The Step-by-Step Guide to Remodelling Your Kitchen

Case study: renovating an open-plan kitchen in a Victorian house

Situated along a tree-lined cul de sac in Richmond, with walled gardens and tall chimneys, this period terraced house has been upgraded by the current owners, Fiona and Ben Edwards, to a beautiful standard yet in keeping with its period and boasts a wealth of character. Read on and follow the step by step journey of their kitchen renovation.

#1 Condition of project before starting

Ben and Fiona bought their Victorian terrace house in Richmond, Surrey 6 years ago. Instantly struck by its potential, it was a diamond in the rough. It had been bought ‘off plan’ in the 1850s (the land was originally an orchard) and had been owned by only one family. The current owner has lived there for 99 years and 44 weeks! Unfortunately, most of the original features had been removed in the 1960s.

The ground floor area that was to become their new open plan kitchen/diner was made up of the following spaces:

• Kitchen
• ‘Boiler room’ – affectionately known as this, as its main purpose was to house the massive boiler!
• Glass ‘lean to’
• Outside toilet 
• External side return

They employed an architect and planned to extend into the side return and glaze above it. This was a key part of the transformation, providing a sightline from the front door to the garden. Together with the full-width bi-fold doors, this would provide an immense sense of space and light.

#2 The building works

The construction works were undertaken as follows:

• The first step was to strip out the interior. Here came the first unforeseen event: a cracked sewer pipe in the dining room. The human waste had to be dug out by hand!
• Later, windows were removed and walls were taken back to brick.
• Next, the internal walls were removed… it’s amazing how much bigger the space looked at this point.
• Footings were then dug for the side return and the concrete floor was laid.
• Then the steels were installed, the old external wall was removed, a new external wall was built and plumbing was done. The house looked like it was floating …amazing what those steels can do!
• Next, the utility room was created, the first electrical arrangements were made, plasterboard was put on the walls and ceilings and side return glass panels were installed. Now it was really taking shape!
• Finally, the walls and ceilings were plastered and painted and folding doors were installed.

 

#3 Kitchen installation

Once the building works were done, only the last steps remained:

• The base cupboards were fitted first, followed by the wall cabinets. 
• Then, the process of undercoating and varnishing (inside of cupboards) began.
• The worktop and the back-splash behind the range cooker were installed.
• The topcoat went on… both the exciting and nerve-wracking part!
• The range cooker was installed. 
• Next, the faux chimney was created.
• The floor tiles were then laid – Ben and Fiona chose Aston Acero as they wanted to recreate a more rustic look, but with the benefit of a modern finish, which was easy to keep clean and practical for their dog. They also used Porcelanosa tiles in all 3 bathrooms and the wooden flooring in their hall, dining and living rooms. On that point, they say: “We love these quality products, as they give such a luxurious finish.”

ASTON ACERO

59.6X59.6

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• Afterwards, the appliances were installed (fridge/freezer and wine fridge).
• The next step was to personalise the space over time. They added furniture (sofa and table), lamps, decorative items and artwork (from Hannah Ludnow and David Baumforth). Plants (lots of them) helped to soften the space, add a sense of wellbeing and connect the kitchen to the garden.

As for the result of their kitchen renovation, they state: “We are thrilled with the finished result. We’ve maintained the period character, whilst benefiting from a light-filled, modern shaker open plan kitchen, with a WOW factor.” We couldn’t agree more.

Further information: Want to see more pictures of the kitchen renovation or find out more details about the process? Find out more on their Instagram page – @fromtherubbletotheritz and website www.mycasainteriors.com