VICTORIAN KITCHENS

Donna Maybe these two websites can help.
http://www.victorian.com/index.html & http://lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/%7Emalsuoka/Victorian/html#Victorian

If nothing else you will find more Victorian stuff than you ever thought possible

CAN ANY ONE GIVE ME A PLACE TO START MY RESURCH FOR PICTURES OF OLD KITCHENS, I AM INTERESTED IN ANY INFO ON HOW THE WLLS AND CEILING WERE COVERED. WE ARE STARTING TO BUILD A NEW 1860 VIC HOUSE. PLEASE HELP.

DOMMA MCDERMOTT

A new 1860 vic? Is that a home built from circa 1860 architect drawings? Or a new design in a style popular during 1860? Remember circa 1860 is pre-War Between the States time. There were a lot of changes in technology & arcitecture druing the period referred to as 'Victorian'.

I live in a circa 1894 house (Queen Anne style complete with cupola & gingerbread trimwork) - my kitchen was 're-done' sometime around the late 1930's to early 1940's. There is now painted paneling in front of a fireplace I know exists (there is a chimney above that area). Part of the kitchen was back porch - a seperate building was used for cooking when my home was built (that building no longer exists.)

OK, down to recommendations...Get thyself to the library & peruse/study the back issues of the following periodicals...(in order by my personal bias toword the rags)

Historic Preservation (produced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation) Old House Journal Old House Interiors Victorian Homes Colonial Homes This Old House (this one has only been around for about 2 years) Victorian Decorating & Lifestyle Victoria Traditional Homes

The top three are the best in terms of authenticity, IMHO. But, if you're not really willing to go for the real circa 1860 lifestyle, then the others are OK for decorating ideas. Most people are not willing to cook on a wood stove for example. We use an old wood stove as a microwave stand & a storage area. Our kitchen has very limited storage facilities. Old houses often had no closets or cabinetry. Hence, the use of chifferobes & hoosier-style cabinets.

Walls were generally papered (there are companies specailizing in period papers - you'll find advertisements in those listed magazines) although wealthier people were likely to have painted walls as well. Smoothing walls & having a paint job that looked good on a wall was more expensive than papering. The ceilings in my house are papered as well - same reasoning. Another option you have available is tin ceiling tiles or a mural painting on the ceilings (in a kitchen though, this probably isn't a really good idea.)

I'd also recommend you subscribe to the victoriana mailing list.

Hope this helps....

It will look retro enough to be suitable and still retain some

If you get any information, will you forward it to me. I love that era and wouldn't mind doing the same thing if I had the money.

Have you tried the magazine 'Victorian Decorating & Lifestyle?' It's put out by: GCR Publishing Group, Inc. 1700 Broadway New York, NY 10019

It has six issues a year and all the homes they feature are Victorian and any refurbishing is in keeping with that period. They are also furnished and decorated with antiques . The magazine lists manufacturers of antique reproductions for bath and kitchen fixtures etc. Off hand I would say the ceiling could have be tin and the walls tongue and groove or bead board.

Good luck in your search

Kathy

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