Cape Cod-Style Kitchen Updated With Homey Cottage Charm
A designer strips a closed-off first floor to the studs, adding Danby marble, a French range and a breezy new layout
When interior designer Carrie Lucke and her husband, Dave, moved into this 1950s Cape Cod-style home in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, they already knew its history. Dave’s parents had owned the home for two decades, and when it returned to the market years later, the couple jumped at the chance to bring it into the modern era. “It had never been meaningfully updated,” the designer says.
Working with a remodeling team, the couple — who live with their two daughters and two dogs — stripped the first floor to the studs. By relocating the laundry room upstairs, they freed up space to create a breezier floor plan with improved connection to a family room. Custom greige cabinetry, a furniture-style island and a showstopping black French range, all anchored by elegant Danby marble countertops and a tactile V-groove paneled ceiling, give the updated space the “homey cottage” feel the couple were looking for. A walk-in pantry and mudroom, both in an equally quaint and charming style, further improve function.
Working with a remodeling team, the couple — who live with their two daughters and two dogs — stripped the first floor to the studs. By relocating the laundry room upstairs, they freed up space to create a breezier floor plan with improved connection to a family room. Custom greige cabinetry, a furniture-style island and a showstopping black French range, all anchored by elegant Danby marble countertops and a tactile V-groove paneled ceiling, give the updated space the “homey cottage” feel the couple were looking for. A walk-in pantry and mudroom, both in an equally quaint and charming style, further improve function.
Honed Imperial Danby marble countertops provide a cool, classic work surface, while the V-groove ceiling in a soft white (Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams) adds warmth and architectural interest. For the walls, Lucke chose a fawn-colored sisal wallpaper to provide texture and continuity from the adjacent living areas. “I wanted grasscloth in the nearby family room and there was no spot to stop it,” she says. “There’s very little wall space in the kitchen. I think it will last just fine as long as I use my hood vent. I did buy a couple extra pieces in case I need to switch it out.”
Unlacquered brass hardware in varied sizes and styles offers a lived-in feel that complements the lighting. “Brass is just warm and traditional,” Lucke says. “I generally prefer to use brass hardware and polished nickel fixtures.”
Beneath new awning windows, a 33-inch white workstation sink pairs with a polished nickel pull-down faucet. Custom Roman shades in aubergine with floral stripes introduce a subtle pop of color and charm. Flanking the sink, storage towers feature vented cabinet doors — a nod to traditional English design. “I think they give it that homey, cottage-y, English-y vibe I was going for,” Lucke says.
Fabric for window treatments: Sister Parish Brio textiles in Fig, Cloth & Kind; wallpaper: Haruki Sisal in Patina, Schumacher
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Unlacquered brass hardware in varied sizes and styles offers a lived-in feel that complements the lighting. “Brass is just warm and traditional,” Lucke says. “I generally prefer to use brass hardware and polished nickel fixtures.”
Beneath new awning windows, a 33-inch white workstation sink pairs with a polished nickel pull-down faucet. Custom Roman shades in aubergine with floral stripes introduce a subtle pop of color and charm. Flanking the sink, storage towers feature vented cabinet doors — a nod to traditional English design. “I think they give it that homey, cottage-y, English-y vibe I was going for,” Lucke says.
Fabric for window treatments: Sister Parish Brio textiles in Fig, Cloth & Kind; wallpaper: Haruki Sisal in Patina, Schumacher
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A custom 55-inch French range with dual-fuel ovens and an ample cooktop takes center stage on the cooking wall. The appliance was actually the catalyst for the entire design. “We bought the range a year and a half before we did the project,” Lucke says. “We planned the whole kitchen around it. It reads black but it’s a little warmer.”
Above the range, a custom wood hood painted to match the cabinetry has a powerful fan to keep the open-concept space clear of smoke and odors. “We added LED strip lighting to the bottom of the hood,” Lucke says. “It’s the same lighting you would have under cabinets. It’s a warm, soft light that’s great for cooking and at night makes that wall look stunning.”
For the backsplash, Lucke chose 4-by-4-inch handmade Moroccan zellige tiles in a range of creamy tones. “I just like the variation and how it’s sort of quiet and interesting at the same time — old-world-looking too,” she says.
A pair of double swing-arm sconces in antique burnished brass flank the hood, while flush-mount ceiling lights provide general illumination. “I just didn’t want to put cans into the V-groove ceiling,” Lucke says. “Layers of light are important in a kitchen. I had to add a lot of lights because I didn’t have a lot of opportunity to add a lot of undercabinet lighting.”
Backsplash: Casablanca, Zia Tile; range: Lacanche; sconces flanking range: Pimlico, Visual Comfort
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Above the range, a custom wood hood painted to match the cabinetry has a powerful fan to keep the open-concept space clear of smoke and odors. “We added LED strip lighting to the bottom of the hood,” Lucke says. “It’s the same lighting you would have under cabinets. It’s a warm, soft light that’s great for cooking and at night makes that wall look stunning.”
For the backsplash, Lucke chose 4-by-4-inch handmade Moroccan zellige tiles in a range of creamy tones. “I just like the variation and how it’s sort of quiet and interesting at the same time — old-world-looking too,” she says.
A pair of double swing-arm sconces in antique burnished brass flank the hood, while flush-mount ceiling lights provide general illumination. “I just didn’t want to put cans into the V-groove ceiling,” Lucke says. “Layers of light are important in a kitchen. I had to add a lot of lights because I didn’t have a lot of opportunity to add a lot of undercabinet lighting.”
Backsplash: Casablanca, Zia Tile; range: Lacanche; sconces flanking range: Pimlico, Visual Comfort
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Across from the sink wall, the kitchen’s functional core is disguised behind a wall of cabinetry. A 30-inch paneled refrigerator on the left and a matching 30-inch freezer column on the right flank a central breakfast and coffee station tucked behind bifold doors. “Everything was driven with an eye toward symmetry,” Lucke says. “It was visually and functionally a better way to break up the space.” Six drawers beneath the counter keep essentials organized, with vented drawers for vegetables and snacks and deep bottom drawers for dishware and water bottles.
The thoughtful details extend to the stone profiles. The perimeter countertops have a clean eased edge, while the island top has an offset laminated edge that combines an ogee and eased profile. “I just wanted the island top to look beefier and special,” Lucke says. Beyond the island, the room flows freely into the family room.
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The thoughtful details extend to the stone profiles. The perimeter countertops have a clean eased edge, while the island top has an offset laminated edge that combines an ogee and eased profile. “I just wanted the island top to look beefier and special,” Lucke says. Beyond the island, the room flows freely into the family room.
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To the left of the range, the new walk-in pantry provides a sophisticated departure from the main kitchen. Custom wood cabinetry and trim are bathed in a quietly elegant blue (De Nimes by Farrow & Ball), while a custom walnut countertop offers rich contrast. “The cabinetry was built to look like furniture,” Lucke says. “When you walk in the pantry, the left and right side are identical. I love symmetry.”
The space balances open and closed storage, with custom linen curtains in a striped floral pattern used to conceal small appliances and oversize entertaining pieces. “The curtains add softness,” Lucke says. The same fabric reappears at the double-hung window, tying the quaint, highly functional space together.
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The space balances open and closed storage, with custom linen curtains in a striped floral pattern used to conceal small appliances and oversize entertaining pieces. “The curtains add softness,” Lucke says. The same fabric reappears at the double-hung window, tying the quaint, highly functional space together.
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The added mudroom hall off the kitchen provides a hardworking transition zone, complete with a padded built-in bench, coat hooks and a mix of open and closed storage for outdoor essentials.
The mudroom cabinetry is finished in a muddy green-brown (Mouse’s Back by Farrow & Ball) that grounds the space with an earthy touch. “I almost did my kitchen cabinets in that color but thought it would be too dark,” Lucke says. “All the doors on our second floor are that color. It’s a good coordinating color with Drop Cloth.”
A dog door between the kitchen and mudroom keeps the family’s two dogs contained when guests arrive. For the flooring, Chicago thin brick provides a rustic foundation and an English garden vibe, while a vibrant floral wallpaper reflects the home’s signature color palette.
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The mudroom cabinetry is finished in a muddy green-brown (Mouse’s Back by Farrow & Ball) that grounds the space with an earthy touch. “I almost did my kitchen cabinets in that color but thought it would be too dark,” Lucke says. “All the doors on our second floor are that color. It’s a good coordinating color with Drop Cloth.”
A dog door between the kitchen and mudroom keeps the family’s two dogs contained when guests arrive. For the flooring, Chicago thin brick provides a rustic foundation and an English garden vibe, while a vibrant floral wallpaper reflects the home’s signature color palette.
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The updated family room now enjoys a seamless, easy connection to the kitchen, completing the first-floor transformation. With the barriers of the original 1950s layout gone, the home finally breathes as a cohesive unit. “I feel this kitchen is not only beautiful to look at but a dream to cook in and live in,” Lucke says. “It’s small enough that everything’s within reach but large enough to welcome guests and allow people to spill into adjacent spaces.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Carrie Lucke and her husband, Dave, and their two young adult daughters and two dogs
Location: Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Size: 260 square feet (24 square meters), plus a walk-in pantry and a mudroom
Designers: Carrie Lucke Designs (kitchen design) and
Meg Baniukiewicz of HB Designs (architecture)
Builder: LaBonte Construction
The remodeling team stripped the kitchen to the studs, knocking down walls to reimagine the footprint. By relocating the laundry room upstairs and reclaiming a breakfast nook, the team carved out an open-concept heart of the home that now flows into the family room, as well as a new mudroom hall on the right and a walk-in pantry on the left. “We turned what was the laundry room into the pantry,” says Lucke, who uses Houzz Pro software. “The new kitchen is smaller than the old one because we carved out the new mud hall. But the kitchen doesn’t feel smaller because the surrounding spaces are open.”
Custom Shaker-style perimeter cabinets with elegant inset doors and furniture-style feet anchor the room. For the color, Lucke chose a green-leaning taupe (Drop Cloth by Farrow & Ball) to create a cohesive thread throughout the first floor. “I knew I wanted a neutral but not bright white,” she says. “This worked with rugs and the wallpaper and trim in the dining room. It had to go with everything.”
A furniture-style island in stained walnut with turned legs serves as the room’s functional centerpiece. To avoid a cluttered look, Lucke mixed custom saddle-style and fullback stools upholstered in a classic wool plaid. “We didn’t want a full backed stool on the busy sides of the island,” Lucke says. “We wanted people to be able to sit on the sides instead of being lined up like soldiers on one side. Instead of having cabinets on the long side of the island, I have a long chute accessed by doors on the side. That’s where I keep the leaves for my dining table.”
Above the island hangs a brass double pendant light designed by Lucke and crafted by Brass Light Gallery. The fixture features milk glass shades reclaimed from a French lighting factory. “I saw those shades and thought they were so beautiful,” Lucke says. Beneath it all, new solid white oak hardwood flooring with a weathered finish provides a timeless foundation. “We used that same floor through the first and second floors of the home,” Lucke says. “Every room in the house when we bought it had different flooring.”
Lucke uses Houzz Pro software tools to manage her design projects. “I use the Clipper, build Room Boards, I use the 3D scanner to confirm furniture layout scale and placement, I use the messaging system with clients, build proposals and invoice through Houzz,” she says. “When projects are hourly, I track time and invoice accordingly. Houzz makes my work flow seamless and productive. I also like being able to make selection schedules with live links for my builders and tradespeople.”
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