Have you posted this in the kitchen forum? You'll probably get lots of responses over there.

Here is a link that might be useful: THS Kitchen Forum

Mary_Lu has the ideal kitchen for an old house - in my dreams, I have a kitchen like hers. I have some of her photos saved on my computer so I can drool over them at my leisure, but I don't know if it's cool to post them without her permission. I hope she drops by here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mary_Lu's kitchen sink is in this thread

We also have an 1850's farmhouse. When we redid the kitchen, my theory was to make an assembled, unfitted kitchen that would look as though it had evolved over the lifespan of the house, with each new family (we are the third) adding their own touches. First we had to get rid of the 1980 remodel and our own 1981 rearrangement.

We used elements that we already had and loved, like the pine reproduction hutch that contained the recycling bins, the dog kennel and pantry shelves. We also reused the antique butcher block, and the maple pot rack that my husband made me for a birthday present about 30 years ago.

The fridge and DW are panelled. The stove is a Heartland reproduction of a 40's? range.

The kitchen isn't large, about 10x17 feet. It also serves as a hallway between the family room and backdoor and the rest of the house. It has stone walls on three sides, so they, and their windows and doorway, weren't going anywhere. We removed a part of remaining wall between the kitchen and family room and put up a breakfast bar and another set of pantry cupboards.

We used a combination of soapstone and wood on the counters and used pine, maple and painted poplar to make the cupboards. The flooring is cork. The backsplashes are beadboard which matches the original wainscotting in this part of the house.

Here is what we came up with:

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Renee, if you're looking for old fixtures (the sink and drainboard, for example) or old cabinets or shelves, there's an old house parts store in Rochester that has all kinds of things. I can wander around their warehouses for hours. I just bought a replacement toilet bowl for our 1930s toilet there.

If you're looking for interesting old (or reproduction) things for your kitchen, pay them a visit. I have no connection with them other than being a customer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Their web page; it's not always up to date, but gives the flavor!

homey....thank you, I take that as a compliment of the highest form! I haven't been on this forum for a while, just popped in the last few nights and found the post tonight. Other peoples old kitchens always facinate me!

So here goes, I hope these are the pics your were thinking of.
I won't repost the one of the sink that homey linked to.

Looking from the laundry room into the kitchen.
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Further into the kitchen from the laundry room looking toward the dining room and formal living room.
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Looking from the dining room into the kitchen toward the laundry room.
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Thanks Mary_Lu! I feel better now, having had another "fix" of your photos. I so love your home.

Wow great pics everyone!
We need a new fridge so we went shopping yesterday and found that they don't make ANY fridges (well except dorm size) that will fit in our fridge space anymore! I just don't know what to do!
Our space is 29 inches deep so we can find counter depth fridges that depth but then they are 2x as wide as a normal fridge and they don't fit!
I think there is a heartland fridge we will be looking at that *may* fit. However it is only sold an hour away from us and we would have to rent a truck to get it!
if it doesn't fit we may have to redo our kitchen which I don't want to do!!!!! We will lose counter space if we move the stupid fridge over.
However I like the idea of having cabinetry that may not be so attached. We have an amish store here that will make whatever we would like so maybe if we take our our current cabinetry to make room for the fat fridge then we can have cabinets made for us.
I just really didn't want to spend that much money! I just wanted a new fridge that works! Is that so much to ask for!!!
I just LOOOOVE the big old sinks! And we go to historic house parts ALOT! However for sinks I think I would get a reproduction. Just because we have an old ceramic glazed one right now and it is just SO hard to keep clean. It is yellow all the time! blech!
-renee

Renee: here's some great pics of kitchens in old homes.

Here is a link that might be useful: David T. Smith

Joyce, I'm glad you found the web site for David Smith. That's the one I was thinking about posting. If you google "unfitted kitchen" you will find similar sites. Also, under the Google homepage, click on "images" and then type in unfitted kitchen for photos.

Whoa...Mary Lu! You've got some high ceilings there! Love your kitchen! You should feel very pleased with what you have done!

And Sharon sd, you're kitchen is fantastic also! Love the sink area!

hi

we have an 1897 victorian farmhouse (for lack of a correct term)

do you have pictures of the kitchen you are working on?

Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen

No, sorry. I don't have pictures as of yet.
It doesn't have anything nice really, except the hardwood floor. The cabinets are a cheap plywood stuff and are painted white. Also the counter is a white formica with gold specs. (how sad!)
There are alot of windows though. I love it. I can open them in the summer however this makes it a little more difficult to design a kitchen. We put our breakfast area where the windows are because you really can't put anything else there. Also we have a bathroom off the kitchen and there are two other door, one on either end to the rest of the house. So it is a difficult kitchen to work with.
-renee