Rustic Elegance

Full Renovation One Bedroom Apartment in Prospect Heights

In this floor to ceiling gut renovation, we paired old world charm with modern amenities.  A chef's kitchen with tons of light, stainless steel farm sink, stainless steel appliances, concrete countertops, butcher block cutting board next to sink, under cabinet lighting, inset face-frame mortised hinge shaker cabinets, Exposed Brick and Beams, crown moldings throughout, and a wormy chestnut range hood, with a herringbone subway tile backsplash.  The effect is a Rustic Elegance that is both warm and inviting, and comfortable and clean.  The breakfast bar seats two and the cabinet space is nearly endless. 

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The Living Room has exposed brick and crown molding to take advantage of the architecture.  We built a faux fireplace, radiator covering cabinet on the right sideand a storage cabinet on the left side, and a mantel with an extra thick 2 1/4" southern yellow pine top and slate surround.  The bookshelves are also made of southern yellow pine supported by cast iron pipes.   The cabinet door panels are made of metal sheet to allow the radiator ventilation and to allow remote controls to signal the electronics within.  The cabinetry has a crackled paint finish to simulate age and time, adding a cozy, lived in effect. 

The Bedroom is simple and functional.   To keep the bedroom feeling open and welcoming, we widened the doorway and built a wide sliding barn door with an antiqued milk paint finish and installed a steel track with vintage barn door rollers.  We installed  antique barnboard to act as an accent wall to compliment the exposed brick and beam.  For storage, we built a floor to ceiling built-in armoire, wardrobe, dresser and shoe cabinet with bi-fold doors to save space. 

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In the bathroom, we used reclaimed teak to build a matching mirror and vanity set with polished chrome hardware, and an over-mount, drop in sink on a carrara marble countertop.   We created a walk-in shower with a poured cement curb, a high end glass enclosure with barn door style rolling glass sliding door with polished chrome hardware.   We used green semi-transparent glass subway tiles to create depth and energy.  The drop down vanity pendant lamp is also polished chrome.  The crown mouldings, wainscotting and cap, and the base mouldings create a clean finished look while breaking up the lines and planes in the room.  The floor is poured concrete and the shower floor is cararra marble to match the countertop of the vanity.  The shelves in the shower are teak, for water resistance and to match the vanity and mirror.  

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Classic Design with Rustic Accents in this Hoboken Loft

In this airy, spacious sunlit Hoboken loft, we replaced a wall of outdated stock cabinetry with custom built-ins for the oven and refrigerator and a center task unit with a knotty pine butcher block countertop, high-end undercabinet lighting, built in microwave cabinet underneath, soft close maple dovetail drawers, brushed nickel hardware, reclaimed lumber barnboard backsplash and open shelving.  Inset shaker style cabinets with mortised hinges with crown moulding and decorative feet provide clean, classic lines and a focal point to this large kitchen.  We also used the reclaimed barnboard to "skin" the outside faces of the existing Islands to add a rustic element to this traditional kitchen design. 

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We created the entertainment console using the same barnboard to create continuity within the Loft and added a 12 foot long satin finish laquered antique wormy chestnut countertop to complete the look. 

Full Renovation on a Lower East Side Tenement Apartment

This Lower East Side apartment received a full floor to ceiling gut renovation.  We opened up the space by removing the wall between the kitchen at the front of the apartment and replacing it with a beamed soffit with track lighting over the custom concrete countertop breakfast bar area.  A pocket door from the kitchen to the bathroom provides zero impedance to either room.  Custom cabinetry in the kitchen provides all necessary storage with inset painted shaker style doors and drawers with a decorative finish, and high end polished chrome mortised hinges and hardware.  The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and a stainless steel apron farm sink with a restaurant style faucet.  We modified a stainless steel restaurant cart with wheels to act as a microwave/storage unit/movable island with a maple butcher block top and a paint job to match the rest of the kitchen.   The breakfast bar also houses lower cabinets on the living room side for more storage, as well as a computer area with slide out keyboard tray and pencil drawer.   

The entertainment console/bookshelves unit in the living room is built with inset doors with beadboard panels, crown moulding and flush mount wrought iron H-hinges and old world cabinet latches.  The beadboard interiors are finished with a warm antique decorative finish.  The television is incorporated into the design without being overtly dominant to the piece.  Also incorporated into this design is a old steamer trunk which functions as a linen closet with removable trays within.  

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In the bedroom, we created open his and hers closets with rustic beam framing, open shelves, large drawers, hanging bars, shoe racks, and slide out accessory trays for the small stuff.  We built large barn doors on antique rollers to act as a room divider when privacy is wanted, but to act as closet doors when the doorway is open.   On the window wall, we built bench seating with hinged tops for easy access to storage within the seats.   Over the bed, we installed a decorative railroad tie mantel and created matching step ladder end tables on each side of the bed.    

To increase space in this small bathroom, we installed a pocket door for less intrusion.  We built an vanity and open shelf unit for storage out of antique pine, and installed beadboard wainscoting with a moulding cap to freshen the look of the room.  We built a walk in shower with large natural slate tile and installed a high end glass enclosure with a barn door type rolling system.    

Beach House Utility Room and Bar

Even small rooms can be beautiful and functional.  This beach front house had been beautifully renovated, but the storage/mechanical/laundry room was never considered.  We designed custom cabinetry, with the specific needs of the family in mind.  These shaker style inset cabinets with stainless hardware and hinges and a decorative glaze stores lacrosse equipment, cleaning supplies, summer serving dishes, hampers for the laundry in the bottom units, tools, and more and serves as a butler's pantry to the kitchen.  Open shelves provide easy access to commonly used items while keeping them out of sight.  We designed and installed the one piece, no seam, integral sink Stainless steel countertop unit and finished it off with a detachable rinse hose faucet system.  

 

This nook at the fireplace was unusable dead space.  The owners wanted to create a bar space that  complemented the nautical themes in the house, looked well used, but was useful and beautiful.  Due to limited space, we designed a cantilevered flip up bar-top for stools to fit around when the bar was in use.  The cabinetry is inset shaker style with antique brass finial hinges and icebox latch hardware with working antique skeleton key locks for the liquor cabinet and antique brass cup pulls for the inset soft close dovetail drawers.   The bar-tops and glass rack are made of antique wormy chestnut and the backsplash is an antiqued mirror.   A milk paint distressed finish completes the look and feel of this unit.  

Kitchen Island, Concrete Countertop and Stainless Steel Countertop Upgrade

This client with a small apartment in Brooklyn took down a wall in  order to connect her kitchen to her main living space.   We created a kitchen island with open shelves at one end with a beadboard interior.  Large corbels support the overhang for kitchen stools, also with a beadboard finish.  Inset shaker style dovetail drawers, decorative feet and applied architectural mouldings finish off the piece.   A custom 1 1/2" thick  polished concrete countertop completes this design.

In the existing kitchen, stock cabinetry gets a hardware facelift and a new countertop designed by us as a stainless steel one piece top with integral sink and backsplashes with a new polished chrome faucet.    

Four Sided Island Fireplace with Reclaimed Lumber and Shiplap

This Client is a Real Estate Broker who got a good deal on an outdated Jersey Shore Vacation Home.  He put a substantial amount of work into it.  We were hired to revamp the Fireplace area which was new brick, had no mantel, and had a very 70's feel.

The Ceiling was over 13 Feet Tall, so we decided to design the piece in sections to give it more variation and interest as a focal point of the room.  The upper portion is kiln dried reclaimed lumber installed horizontally which we mitred at the corners for a seamless look at any vantage point.  The lower portion is painted vertical Shiplap to achieve the nautical look the client was going for throughout the home.  A three sided chunky 3 1/2" painted mantel to divide the Two areas as well as make room for decorative objects, art and photos.  We wired a light switch below the mantel for the decorative Anchor on the Living Room side.  We finished the opening of the fireplace with trim and surrounded the bottom of the entire piece with base, cap, and shoe mouldings to match the rest of the home. 

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We also back mitred a face frame for an open shelving concept on the opposite end of the Fireplace.  This also completes that seamless look discussed above.  No joints can be seen at any angle.  The floating shelves are chunky to match with the mantel and also due to the height of the room.   Herringbone mable tile completes the back side of the recess to match the tile of the backsplash in the kitchen.

We also applied painted vertical shiplap to the Media Wall on one side of the Living Room and to the entire span of the trapezoid wall over the kitchen to create cohesion in the home with the Fireplace Island.   

Computer Desk with Stereo Storage and Bookshelves

We designed this piece for a lovely couple who wanted a computer desk in their living room, but due to limited space wanted to incorporate all of their component stereo equipment within the unit.  They wanted some glass doors and open shelves to show items of interest and some panel doors to hide the stereo equipment, printer, and other various electronics.  Two pocket doors open and recede back into the unit revealing a large workspace for computer and keyboard in the desk area.  Lower cabinets and drawers conceal all office equipment.  Hidden Soft-close door hinges and doors make for very clean lines and the polished chrome hardware is timeless.  This particular piece is not built-in as the clients wanted the option of portability, so it can be disassembled and moved to a new home.  The clients opted for a neutral Harbor Gray color in a Semi-gloss finish.  

Distressed Built-In Armoire with Media Storage

This armoire was built for clients who needed more storage space in the bedroom and wanted to have a concealed television/DVD/game console, as well as hanging bar, shoe rack and storage boxes.  We designed the piece with their specific needs in mind and came up with a Bi-folding unit to save space.  Inset shaker style doors with bead board panels and flush mount H-hinges give the client the feel of an much older piece.  We added decorative bun feet to further accentuate the furniture aesthetic.  To finish it off, we distressed the unit with dings and dents that would be appropriate to an antique piece and used a milk based paint with a glazing decorative finish. 

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Brooklyn Built-In Closet with Mid Century Modern Influence

This Couple had a Small One Bedroom Apartment and asked if we could do a built in closet for two.  Each Person has their own side of double doors with hanging space, 3 Large spacious drawers, Long term storage in the high cabinets and shoe cabinets below the drawers.  They were influenced by both Shaker Style and Modern Mid century style so we decided on solid Teak drawer fronts, decorative Teak peg feet,  painted Shaker Style doors, and Solid Brass hardware.  They wanted concealed soft close Euro Hinges for a clean look and soft close maple dovetail drawers.  They also have felt-lined accessory roll-outs attached to the countertop above the drawers. They opted for an Oil Based Semi Gloss -paint finish for the Doors and Cabinetry in a Greyhound Color.  The Drawerfronts and Peg feet were finished naturally with Teak Oil.  

Miscellaneous Small Projects

At Gil Mill, We love to take on projects Big and Small.  We especially love finding old objects and restoring them to their former glory or putting a new spin on them.  Some of this work was custom created.  Others were just nice facelifts for damaged or outdated pieces. 

          Custom Antique Mantel Designed and Fabricated from Antique PineRailroad Tie

         

 Custom Antique Mantel Designed and Fabricated from Antique PineRailroad Tie

 Custom built slender console table for narrow hallway with tapered legs and open shelves made of antique southern yellow pine stained a rich Java color and finished in clear satin.

 

Custom built slender console table for narrow hallway with tapered legs and open shelves made of antique southern yellow pine stained a rich Java color and finished in clear satin.

 Refurbished antique red oak Industrial Cart with cast Iron wheels and satin lacquer finish now used as moveable coffee table

 

Refurbished antique red oak Industrial Cart with cast Iron wheels and satin lacquer finish now used as moveable coffee table

 Refurbished and Repainted and Distressed Upper Vanity Unit for bathroom Storage

 

Refurbished and Repainted and Distressed Upper Vanity Unit for bathroom Storage

  
In the dead space at the end of the run of kitchen cabinets, we designed and added antique wormy chestnut shelves to sit on old rusted iron hooks 

In the dead space at the end of the run of kitchen cabinets, we designed and added antique wormy chestnut shelves to sit on old rusted iron hooks 

This old dresser and mirror set were almost beyond repair but with a distressed painted finish, they have been raised from the dead.

This old dresser and mirror set were almost beyond repair but with a distressed painted finish, they have been raised from the dead.


Thank you so much for taking a look at our work.  We are extremely proud of what we have been able to do, and we hope that you might consider us when planning on renovating your home or need any professional custom work done. 

All the Best,

Robbie and Abigail Gil

Gil Mill Custom Homes

212-677-5863