Located in San Francisco, California, this Victorian home had plenty of charm — including a great vintage stove that came with the building. For designer Antonio Martins, it became an important part of his vision to create a fresh kitchen filled with a textural blend of old and new. Old-fashioned cabinets and a barnwood island blend with modern elements like cantilevered metal shelves and a Droog chandelier made of 85 bulbs tied together. "People think I went to Home Depot and made it myself," Martins says. "This kitchen is all about seeing ordinary things in a new way."
1. Open Shelves
Made of "superstrong metal rather than wood, which starts sagging," the shelves hold items Martins uses every day. The rest is tucked away in drawers or in the pantry (behind sliding barn door-style translucent glass). "And with no clunky upper cabinets, there's more space for art."
2. Restored Stove
"I was going to trash the old O'Keefe & Merritt stove, but then it grew on me," Martins says. It was missing a few pieces, so he found another one on Craigslist for almost nothing and broke it apart to complete the original. Antique Stove Heaven is a good source for buying or restoring vintage units.
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3. Carrara Marble
"I chose marble countertops because I thought it was more faithful to the Victorians and just took the attitude that the more it stains, the better it looks." Freestanding cabinets look like furniture and remind him of a vintage washstand, with that marble rim on top.
4. Reclaimed Wood
An island made of weathered barnwood, with a built-in Carrara marble cutting board, adds warmth and texture. It also holds refrigerator and freezer drawers by Jenn-Air that eliminate the need for a bulky refrigerator.
Get the Look
1. Pendant Light
Handblown frosted-glass globes attached by delicate chains. Nuage F4215 in Vintage Bronze. ($2,488, troy-lighting.com)
2. Tool Set
Five essential cooking utensils with a caddy, all in stainless steel. Kitchen Tool Set by All-Clad. ($100, gracioushome.com)
3. Olive Oil
From a Greek fifth-generation farm. My Olive Tree Extra Virgin Olive Oil. ($36 for 500 mL, formaggiokitchen.com)
4. Rolling Pin and Pastry Slab
White Marble Rolling Pin with Stand. ($20, crateandbarrel.com) French Kitchen Pastry Slab. ($50, crateandbarrel.com)
5. Stool
An updated take on vintage drafting stools. Allen Stool with Back Rest ($189, ballarddesigns.com)
6. Wood Panels
Made using green methods and easy to install. Timeline Wood Skinnies. ($40 for six 48" × 5 1/2" boards, homedepot.com)
7. Drawer Pulls
Duluth Pulls in Oil Rubbed Bronze. (From $12 each, restorationhardware.com)
8. Stoneware
Wheel-thrown and handglazed in Vermont. Mixing Bowl and Muddle Set. ($125 each, farmhousepottery.com)
9. 30-Inch Range
With rotisserie and built-in warming drawer. Majestic Range in True White with Chrome. ($6,649, ilveappliances.com)
This story originally appeared in the June 2015 issue of House Beautiful.
