple, which is actually a very pale cream in colour.
Grey and neutral painted cupboards are very modern, and I fear will date like heck anyway. That square cut so called 'shaker' style of panelling on the cupboards is about as far from Victorian as it's possible for panelling to get. You need a more moulded panelling if you want it to look Victorian. Not very fancy necessarily, it could still be simple, but not just flat and angular like that.

Worktops are a real problem. I need worktops for a new kitchen here and I can't find one single worktop that I like the look of, I have been looking for months. Dark ones I consider to be not hygienic- you can't see that they are clean. I loathe grey, especially dark grey, for surfaces, I think it's cold and dismal. What I really want is a light warm cream with a nice restrained pattern, like good old Onyx, which you can't get any more. There is next to bog-all in this category because practically everything is grey, grey, and more even darker grey. I wish people didn't all follow fashion so much it left the rest of us with very few choices. I seem to be stuck with choosing a least-worst option, which is a Formica granite one.

@BlueMongoose thank you so much!

I have messaged my joiner to ask which types of wood he would consider? I would ideally want natural wood as long as it is not too dark and not have it painted. His own kitchen is made of ash and it is beautiful but I think too dark for our space.

The shaker style is not one we are set on by any means, that is the builder's preference though but they don't have to live with it do they...
I see you mean about the panelling. That has given me something to think about. I also put on the message to the joiner about that to get his opinion. I think.he might be able to buy a trim and attach it if he could get the wood to match up or could maybe do a simple one. I am starting to think the joiner option is more likely as long as his quote is not millions. He has done work for us before so I know his us of a really high standard.

I agree with you about the grey, I never felt strongly until the pictures of our potential kitchen and I think it looks gloomy.

I will attach a picture of the tiles we are considering. They are new but with the Fleur de lis I hope they have a nod to the Victorian era. I also thought about going fairly light on the floor so that it would help the wood not look too dark.

It just seems like such big decisions. It's not like paint on a wall which you could change easily

Sorry to digress from the original question, but isn't that a long way to walk from your hob to your sink? Looks a bit dangerous to me.
( hoping it's just the view/angle and its actually only about 120cm ?? )

@BlueMongoose apologies for sticking my beak in, but wondered if your searched ha s thrown up this laminate worktop as it sounds to close to what you want.

www.worktop-express.co.uk/laminate-worktops/pokhara-marble-laminate-worktops?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr6mRtZKb7AIVAp3VCh11KQNzEAQYASABEgL15fD_BwE

@cestunestilo here is the floor plan from above. I think it is about 3m hob to sink which does seem far but I think the island has been made that size and not longer so there is still plenty of space (and quite a direct route) for my relative's wheelchair to get to the back door.

Grey doesn't shout victorian .I'd go for navy blue/black and brass fittings

I think it is about 3m hob to sink which does seem far but I think the island has been made that size and not longer so there is still plenty of space (and quite a direct route) for my relative's wheelchair to get to the back door

OP in which case I think it's a really bad idea to have your hob on the island. Can you imagine having to walk three metres carrying a pan of boiling water/ pasta/ vegetables etc to drain it at the sink? That would be really dangerous, not just in case of dropping or splashing but somebody walking into you.

@rwalker thank you so much. I was looking at brass fittings (handles, taps, lights etc). The grey is what the magnet people chose on the picture when my builder went with them with the measurements. I think it looks gloomy. I am erring towards natural wood though as a I am worried about a dark kitchen. It just is such a big decision. I am really stressing about it.

@Daisydoesnt thank you for your comment. I think the problem is that DH and I have different dreams... He wants an island to cook at so he can face all the DC while he is cooking and they can sit and chat or do hw etc (at the moment cooking feels quite isolating) and I would love a sink overlooking the garden so I can keep an eye on DC playing... It could be that our two ideas just won't work well together

It doesn’t look very Victorian because (other than the sink) there’s nothing Victorian about a modern kitchen, complete with (very odd) island - which is what you’ve got there. I don’t think unit colour and tiles are going to do anything to change that: instead, it needs some more period feel features.

Options include:

• a range cooker on the right side of the kitchen, where the wall cabinets are. Add a traditionally styled extractor hood, and some shelves either side, and it would immediately feel more traditional in character.
• swap out that island for a kitchen table (scrub top, perhaps), and add a Victorian era dresser type unit on the back wall to provide any extra storage required.
• change the American style fridge freezer to integrated pantry style units.

I don’t think you’d need to change all aspects, but the sink alone isn’t cutting it at the moment. Suggest having a browse of Devol kitchens for inspiration re creating a period feel with modern practicality. Some of the differences are really subtle - e.g. they use wall cabinets, but they tend to be huge, glazed and stand alone rather than a wall-to-wall run.

It will never look period with such a large fridge freezer which is overly dominant in the space. Ideally you would disguise it or at least make the units deeper to make it flush. Look on Pinterest for ideas.
Agree all the grey decor is depressing.

Oh blimey. That's just dangerous, sorry. Who ever planned this doesn't have your safety at heart.
Especially so if there's children and less able people sharing the space. Please re consider who's planning this for you and go to a credible professional. Then shop around with one plan and compare prices at lots of places.

You can get away with dark units light work tops good lighting and everything else white it wouldn't seem gloomy

Do you need the island for a dining table? Also what’s the door behind it?

I don’t think you have space for such big appliances. Have a normal fridge freezer and set out your units in an L shape so you have enough worktop. The island puts the cooker and workspace completely at the wrong end of the room. You could put a dresser or shallow larder units and the table at that end, but keep your work zones one side of the through route.

@NotMeNoNo Hi. No we have a separate dining room so the kitchen isn't our main seating area. I think it will be more for keeping the cook company or if one person has breakfast by themselves.

The door by the big screen (we won't be having a screen) has a short corridor and off it there is a utility room, downstairs bathroom, dining room and the hallway at the end. (Hallway then goes to porch, living room and stairs to upstairs.)

agree with the posts above that you should definitely NOT have the hob in the island where you have to walk a long way to the sink past an area where people will be passing by to get to the back door etc. It is dangerous & inconvenient.

the island can be a great place to chat etc without having a hob in it.

I agree with the others about the layout.

For Victorian features I'd be thinking range cooker, big chunky pine table, dresser, quarry tiles on floor and subway tiles on wall.

Are you on Pinterest

No we have a separate dining room so the kitchen isn't our main seating area. I think it will be more for keeping the cook company or if one person has breakfast by themselves.
It sounds like a huge waste of space.
I think that it would be useful, and Victorian, to turn that area into storage (not just for kitchen stuff) with huge floor-to-ceiling pantry doors.

If you are going to have something on the "wrong" side of the doorways, I agree, make it storage: fridge, dresser, larder. Frequently used items /ingredients can be stored in the working area. Then you could have a big worktable against the other wall for spreading out to plate up, baking, sorting shopping etc. With a couple of bar chairs.

@Namechangedzzz Is the kitchen in-frame? It doesn't look it from the photos. I may be wrong

I wouldn't have the hob on the island I think it's dangerous for the kids, I would also make sure the fridge freezer was hidden.
I think the island looks too big personally.

@BlueMongoose I love Dekton worktops 😊 I'm having Laurent for my new kitchen.

Have you had a look on Pinterest for inspiration? There are loads of lovely kitchens to look at.

I agree with PPs that the layout with the hob on the island looks lethal. Also a bad use if space- it looks like it leaves you with very little storage? Could you post a plan? That might help people make constructive suggestions.

This bit is stressful, but it'll all be worth it in the end!

Not the island cooking dream but I think this gives a period look (sorry about all the pans and gubbins on top)

Also should say there was no original chimney breast there with ours, they sort of created one (previous people)