When renovating a house that’s over a hundred years old, the style debate revolves around how to revitalize it. Do you strip it back to the structure and finish it with a cool modern mandate, or do you restore the past while updating it with historical architectural details and accents? For this homeowner, the fine balance was achieved through an extensive renovation that embraced traditional ornamentation, and an interior that marries the best of both worlds.
What colour should you paint your crown (or cornice) moulding? The answer is simple: flat pure white to highlight the difference in colour between your walls and ceiling — it looks like solid plaster, which is what crown was typically made of before we had the alternatives of wood and MDF.
In a classic Victorian home the dining room is situated in the middle of the house and receives limited natural light. To counteract the lack of brightness, I selected a vibrant leafy palette. The grassy green hues are fresh and invigorating, and the unexpected colour lends contemporary flair to the traditional architecture of the house. The woven-leaf pattern on the seats links to the gilded-leaf sconces on the wall, while the bold contemporary painting reinforces the garden theme without looking too stuffy.
To create the illusion of additional windows, the doors of this built-in china cabinet have been fitted with mirrored panels instead of clear glass. A traditional china cupboard seemed too predictable for this renovated row house. Now the mirrors reflect the artwork and the crystal chandelier, and bring a touch of sparkle to this restrained room.
