Living in a period property, one full of original features or a classic farmhouse, can be a real privilege. To live in your own little piece of history and be surrounded by timeless designs is something many other homeowners can only dream of. 

And at the heart of it all is your kitchen. If you get it right your kitchen turns your traditional house into a home.  It should be a warm, welcoming space, not only for cooking but for entertaining, relaxing, and even working. 

At Dowers Bespoke Kitchens we believe your kitchen should reflect the character of your house. Whether we are working with a Victorian kitchen, redesigning a kitchen space in a Georgian property, or building a farmhouse kitchen from scratch, it’s important to consider and complement the property’s features and architectural style.

We take inspiration from what’s already there and make sure we create a seamless flow throughout the property.  The biggest compliment is when we create a new kitchen and get told that it looks as if it’s always been in the property, (just with all the wonderful benefits of modern engineering and technology behind the doors).

So how do we create a traditional kitchen to suit the property?

Our starting point is to look at existing features in your house. In particular:

The doors throughout the property

Are they traditional? What style of door do you want for your kitchen cabinets? Will they match the rest of the house?  Reflecting your home’s era in the kitchen’s design might mean building cabinetry featuring decorative detailing.

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The wood

We may have to buy the correct type of wood to match existing materials in the house, or stain or paint to match.

Windows

We can recreate or complement unusual window designs in our kitchens.

Hardware

We will source hardware (knobs, hinges and handles) to match your existing windows and doors where possible.

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Colours

We can paint the kitchen furniture in any colour to match your property.

Building around quirky or irregular features

Traditional and period homes often have rooms with unusual dimensions. Whether you have curved walls, beams, uneven floors or a fireplace or traditional stove, we will design our kitchen to not only show off the existing features but, importantly, to work in harmony with them.  This is where a truly bespoke kitchen comes to the fore.  An off-the-shelf cabinet can’t be cut in half to allow for a jutting out beam.

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Traditional kitchen features

We have been hand building kitchens for over 30 years and have worked in many different types of traditional properties. Here’s some features we might include to help recreate the era.

Georgian inspired kitchens

With the Georgian period lasting over a century from 1714-1830, there isn’t one single design style for furniture over that time. Georgian kitchens tend to be somewhere between the simplicity of a flat-framed Shaker-style kitchen door to the more ornately decorated Victorian style. They are characterised by having a very strong classic look that can be made grander with impressive panelled mantels and imposing full-height larders, or kept simpler for a cottage or farmhouse kitchen.  Features may include:

• Raised and fielded panel doors
• Drawers edged with moulding for delicate detail
• Painted finishes – often greys and blues
• Grand mantelpieces
• Granite or marble worktops
• Butler’s sinks and bridge taps
• Bronze drop handles, cup handles and knobs

Victorian inspired kitchens

The Victorian period lasted from 1837 to 1901, so again it embraced many furniture styles. There are two main approaches, the utilitarian interpretation based on the butler’s pantry or scullery that was the true working kitchen in Victorian homes. The focus is on a range cooker with freestanding furniture, open dressers and a large, well-worn table taking centre stage. As oppose to kitchen cabinets styled on the upstairs parlour or dining rooms with grander levels of decoration than Georgian styles. Features may include:

• A large cook’s table or central island
• Freestanding furniture such as a dresser
• Ornate cornicing and arch doors
• Scullery style wet area with butler’s sink
• Cream or white painted cabinetry mixed with oak or teak worktops

Every home we work in is unique and we love creating kitchens as distinctive as your home.  If you live in or are buying a traditional home and looking to recreate a kitchen sympathetic to your property, please get in touch to discuss your project.