Create Your Victorian Revival Kitchen
There isn't a kitchen cabinet door anywhere that won't benefit from a Victorian hardware upgrade. Keyholes and keyhole covers, drawer pulls, and latches made of wood, china, or cast brass bring an aura of grandeur straight out of the Victorian age to an otherwise overlooked and boring kitchen.
How to Bring Victorian Elegance to Your Kitchen Cabinets
Of course, the best approach is to remodel your kitchen into a full-blown Victorian masterpiece. If this is out of the range of your pocket book, however, you can bring in the hardware and a 19th century look with just a few changes that reflect the era.
Most Victorian revival kitchens were adorned with open shelving and circled with a plate rail for display and storage. A modest kitchen didn't have built in cabinets since this concept was new and reserved only for those who could afford them. Incorporating these simple features into your kitchen allows you to include decorative era-specific hardware and create an authentic Victorian look.
Here's where you should start.
- Icebox hinges. Authentic reproduction icebox hinges are available in nickel-plated and polished brass. The thumb-operated levers are downturned and breathtakingly beautiful.
- Doorknobs. Brass doorknobs can be purchased by talking to the right antique dealer. If the dealer doesn't have doorknobs on hand, he can keep his eyes open for you.
- Cabinet and drawer pulls. The sky's the limit here. Victorian pulls are exquisitely designed to be rich and luxurious. Brass is the name of the game and is formed into ribbons, floral arrangements, branches, and shells.
- Keyhole covers. These are an ornate touch that are an option for those wanting a more formal kitchen.
A hardware upgrade is all it takes to re-create a breath-taking Victorian kitchen right in your own home.
About the Author
Greg Keefer has been a do-it-yourselfer with lots of experience in how to do things right and how to do them wrong. He enjoys sharing his experience with the hope of helping others to
