Kitchen of the Week: A Victorian Kitchen With American Diner Style
A fresh palette lifted straight from an American diner is paired with industrial touches in this funky family kitchen in Bristol
Jo Simmons
9 March 2016
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
When the owners of this Bristol home set about renovating the entire property, they were very keen to introduce some American diner style into their kitchen. ‘That’s why we chose a bold blue on the cabinets and black and white checkerboard flooring,’ says Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens, who designed the room.
Plenty of fresh white lends a bright, clean feel, too, and the scheme is anchored by honest, industrial touches, from the cast-metal shelf brackets to the soaring wall of metro tiles. It’s an exciting mix that works hard and has the kind of colour and energy that perfectly suits a busy family home.
Plenty of fresh white lends a bright, clean feel, too, and the scheme is anchored by honest, industrial touches, from the cast-metal shelf brackets to the soaring wall of metro tiles. It’s an exciting mix that works hard and has the kind of colour and energy that perfectly suits a busy family home.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here A professional couple and their two boys
Location Bishopston, Bristol
Size 3.89m x 3.27m; part of a Victorian semi-detached house with 5 bedrooms
Designer Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens
‘The whole house was very run-down and was being completely renovated when we came on board in the summer of 2105,’ says Sam Shaw. ‘The original kitchen was in this space, but it was totally gutted.’
Who lives here A professional couple and their two boys
Location Bishopston, Bristol
Size 3.89m x 3.27m; part of a Victorian semi-detached house with 5 bedrooms
Designer Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens
‘The whole house was very run-down and was being completely renovated when we came on board in the summer of 2105,’ says Sam Shaw. ‘The original kitchen was in this space, but it was totally gutted.’
The kitchen sits at the back of the house and flows off the dining area. During extensive renovation work on the whole property, two old windows were removed on this wall and the space opened up to create room for one large window.
FAB28QB1 fridge with freezer compartment, Smeg.
FAB28QB1 fridge with freezer compartment, Smeg.
The ceiling was knocked out during renovation work on the house to expose the kitchen’s pitched roof.
Shaw suggested the wall of striking metro tiles on the side of the kitchen that butts onto the neighbour’s house. ‘There had been some exposed brickwork in the kitchen before and the owners liked that,’ he says, ‘but when the ceiling was removed, the bricks above weren’t as good a quality, so it was easier to just tile over the whole wall.’
Shaw suggested the wall of striking metro tiles on the side of the kitchen that butts onto the neighbour’s house. ‘There had been some exposed brickwork in the kitchen before and the owners liked that,’ he says, ‘but when the ceiling was removed, the bricks above weren’t as good a quality, so it was easier to just tile over the whole wall.’
The kitchen cabinets are made with oak frames and flat birch plywood doors and drawers. ‘We looked at Shaker styles at first,’ says Shaw, ‘and then decided a flat panel design was right, as it created a cleaner look with more of a diner feel. We then cut finger-pulls into the doors, which look cleaner than handles or knobs.’
Check out 9 ways to create a dining area in a small kitchen
Check out 9 ways to create a dining area in a small kitchen
The cabinets are given a coat of primer, one of undercoat, and one of paint in the workshop and are then hand-painted once installed. The range cooker is one of several black accents dotted around the room, including the shelf brackets, flooring and window frame.
Black Roma twin range cooker, Ilve. Cabinets painted in St Giles Blue, Farrow & Ball.
Black Roma twin range cooker, Ilve. Cabinets painted in St Giles Blue, Farrow & Ball.
Handsome cast-metal brackets bring an industrial feel to the space. ‘They are all handmade and each one is slightly different,’ says Shaw.
Vintage-style Duckett design wall shelf brackets, Bowley & Jackson.
Vintage-style Duckett design wall shelf brackets, Bowley & Jackson.
‘The installation of this kitchen was incredibly straightforward,’ Shaw says. ‘We usually allow a week, but this took a couple of days.’ The most challenging part was fitting the shelving. ‘It was difficult to fit slightly wonky, handmade brackets onto metro tiles and get it all level,’ he says.
Installing the extractor fan proved quite awkward because of the steeply pitched roof. ‘We had to cut a hole in the wall and run the pipework out through the adjoining cloakroom,’ says Shaw. ‘We got steel baffles made bespoke to line the hole and create a really neat finish.’
Shaw jokes that he grew up in a farmhouse and if you needed to get rid of cooking fumes, you simply opened a window! ‘Now, though, Building Control states you have to have some form of extractor that’s equal to or better than what was installed before,’ he says. ‘So we had to put something in and the owners liked the industrial style of the exposed pipework.’
Arioso flat stainless steel cooker hood, Britannia.
Shaw jokes that he grew up in a farmhouse and if you needed to get rid of cooking fumes, you simply opened a window! ‘Now, though, Building Control states you have to have some form of extractor that’s equal to or better than what was installed before,’ he says. ‘So we had to put something in and the owners liked the industrial style of the exposed pipework.’
Arioso flat stainless steel cooker hood, Britannia.
The owners’ collection of enamelware and vintage pieces now takes pride of place on the open shelving.
Metropolitan clock, Newgate.
Discover inspiring ways to work art into your kitchen
Metropolitan clock, Newgate.
Discover inspiring ways to work art into your kitchen
A white quartz worktop runs throughout the kitchen and here, by the sink, has drainer grooves cut into it. On this sink run, the same quartz has been used to form the upstand and windowsill.
Stereo double sink, Clearwater. Worktop and upstand in Bianco Venato quartz, Bristol Marble & Granite.
Renovating your kitchen? Read expert advice on choosing the perfect worktop
Stereo double sink, Clearwater. Worktop and upstand in Bianco Venato quartz, Bristol Marble & Granite.
Renovating your kitchen? Read expert advice on choosing the perfect worktop
Checkerboard vinyl flooring ups the American diner feel in this kitchen. The door at the rear leads into a cloakroom in what would originally have been the scullery.
Vintage-style metal pendant lights with an industrial feel hang both in front of the shelves and along the sink run on the opposite side of the room. They were sourced by the owners.
TELL US…
What do you think of this American diner-inspired kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you think of this American diner-inspired kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Very vibrant kitchen!
The combination of diner, industrial, and farmhouse elements sum up to wonderful here. I love the windows, and the original (?) wood door to the scullery really adds a critical warmth. Any thought to a really colorful, funky wallpaper for that wall? In my imagination, that would ground, and add something awesome to the overall vibe. But that's just me, and it's beautiful as is. Thanks for sharing, and enjoy!
What a beautiful kitchen! I love the bright colours and checkerboard floor. Well done!