Victorian Update

A sophisticated kitchen renovation corrects anachronisms in an 1891 house undergoing restoration.

- By Patricia Poore / Photos by Randy O'Rourke

The 1891 Victorian Queen Anne house in Massachusetts is a lively example of the style.

Its layout, however, retained a few features incongruous with contemporary living: An unused service wing was one, as was a primary bedroom lacking a closet and proper bathroom. Frank Shirley Architects was asked to reimagine a kitchen and mudroom as well as the bed suite. The client is the principal of renovation specialists ReModern Builders; he and Shirley agreed that new work should be done in the spirit of the original house.