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Old House Journal - Design

Timeless 1920s Colonial Revival Kitchen

This handsome suite of rooms was outfitted by a history-inspired cabinet-making company celebrating a big anniversary.

By Patricia Poore Old House Journal - June 2024
From Old House Journal
Display Cabinets: Sunlight streams through full-height upper cabinets glazed on both sides, a twist on an otherwise traditional design familiar from butler’s pantries. Curated glassware and serving pieces are on display from both rooms.

Classic in black and white, this new kitchen by 
Kennebec Company beautifully suits the elegant revival house built in 1920. For the renovation, 
Kennebec’s designers worked with Colin Smith Architects to create a combined family room/dining room/kitchen and pantry space.

Plain, inset cabinets from Kennebec’s Maine 
Farmhouse collection are a suitable choice—simpler than the raised-panel woodwork in the original house. They are hand-painted, a luxury finish today but one that alludes to early casework and furniture.

The kitchen, dining room, and family room are not quite open plan, owing to columns and room-dividing cabinets that define separate spaces, in keeping with an old house. Sight lines are unimpeded.
The kitchen, dining room, and family room are not quite open plan, owing to columns and room-dividing cabinets that define separate spaces, in keeping with an old house. Sight lines are unimpeded.

Special features include wood and glass doors with true divided lights, soapstone counters, and brushed-nickel hardware. Revival fixtures reminiscent of colonial-era precedents light the space, which is warmly grounded by a hardwood floor.

The ‘Hampton’ pendant from Hudson Valley Lighting is a classic fixture housing three lamps in a clear glass hurricane. The diameter is 10 ¼" and the height is 20 ¾". In the Historic Nickel finish, MSRP is $606; other finishes are available. hvlgroup.com.
The ‘Hampton’ pendant from Hudson Valley Lighting is a classic fixture housing three lamps in a clear glass hurricane. The diameter is 10 ¼” and the height is 20 ¾”. In the Historic Nickel finish, MSRP is $606; other finishes are available. hvlgroup.com.

What if grandmother’s etched glasses had been handed down unbroken? Instead of searching for random survivors, buy multiples reproduced by Williams–Sonoma from an antique glass, part of the ‘Vintage Etched’ collection, in pink or clear glass. A set of four stemmed goblets in pink (5 ½" tall, 9 oz. capacity) is $79.95. williams-sonoma.com
What if grandmother’s etched glasses had been handed down unbroken? Instead of searching for random survivors, buy multiples reproduced by Williams–Sonoma from an antique glass, part of the ‘Vintage Etched’ collection, in pink or clear glass. A set of four stemmed goblets in pink (5 ½” tall, 9 oz. capacity) is $79.95. williams-sonoma.com

With classic elements and a modified open plan, the underlying design might be adapted for homes that show a transition from Arts & Crafts to Colonial Revival. It’s a good model, too, for early houses accommodating a more modern kitchen addition.

When Kennebec Company was founded, in 1974, the specialty was building period cabinets, especially for Maine’s very old houses. Their collections today show an impressive range. Happy 51st birthday, Kennebec!

RELATED STORIES

  • Custom Built-in Cabinets Made Easy
  • Historic Kitchen Reimagined
  • A Period Inspired Kitchen 1910-1920

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