Glass adds class to cabinetry.
Consider the materials you have to work with and what’s already in the kitchen. If you're renovating an old home and trying to keep it styled to period, try to salvage whatever you can from the original house--tiles, light fixtures, even an old sink. These things can be mixed with modern amenities to save the old country style and introduce it to modern convenience.
Island
The island can be a focal point of the kitchen. Old English kitchens often feature a large chopping block island. An antique island resembles the kitchen worktables of yore, adding warmth and character as well as serving as a functional surface. Drawers provide convenience for storing knives, and you can tie the island with the rest of the kitchen by customizing your drawer handles.
Stove
A large hearth is a traditional feature of English country kitchens. In the past it was the home of the fire, and thus the source of warmth and the place for cooking. Today we prefer modern technology, and it may be hard to find a quality appliance that suits old English d cor, but you can bring in the country feeling with a brick or stone archway built over the stove.
Cabinets
Adding cabinets with worn edges can give the impression that they're older and part of the original house. For example, HGTV host Joan Kohn profiles a 1936 English country home that features white cabinets that are a combination of glass doors and solid painted doors made to look worn.
Ceiling
Exposed wooden beams on the ceiling give a kitchen style and depth. They can be left raw for a farmhouse charm, or molded and painted, which is classic of Old World London as featured by Kitchen and Bath Designs. An iron chandelier symbolic of an old candle chandelier feels old and adds beauty. Another lighting option is small lamps to give the kitchen a hearth-lit glow, paired with additional recessed lighting for cooking.
Other Considerations
Don’t sacrifice modern amenities for antiques, but try to get modern items that are made to look older. Then add in antique accents such as the chopping block, an old English stove in addition to a modern one, or antique light fixtures. Hand-painted tiles make an English country kitchen your own. Wide-planked wooden floors look lovely in an English kitchen, and can be made to look worn as if original to the house.
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