A Hauntingly Beautiful Transformation: ILVE Nostalgie II Takes Center Stage on HGTV’s A Very Haunted Renovation
A historic Ohio mansion. A remarkable kitchen transformation. An unforgettable expression of Italian design.
Some houses come with a past. This kitchen gives it its next chapter.
In the season finale of HGTV’s A Very Haunted Renovation, one of Ohio’s most talked-about historic homes received a dramatic transformation, bringing new life to a Victorian mansion known as Bihl Manor.
At the heart of its beautifully reimagined kitchen stands an ILVE Nostalgie II range in Glossy Black with Brass detailing, its distinctive silhouette complementing a layered, atmospheric interior inspired by the home’s history.
Rich sienna walls, an architectural cooking alcove, maple cabinetry and an extraordinary mix of old-world character and contemporary design create a room that feels anything but ordinary.
For ILVE, the transformation is a celebration of something fundamental to Italian design: the belief that a kitchen should be as individual as the people who inhabit it.
As featured in A Very Haunted Renovation | Season 1, Episode 6: The Final Fright | HGTV
A Historic Ohio Manor With Stories to Tell
On a tree-lined street in Fremont, Ohio, Bihl Manor has stood for more than a century.
Built in the 1890s for businessman Jerome Bihl, the Victorian residence sits near the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums. Over the years, it has served as a family residence, a children’s group home and a bed-and-breakfast.
Its history also comes with an unusual reputation.
According to the property’s historical accounts and reported paranormal experiences, visitors and investigators have described unexplained footsteps, voices, shadowy figures and other mysterious occurrences.
Whether these stories are interpreted as paranormal encounters or simply part of the folklore surrounding an old house, they have helped make Bihl Manor a subject of enduring local fascination.
The mansion’s reputation provided the distinctive setting for HGTV’s A Very Haunted Renovation, a six-episode competition that brought six designers into the residence for 31 days of imaginative restoration.
Hosted by actress Anna Camp, with design guidance and judging from Michel Smith Boyd, the series challenged participants to create beautiful, functional rooms while embracing the home’s architectural identity and unusual past.
The finale would ultimately bring that creative challenge into one of the home’s most important spaces: the kitchen.
Before its renovation, the Bihl Manor kitchen was a space filled with unrealized potential.
Dated cabinetry and appliances, an aging ceiling and an unconventional layout gave the designers an opportunity to rethink the room while maintaining a connection to the home’s history.
The challenge was not simply to modernize the kitchen.
It was to create an interior with enough character to belong inside a Victorian mansion, while delivering the style, functionality and individuality expected of a thoughtfully designed contemporary home.
For the finale, designers SK Stokes Kennedy and Logan Wright brought complementary creative perspectives to the project.
SK established an apothecary-inspired design direction, introducing a dramatic architectural cooking area and a rich palette of sienna, black and warm natural wood.
Logan developed key elements of the room’s architectural finish and repurposed a 19th-century chest into a distinctive kitchen island.
Together, their work created a space that celebrates both the past and the possibilities of thoughtful reinvention.
A Kitchen Reborn: Rich Color, Historic Character and Modern Luxury
The completed kitchen makes an immediate impression.
Deep sienna walls establish a warm, intimate atmosphere, while the black coffered ceiling adds striking architectural definition.
Maple cabinetry provides a lighter, natural contrast, allowing the room’s darker surfaces and metallic details to stand out.
A maroon-and-white diamond-patterned floor brings movement and personality to the space, while the redesigned antique island gives the room an unmistakably collected character.
The island and surrounding countertops introduce darker tones, complemented by refined brass accents and the textures of the home’s architectural finishes.
Every detail contributes to a carefully layered visual story.
Yet one feature anchors the entire composition.
The Heart of the Reveal: ILVE Nostalgie II
Framed by a sweeping architectural arch and an imposing metallic range hood, the ILVE Nostalgie II range becomes the kitchen’s defining focal point.
Its Glossy Black finish brings visual depth to the room, while polished brass detailing adds warmth and a sense of timeless craftsmanship.
The range’s traditional-inspired proportions complement the manor’s historical character without making the space feel locked in the past.
Instead, the design bridges different eras.
It feels equally at home among Victorian-inspired architectural details and contemporary finishes.
This is the philosophy behind ILVE Nostalgie: the expressive beauty of traditional Italian design, thoughtfully combined with modern cooking technology.
Designed for kitchens where personal style matters as much as performance, the Nostalgie II collection offers distinctive colors, metallic finishes and cooking configurations that invite designers and homeowners to think beyond conventional appliance styling.
In Bihl Manor, the range does not merely occupy a space in the cabinetry.
It gives the room a center of gravity.
And in a kitchen as memorable as this one, that presence makes all the difference.
The Design Details Behind the Transformation
The beauty of the finished kitchen lies in the way its individual elements work together.
The Architectural Cooking Alcove
A sweeping arch frames the ILVE range and dramatic hood, giving the cooking area the feeling of a permanent architectural feature.
It creates a strong focal point while reinforcing the historic character of the house.
The Black Coffered Ceiling
The deep ceiling color introduces drama and architectural rhythm, contrasting with the maple cabinetry and warmer sienna walls.
Warm Maple Cabinetry
Natural wood provides balance and a sense of warmth, preventing the room’s darker materials from overwhelming the space.
The Antique Kitchen Island
Logan Wright transformed a 19th-century chest into a practical island with storage, seating and decorative character.
The result connects the redesigned kitchen to the idea of preserving history through reinvention.
A Richly Layered Material Palette
The countertops and island incorporate a dark soapstone-inspired surface treatment that grounds the room’s warmer finishes.
Brass accents, patterned flooring, textiles and carefully chosen decorative objects complete the visual composition.
Rather than competing with the ILVE range, these details frame it within an expressive architectural setting.The beauty of the finished kitchen lies in the way its individual elements work together.
The Creative Vision Behind the Finale
The Bihl Manor kitchen transformation reflects the work of two talented designers who approached the project with creativity and conviction.
SK Stokes Kennedy developed the kitchen’s principal design direction, including its dramatic color story and stove-and-hood feature.
Logan Wright contributed to the ceiling, flooring and artwork, while creating the inventive antique-chest island.
The project was completed as part of the show’s final challenge, where the designers had only four days to bring the kitchen to life.
The finished cooking wall became one of the highlights of the finale.
Judges praised the bold architectural choices, expressive detailing and inventive use of the space.
The episode also featured Academy Award-winning production designer Hannah Beachler as a guest judge alongside Anna Camp and Michel Smith Boyd.
At the conclusion of the competition, SK Stokes Kennedy was named the season’s winner.
ILVE congratulates SK, Logan and the entire A Very Haunted Renovation production team on an exceptional finale and a remarkable transformation.
We are proud to have been part of a project that celebrates creative expression and the enduring impact of thoughtful design.
Italian Heritage. Made Personal.
For generations, ILVE has brought distinctive Italian design to the kitchen.
The Nostalgie II collection reflects that heritage through its expressive finishes, elegant hardware, traditional-inspired forms and contemporary cooking capabilities.
The collection offers an opportunity to create a kitchen that feels considered, personal and enduring.
In the historic Bihl Manor, the ILVE range demonstrates how an appliance can become more than a functional necessity.
It can become an integral part of the architecture.
A statement of individual style.
And the heart of an unforgettable transformation.
Discover the Full Story
Explore the remarkable before-and-after transformation of Bihl Manor in HGTV’s A Very Haunted Renovation.
Watch: Season 1, Episode 6, The Final Fright, on HGTV and HBO Max.
Explore the HGTV renovation gallery:
https://www.hgtv.com/shows/a-very-haunted-renovation/a-very-haunted-renovation-manor-makeover-pictures
Discover ILVE Nostalgie II:
https://us.ilve.com/
Explore the historic story behind Bihl Manor:
https://www.hgtv.com/shows/a-very-haunted-renovation/articles/the-twisted-history-of-bihl-manor
ILVE USA | Italian Heritage. Made Personal.
