Timeless Touches With Bruce Kading Interior Design

Photo by Annie Schlechter

From an authentic European chateau-inspired home in Medina to a New England industrial-style brownstone in Boston, Massachusetts, the traditionally stunning spaces that Bruce Kading and his design team at Bruce Kading Interior Design create employ the use of custom millwork, metalwork, hardwood flooring, leaded glass, and other details to create warmth, interest, and character. “I’ve always had a fascination with old houses and buildings for the craftsmanship and the layers of details,” Kading says. At Midwest Home, we believe that when something is timeless, it’s always on trend. Below, Kading shares some of the finishing touches and final details that bring his award-winning custom designs to life.

Photo provided

Sketch by Bruce Kading

A Range of Style

“A custom hood is one of my favorite ways to bring warmth and authenticity to a kitchen,” Kading says. “I draw each hood to reflect the style of the range, and then my favorite metalworker or woodworker builds it. As part of our Gramercy Brownstone project in New York, I drew a three-paneled hood to match the strong vertical lines of the cabinetry and paired it with an antique fire back and a modern Wolf range.”

Custom Character

“Custom doors are another unique way to create character in a room,” Kading explains. “I sketched the refrigerator door [for the European-inspired chateau], and then Eric Wyckoff, a gifted woodcarver, created it. I also drew new crown molding for the kitchen and the other rooms in the house.”

“For our Wyoming Getaway project, I [worked] with a Montana architect to create rustic barn doors for the bunkroom, and we had them made of reclaimed wood. The architect even put the door hardware in the snow and left it there all winter to create an incomparable patina.”

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The Perfect Mix

“I love mixing custom metalwork and millwork with vintage pieces,” he continues. “In our North End Brownstone project in Boston, Massachusetts, I took inspiration from the historic neighborhood. I designed a living room wall with an antique deco polished-nickel fireplace from England and alder wood bookshelves wrapped with dark steel panels that are punctuated with nickel rivets.”

Photo by Annie Schlechter

Good to the Touch

“I love wonderful hardware, from doorknobs to drawer pulls and cabinet hardware,” Kading enthuses. “It’s so important that it feels good to the touch, so I never buy it online. I always take my clients to a showroom so they can choose pieces that fit their hands, so they’ll enjoy using it every day. One of my clients often says I’ve turned her into a hardware snob,” Kading continues. “Before she started working with me, she didn’t take much notice of hardware, but now when she goes to friends’ houses, she finds herself checking out the quality of the doorknobs!”