After living in their Milwaukee Historic Property for 20 years, these homeowners wanted to transform its cramped Victorian kitchen into a warm, welcoming space for cooking and entertaining. The project, which received the 2025 NARI Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration Award, paired historically sensitive design with high-end craftsmanship and modern function. Our team developed a thoughtful new layout that respected the home’s Victorian-era architecture while addressing its limited storage, low ceiling and confined footprint. Every architectural decision and finish was selected to make the kitchen feel more open, elegant and connected to the surrounding historic rooms without sacrificing its distinctive period character.
Major structural changes made the historic kitchen feel larger and brighter. We raised the ceiling to match the adjoining dining room and adjusted the windows to support the redesigned layout, improve natural light and create space for additional custom cabinetry. Sunny yellow beadboard adds period-inspired warmth overhead, while a butcher-block island surrounds a downdraft gas cooktop beneath gaslight pendants. An electric fireplace replaced a dark storage nook. An apron-front sink, brass Kohler Artifacts bridge faucet, paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator, patterned tile backsplash and vintage-inspired lighting bring modern performance to the space while complementing the craftsmanship and character of this Victorian Milwaukee home.
