B&A: How to Update an Old Farmhouse Kitchen, Without Losing Any of Its Charm
BEFORE & AFTER
VIA MAPLE AND MEI
Some homes have a charm you can’t replicate, and long-time ORCer Laurie’s (@maple.and.mei) vintage Vermont farmhouse is one of them. In the fall ‘23 ORC, she took on updating the kitchen. She’d already tackled refinishing the floors, replacing the fridge, and making over the banquette when she and her family moved in. Her challenge now was to finish the renovation and breathe new life into the space, without sacrificing any of its historic character.
The major element the kitchen was missing was an island. Laurie knew she wanted to repurpose something second-hand that wouldn’t look out of place amongst all the original wood cabinets, and she ended up scoring the salvage yard find of the century—an 8 foot long gorgeous vintage shop counter. She refinished it, fitted it out with drawers for utensils and plates and the like, and sewed a curtain to cover the open side.
It could not be more perfect. And, the extra work of hunting for the perfect second-hand piece plus refinishing it completely paid off, the island fits right in and and is basically dripping with vintage character.
The fireplace wall was another major DIY Laurie tackled. First, she limewashed the outer brick, which visually softened them without taking away the character the brick adds. She then gave the inner brick a fresh coat of black paint, and painted the whole wall a lovely light blue.
Like the rest of the kitchen, this wall was already fantastic, but the aesthetic changes Laurie made were exactly what this area needed.
Her last main DIY endeavor was creating this apothecary shelf moment. These shelves were originally meant as a plate rack, but storing spices here by the stove functionally made more sense to Laurie. So, in lieu of the pop of color displaying plates added here, Laurie painted the back of the shelves dark blue, and then stenciled on the cutest pattern in lighter shades of blue. Perfect balance of form and function.
By being creative and strategic and working with her kitchen’s strengths, Laurie created such a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind space, and she should be very proud!
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