Past to Present Restoring, refurbishing and styling a period property
words edel cassidy
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estoring a period home can be an overwhelming experience and can raise many unexpected issues. Owners are usually mindful of why they chose a period home in the first place, and will want to preserve as many of the original features as possible. Much of the value, interest and satisfaction associated with living in a period building lies in its history and character. However, when setting out a restoration plan, the aim should be to maintain the original style but without having to sacrifice the modern functionality that we all need in our homes today. While living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and, even in some cases, bathrooms, will not be radically different from the same rooms today, kitchens most definitely are different. The kitchen used to be a very modest and functional room where the servants or the lady of the house prepared meals – without refrigerators, dishwashers or microwaves, and certainly without smart technology. Today the kitchen has become the most important room in the home and is no longer just used for preparing and cooking food. It is where families congregate for meals, entertain guests and is also used for storing all sorts of gadgets and utensils. Combining a clever restoration to incorporate modern conveniences without interrupting the character of the original design can be a daunting task and is generally best left to an expert, who the owner can trust to be their adviser and partner throughout the process. The Victorian Kitchen Company, formerly known as the Victorian Salvage and Joinery Company, was founded by Mark McDonagh in 1998. Back in the 1980s, he and his father, Niall McDonagh, set up the Architectural Salvage Company. As his grandfather was also
‘The kitchen used to be a very modest and functional room where the servants or the lady of the house prepared meals’
48 summer 2021 an t h o lo gy
