Kitchen of the Week: Wisconsin Renovation Restores Tudor Style
A new configuration makes this kitchen more functional, and thoughtful details like beams and arches lend a period feel
Before. The kitchen was divided into two small spaces: the work area and the eat-in area. Beyond materials and finishes, it needed a new layout to make it functional. Before, counter space was limited, particularly near the awkwardly placed range. The sink wasn’t centered on anything, and all of the finishes were dated.
Before. The only other counter space was across from the refrigerator and wasn’t close enough to the sink or range to serve as a convenient prep area. “All that really happened here was that the counter was a spot to dump junk,” Westmore says. And the only exhaust fan was over the refrigerator. The homeowner was on board with removing the wall between the eat-in and work areas from the get-go.
Functionality. By removing the wall, Westmore made the kitchen open, light and functional, with the island serving as a prep space between the sink, the range and the refrigerator. (The refrigerator and pantry cabinets are tucked just to the right of where the photographer stood to take this photo — see plans below.)
Tudor details. “Everyone who sees the new ceiling beams is shocked that they aren’t original to the house,” Westmore says. The wire-brushed butternut wood gives them their aged look. And original diamond-shaped windowpanes elsewhere in the house inspired the diamond-shaped leaded glass doors on some of the cabinets.
“The new Gothic arch over the sink is also very Tudor,” Westmore says. She left the lovely original window there, and it inspired the wood trim around the new windows seen at the far end of the room in this photo. All of the untiled walls are plaster.
Flooring. The team removed the subflooring and radiators and replaced them with hydronic radiant-heat floors and a forced-air cooling system. Westmore chose the floor tile because it looks like antique terra cotta (but is actually porcelain). “We steered away from the red terra cotta looks because the other floors in the house are dark-stained oak and we didn’t want it to be a visual shock,” she says. “The dark brown tile works well with the existing wood floors.”
Other details. A reverse-osmosis water system by Santevia filters and remineralizes the water for the drinking-water faucet next to the sink faucet.
Floor tile: Antique Cotto, Palazzo collection, Stonepeak Ceramics; sink: Franke
Tudor details. “Everyone who sees the new ceiling beams is shocked that they aren’t original to the house,” Westmore says. The wire-brushed butternut wood gives them their aged look. And original diamond-shaped windowpanes elsewhere in the house inspired the diamond-shaped leaded glass doors on some of the cabinets.
“The new Gothic arch over the sink is also very Tudor,” Westmore says. She left the lovely original window there, and it inspired the wood trim around the new windows seen at the far end of the room in this photo. All of the untiled walls are plaster.
Flooring. The team removed the subflooring and radiators and replaced them with hydronic radiant-heat floors and a forced-air cooling system. Westmore chose the floor tile because it looks like antique terra cotta (but is actually porcelain). “We steered away from the red terra cotta looks because the other floors in the house are dark-stained oak and we didn’t want it to be a visual shock,” she says. “The dark brown tile works well with the existing wood floors.”
Other details. A reverse-osmosis water system by Santevia filters and remineralizes the water for the drinking-water faucet next to the sink faucet.
Floor tile: Antique Cotto, Palazzo collection, Stonepeak Ceramics; sink: Franke
Range wall. “The vent hood has a Tudor-inspired shape and has metal straps accented by nailheads,” Westmore says. “It has a pewter look to it. This is an unsealed living finish that will patina more over time.”
The doors on the cabinets are antiqued mirror applied to float glass with diamond-shaped grilles. “By using the float glass, it adds a subtle texture that makes it look older,” Westmore says. “Plus, it distorts the reflection enough so that you’re not looking at your face in the cabinet doors all the time!” She added the diamond detail to several cabinet doors in the living room as well.
Backsplash. Westmore’s client fell hard for these arabesque concrete tiles from Arto. “They aren’t completely Tudor style, but kitchens from those eras did have denser tile patterns, so I think we got away with stretching a little,” the designer says. The knobs on the upper cabinets are quartz crystal. “Both my client and I are drawn to natural materials like this,” she says.
Finishes. The pot filler, faucets and some of the perimeter cabinet hardware are all in polished nickel. “This is a classic older finish,” Westmore says.
Microwave. The microwave is tucked into an appliance garage to the left of the sink (seen on the left in the first photo).
Tile: Arto; quartz knobs: Anthropologie; other hardware and pot filler: The Finial; browse metal vent hoods
The doors on the cabinets are antiqued mirror applied to float glass with diamond-shaped grilles. “By using the float glass, it adds a subtle texture that makes it look older,” Westmore says. “Plus, it distorts the reflection enough so that you’re not looking at your face in the cabinet doors all the time!” She added the diamond detail to several cabinet doors in the living room as well.
Backsplash. Westmore’s client fell hard for these arabesque concrete tiles from Arto. “They aren’t completely Tudor style, but kitchens from those eras did have denser tile patterns, so I think we got away with stretching a little,” the designer says. The knobs on the upper cabinets are quartz crystal. “Both my client and I are drawn to natural materials like this,” she says.
Finishes. The pot filler, faucets and some of the perimeter cabinet hardware are all in polished nickel. “This is a classic older finish,” Westmore says.
Microwave. The microwave is tucked into an appliance garage to the left of the sink (seen on the left in the first photo).
Tile: Arto; quartz knobs: Anthropologie; other hardware and pot filler: The Finial; browse metal vent hoods
Island. The island’s warm white oak with an antique glaze offers contrast to all the white in the kitchen and plays off the window trim and ceiling beams. Special brass and mother of pearl knobs also distinguish the island from the rest of the cabinetry. The other pulls are bronze with a champagne finish.
“The polished nickel would have stuck out too much against this wood, and the mother of pearl picks up on the white and the natural material of the quartz crystal knobs elsewhere in the kitchen,” Westmore says. The island contains two refrigerator drawers for beverages and a trash/recycling bin pullout.
Knobs: Anthropologie; find more brass pulls and knobs
“The polished nickel would have stuck out too much against this wood, and the mother of pearl picks up on the white and the natural material of the quartz crystal knobs elsewhere in the kitchen,” Westmore says. The island contains two refrigerator drawers for beverages and a trash/recycling bin pullout.
Knobs: Anthropologie; find more brass pulls and knobs
Bar. Another of the homeowner’s favorite elements in the new kitchen is the bar beneath the four new double-hung windows. “She can put plants like herbs here, sit and watch her daughter playing in the backyard, use it as a desk, have morning coffee here and park extra stools here for when she entertains — too many stools around the island all the time can tend to look cluttered,” Westmore says. The skinny cabinet to the left of the bar is for spices; the cabinet to the right contains a charging station and room for mail and magazines.
Counters. The countertops are Renoir quartzite, which looks like marble. On the island, the finish is leathered, while the perimeter counters have a polished finish.
Lighting. In addition to ample recessed lighting in the ceiling, two special custom pendants with a pewter finish play off other existing elements in the house and the finish on the vent hood.
Counters. The countertops are Renoir quartzite, which looks like marble. On the island, the finish is leathered, while the perimeter counters have a polished finish.
Lighting. In addition to ample recessed lighting in the ceiling, two special custom pendants with a pewter finish play off other existing elements in the house and the finish on the vent hood.
Now there are French doors connecting the two spaces. At first Westmore and her client had their eyes on some fabulous iron doors, but they cost about $15,000. To get the same look for much less, she enlisted artist Carrie Chimenti of Chimenti Studios to make the doors look like aged metal.
For the first coat, Chimenti added sand to a paint that has iron in it to create a distressed texture that looks old. She then used a product that makes the iron in the paint rust. “Once it reaches the appropriate finish, she seals them so that that it won’t rust any further,” Westmore says. “She did an incredible job and they look like they are antique iron doors now.” Chimenti also used her skills on the plaster walls and ceiling in the kitchen and the antique glaze on the island.
For the first coat, Chimenti added sand to a paint that has iron in it to create a distressed texture that looks old. She then used a product that makes the iron in the paint rust. “Once it reaches the appropriate finish, she seals them so that that it won’t rust any further,” Westmore says. “She did an incredible job and they look like they are antique iron doors now.” Chimenti also used her skills on the plaster walls and ceiling in the kitchen and the antique glaze on the island.
Before. The kitchen was split in two, with an eat-in area separated from the work area by a wall. Also worth noting here is the disconnection between the eat-in area, top left, and the porch, top right. There was a door between the kitchen and the hall that leads to the basement stairs and the powder room, center.
After. Now the kitchen is one big open space. Changes to note here are the removal of the wall between the eat-in and work areas of the old kitchen, the new entrance through the French doors to the sunroom and the widened opening between the kitchen and the basement stairs, bottom right.
In her old kitchen, the homeowner cooked but never thought much about doing it one way or another. “She tells me she’s developed a love for cooking in her new space — it was a happy unanticipated outcome,” Westmore says.
Takeaways
Browse other Kitchens of the Week
American Architecture: The Elements of Tudor Style
Find a kitchen designer
In her old kitchen, the homeowner cooked but never thought much about doing it one way or another. “She tells me she’s developed a love for cooking in her new space — it was a happy unanticipated outcome,” Westmore says.
Takeaways
- If architectural details in your historic home have been wiped out due to a prior kitchen renovation, look around the rest of the house for original motifs, materials, shapes and finishes you can bring in.
- Before the renovation starts, make a list of all the problems you have with functionality in the kitchen, such as appliance arrangement or lack of counter space/storage near the range.
- If one element seems like a budget breaker, look to alternatives that have a similar look.
- Radiant-heat flooring is one of the first elements to go in, so give it ample consideration and research before you start work.
- Homes evolve over time, so mixing in something you fall hard for can still work. In this case it was the arabesque backsplash tile.
- If you tend to peruse/dump your mail in the kitchen, come up with a storage solution within the room for organizing and stashing it.
- If your countertops are cluttered with chargers and electronic devices, incorporate a charging station to keep them out of harm’s way.
Browse other Kitchens of the Week
American Architecture: The Elements of Tudor Style
Find a kitchen designer
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman and her young daughter
Location: Milwaukee
Size: 240 square feet (22 square meters)
Designer: Angela Westmore
This Tudor-style home in Milwaukee was full of beautiful period details except in one spot. The kitchen was lacking any sort of compelling design, didn’t flow with the home’s look and wasn’t functional. “The homeowner wanted the kitchen to fit in with the Tudor style and feel calm and relaxing,” architectural designer Angela Westmore says.
Inspiration. The Tudor-style architecture, particularly the original window over the sink and the original arched door that leads to the dining room, set the tone for the remodel. The vent hood, the coffered ceiling, the wood and metal finishes, the flooring and the lighting all take their cues from Tudor style.
Scope of work. The down-to-the-studs kitchen renovation was part of a larger project, which included turning the adjacent screened-in porch into a sunroom, finishing the basement and improving the flow between them and more. Westmore served as the designer and construction manager.