Hamilton Heritage Home

This kitchen has our team beaming with pride and we are so thrilled to be able to share it with you.

The goal was to create a kitchen that would feel authentic in this heritage home which is located in Hamilton’s beautiful Kirkendall South neighbourhood, just a few streets over from Chedoke golf course. The home features original hardwood flooring, original trim, beautiful stained glass, and is bursting with original artwork. Additionally, and as the saying goes, the kitchen is the heart of the home and where our client spends most of her time. As a true cook and baker, along with antique market frequenter, we needed to find space for all of her cooking gadgets and small appliances, as well as open display space for her market finds.

When our client started using the terms “bisque” and “mushroom-y” to describe the palette that she had in mind, we knew that we were speaking the same language. She was such a joy to work with; her design sensibilities aligned perfectly with those of Common Purpose, and her attitude towards renovation was realistic and relaxed. The result is a project that came together beautifully and was a joy to execute.

Open shelving in a mushroom-y colour tone featuring unlacquered brass rails. The shelf is styled with artwork, pantry items, cutting boards, and books.
A small cupboard with unlacquered brass latch is open to reveal fresh bread within. Beside the bread is a bowl of eggplants sitting on a book, with cookbooks visible on shelves above.

We wanted to stay true to the home by introducing honest materials that felt like they might have always been there.

We used off-white classic subway and square tiles for the backsplash, opting for a more updated matte finish and pattern. We took the tile all the way to the ceiling, which reduces the number of visual breaks and materials on the kitchen’s focal wall. This, along with the burgundy pencil tile that spans the full length of the same wall, helps to create a sense of calm and the illusion of a larger space.

A tall cabinetry unit has opened doors to reveal shelving inside. There are pantry items and plates on the top shelf, a coffee maker and mugs on the bottom shelf. Below the open doors, there is a pull-out bread board with a seedy sourdough loaf.
An antique wooden shelf hangs on the wall and is styled with ceramics, a rolling pin, a brass mister, and more. The shelf is a natural wood, the items on the shelf are largely neutral, but there are a few pops of red throughout.
An angled view of the range and range hood, with the side of a shelf in the foreground. The cabinetry is a mushroom colour and the range is white with the brand name Fisher & Paykel on the front.
A Fisher & Paykel white range is in the foreground, with off-white Caesarstone countertop on either side. Behind the range is a subway tile backsplash in a creamy colour with a burgundy horizontal line between two rows.

Our Grandparents were on to something with the features in their kitchens, so we decided to bring them back.

The bread box and pull-out chopping board were a common sight in kitchens of yore, and we thought it was time to bring them back. The bread box helps to keep the countertop feeling tidy, but keeps a breakfast staple close at hand. The chopping board helps to create more counter space at the appliance cupboard, and tucks away when not in use.

A close-up shot of cabinetry in a neutral, off-white tone. The cabinetry hardware show are unlacquered brass knobs.
A tile backsplash features a row of vertically stacked subway tiles, a horizontal burgundy pencil tile, and offset square tiles above
Unlacquered brass hardware on a panel-ready fridge. The brass shows a patina starting to form.
A sink with a black Kohler bridge faucet is centered in the image. The cabinetry is a mushroom colour with oil rubbed bronze cup pull hardware, and there is fresh greenery on the counter beside an antique scale.

Design by Common Purpose Design
commonpurposedesign.com

Contracting by Skyshine
skyshine.ca

Millwork by Olive & Oak
oliveandoak.ca

Photography by Interiors by Young Glass
youngglassphotography.com

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