joyfulprofit Fantastic outcome and thanks for sharing the key decision points of the journey. Any before pics you can show?

mykids1214 Love it.

lk_designs This appears to be a very workable kitchen even though it is a passage way to the room downstairs. Are there any BEFORE photos?

I think before and after photos give a much better idea on the space has been used, whether it be a total rearrangement, a new addition, or a new paint job.

Jean Corey The layout of this kitchen is perfect for the space, but the windows seem out of character for a Victorian.

mariamaly1999 Beautiful, I really did love this kitchen.

olldbobbi Very beautiful. I would need roller skates to get from one end to the other. And if you start out with distressed floors it can only get better from there.

wonderfulwalls Taking advantage of the space under the stairs was a fabulous idea.

vee22 Eh...it looks like any run of the mill COLD contemporary kitchen. Where are the "victorian" features? Hate it when renos erase any and all of the original features. This kitchen is nothing special.

Mandi Smith T Really great use of space here. It looks as though you've incorporated lots of storage, and eat in area without sacrificing the open airy feel. Love the glass wall for the downstairs stairwell - very clever. Makes it feel super open. M.

vandagum A very attractive kitchen who's overall effect seems very out of character for a Victorian home. I think the modern glass staircase and windows are the main culprit. I can only imagine what those windows do for the external character of a 120 year old home.

mrcasey Specifics on cabinet pulls?

Karen Pittenger The style of architecture of a house does not dictate the style of the owner; it is about the now. You buy a house, you can tear it down if you want to. Fewer people today care about upholding the ideas and living styles from more than a hundred years ago, and for good reason. You can put the past on a pedestal but the past does not care. We cannot afford to build new cities for today's people, we have to use the same spaces. They are ours now, and when we are gone, those who follow will do whatever they need to do. There may be a handful of very deliberate followers of Victorian fashion (post Goth), but you do not see people who protest the alterations to those buildings riding in carriages and adhering to Victorian dress. This kitchen is super pretty, very functional and welcoming and most importantly fulfills the needs of those who live there.

A C This layout is very similar to my own, especially the stove wall, and I have been struggling trying to fit in an island and more work space in my long narrow kitchen. This article is just what I needed to see.

wantsideas Love the big windows opening up to the back yard. Tons of natural light.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Brilliant use of the space and a great solution for bringing in more light. Oh, BTW, beautiful too.

Patrick L. Boyd-Loyd I LOVE this renovation - it appears for what the conditions are, it's pretty damn perfect.

I agree with previous comments that some before pics and maybe floor plans would be great to help understand.

As to vee2 and the other nay sayers about the Architecture /Design, while I agree the exterior should maybe follow the original Architecture, not everyone wants the "froo-froo" of interior Victorian, or other period.
I for one love when Modern/Contemporary is mixed with Older, vintage styles - it keeps things fresh, and it;s for the way people live today.
The Window / Door frames are very stylish and really transition well.

Clearly, these people didn't want to live in a "Museum Time Warp".

Kudos!

frenchdecor Nice contemporary kitchen, well used space and work triangle quite functional. Like outdoor view, but openness always steal coziness.

frenchdecor Some information about Victorian houses, most are close to Downtown and not all residents care about heritage or architecture, it is high demand area! I hope featured house's street side was not changed, I like to stroll along this streets. I am glad that some people know that without past there no future and London, Paris, Rom...are tourist attraction not for casino and movie theaters. Though Toronto's old district is a drop against European cities I hope it will be preserved.

Ingrid Edelmann Love the decor. The solution to narrow space and minimal light is spot on. Those that want to remain within the Victorian feel may not want this design but for those of us that enjoy the incorporation of new with old, bravo!!

llevans44 Would you please share more about the beautiful floors?? Are they Du Chateau?? thanks in advance.

Ines Rm Muy buenoooo

abeguil1975 I love the touch of it

rosannemerl This is my new favorite kitchen design!!! It's real...not like many kitchens that just look like showroom pieces. I am also going to add a seating area like this in my remodelled kitchen.
Great to see it can work in a narrow kitchen.

CAROLE MEYER I love the soft colors used in this kitchen.....very beautiful.

sikuvitall After touring seemingly endless Victorians in Hudson, NY, one might assume the kitchen was probably not original. The majority that I saw were redone circa 1950"s, and all that pink and turquoise perhaps more at odds with the original facade than contemporary finishes. Not a single one had an original kitchen. (Do you really want to cook on a coal burning stove?) In the Hudson historical district we can do anything to the inside, but must either not touch, or restore original Victorian details on the facades.

heathergross Philipe, your reno on the cabbagetown Victorian kitchen is wonderful! There doesn't seem to be a source for the oak flooring you chose - can you provide this info? Thank you!

Mackin Drafting & Design I like the kitchen and I think they did a good job, especially taking in to consideration what they had to work with. I am a little confused as to what are the walnut boxes above the shelves to the right and left of the sink. It appears to be random and definitely out of place. I assume that they are some kind of cupboard but why don't they look like the rest or just continued with the open shelving?

Beauparlant Design inc Thank you everyone for your comments and questions, here are some answers:

The floor is from Moncer www.moncer.com and is called “euro oak latte" tumbled with a natural oil coat

The pulls are from Richelieu www.richelieu.com and the part number for the pulls is 719160-195. Richelieu is a trade only hardware supplier, but your local hardware store or general contractor could order them in

There seems to be some concern over the style of the kitchen or some of the decisions made in this project. Personal tastes aside, I am definitely one to believe we should build houses for today; we don’t have to build using only hand tools and horse draw carriages, so why should our houses look as if they were. This area of Toronto, even if it does represent the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in north America, most of the housing was quite average for the time. I question the amount of preservationist ideas they truly deserve. I wonder if 100 years from now we will try to desperately preserve our disintegrating white vinyl windows commonly used in our suburban neighborhoods.

I really enjoyed your comments draftycranium and Patrick L. Boyd-Loyd and I had a good laugh at your coal burning stove comment sikuvitall . I think this project resonates with most of you. My charming clients are thrilled with the changes and improvements we have made and plan on living in the house for many years to come.

Lastly, I am really not a fan of "before" pictures. Frankly it doesn't matter to me what it looked like before, what's important is the final result. But for those asking, here are two images.

Beauparlant Design inc Here is another "Before" image showing the back of the house.

Chris Lane Gorgeous!

Cozy•Stylish•Chic This is a beautiful kitchen - right down to the beautiful robin's egg blue cabinets. I recently did a feature on the "Industrial Chic Kitchen" http://www.cozystylishchic.com/2013/02/the-industrial-chic-kitchen.html#.USl2mqWm8W0 and this kitchen you have featured pretty much sums up all my points. Thanks for sharing!

photogirl333 I'm not a fan of 'galley' style kitchens - but this is AMAZING. I would be happy to live and cook in this kitchen!