Kitchen of the Week
Before and Afters
Kitchen of the Week: Charming English Style in Green and Wood
An architect reconfigures a dated kitchen to gain more space and adds details that honor the 1835 home‘s historic roots
After living in their historic 1835 house for a few years, this Milton, Massachusetts, couple with three kids wanted the basic kitchen to better match the traditional charm of their home. Their existing space felt cramped and dated with aging white cabinets and black countertops. A wood-topped island and disruptive range hood above a peninsula crowded the limited space. They hired architect and interior designer Keri Murray to rethink the floor plan and create a larger kitchen with an elevated classic look, modern functionality and an improved connection with surrounding areas.
Murray pushed the kitchen into the adjacent den, which she relocated to another area. The former kitchen became a breakfast area that sits open to the new kitchen. The expanded footprint allowed for a breezy feel with a large walnut island that seats three people. Channeling English country style, Murray created custom cabinets painted a soft blue-gray, inspired by the color of common pigeons seen around London. Unlacquered brass hardware, exposed original wood ceiling beams and soapstone for the countertops, custom sink and backsplash add to the across-the-pond look.
Murray pushed the kitchen into the adjacent den, which she relocated to another area. The former kitchen became a breakfast area that sits open to the new kitchen. The expanded footprint allowed for a breezy feel with a large walnut island that seats three people. Channeling English country style, Murray created custom cabinets painted a soft blue-gray, inspired by the color of common pigeons seen around London. Unlacquered brass hardware, exposed original wood ceiling beams and soapstone for the countertops, custom sink and backsplash add to the across-the-pond look.
After: The new kitchen now sits at the front of the home in the former den area. (The two windows straight ahead and the one on the right align with the den photos in the previous photo.) Murray closed off the door to the former mudroom on the left and integrated that space into the entryway. A window to the left of the undercounter speed oven in the back left corner now looks into the entryway. “Her kids use that main entry to go to the bus,” Murray says. “So this gave her a way to see her kids and talk to her kids while they wait for the bus.”
The enlarged kitchen features a central island and tons of new storage, including two large recessed pantry cabinets on the left that have pullouts inside. All the custom maple beaded inset cabinetry was hand-painted in a soft blue-green-gray (Pigeon by Farrow & Ball). “The owner didn’t want a white kitchen,” Murray says. “All of the rooms in this house have lots of strong colors and wallpaper. Here she really wanted the green.”
A walnut island base, wood beams original to the home and solid reclaimed-oak plank flooring in various widths add warmth. Those features, along with the soapstone countertops, custom soapstone sink and soapstone backsplash, as well as the unlacquered brass cup pulls, knobs and latches, add up to charming English country style.
Custom cabinetry and counters: Jewett Farms + Co.; cabinet hardware: Myoh (knobs), Emtek (latches) and Water Street Brass (cup pulls and appliance and pantry pulls), all in unlacquered brass
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The enlarged kitchen features a central island and tons of new storage, including two large recessed pantry cabinets on the left that have pullouts inside. All the custom maple beaded inset cabinetry was hand-painted in a soft blue-green-gray (Pigeon by Farrow & Ball). “The owner didn’t want a white kitchen,” Murray says. “All of the rooms in this house have lots of strong colors and wallpaper. Here she really wanted the green.”
A walnut island base, wood beams original to the home and solid reclaimed-oak plank flooring in various widths add warmth. Those features, along with the soapstone countertops, custom soapstone sink and soapstone backsplash, as well as the unlacquered brass cup pulls, knobs and latches, add up to charming English country style.
Custom cabinetry and counters: Jewett Farms + Co.; cabinet hardware: Myoh (knobs), Emtek (latches) and Water Street Brass (cup pulls and appliance and pantry pulls), all in unlacquered brass
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This view shows the home’s entryway on the left. At the right stand a paneled 30-inch refrigerator and 24-inch freezer. To the left of those appliances is an undercabinet glass-front beverage fridge. Glass-front upper cabinets help break up the expanses of cabinetry.
Three pendant lights over the island have ruffled shades in recycled glass, lending a country cottage look. (The kitchen also includes recessed ceiling lights that were digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to help highlight other design details.)
Paint colors: Slipper Satin (walls), Pointing (ceiling) and Pigeon (cabinets and trim), all Farrow & Ball
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Three pendant lights over the island have ruffled shades in recycled glass, lending a country cottage look. (The kitchen also includes recessed ceiling lights that were digitally removed from these photos by the photographer to help highlight other design details.)
Paint colors: Slipper Satin (walls), Pointing (ceiling) and Pigeon (cabinets and trim), all Farrow & Ball
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At the sink, a classic bridge faucet in unlacquered brass nods to the home’s history. V-groove wall paneling adds another traditional touch. A paneled trash and recycling pullout sits to the left of the sink. A new induction pro-style range is on the wall at left.
See the Top Trends in Kitchen Cabinets, Countertops and More
See the Top Trends in Kitchen Cabinets, Countertops and More
An open cabinet to the left of the range displays home-canned foods. “We needed to accommodate the existing framing and be creative in the corner,” Murray says. “We added this open cubby with shelves that’s mirrored on the other side of the range.”
A 30-inch stainless steel speed oven is at the lower left. “For the way she cooks, she wanted additional options and there wasn’t much space for other appliances,” Murray says.
How to Start a Kitchen Remodel
A 30-inch stainless steel speed oven is at the lower left. “For the way she cooks, she wanted additional options and there wasn’t much space for other appliances,” Murray says.
How to Start a Kitchen Remodel
Drawers on the interior side of the island across from the sink give the family easy access to kitchen essentials. A stain-resistant and machine-washable copper-and-coral rug runs between the sink and island.
The new breakfast area sits in the space occupied by the former kitchen. (See next photo.)
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New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: Here’s another angle of the former kitchen that became the breakfast area. Take note of the sink window and the window partially visible to the left of the fridge. The following photo shows how they were integrated into the breakfast area.
After: The former kitchen windows now sit above a built-in banquette with a slanted V-groove paneled back. Classic Windsor-style side chairs surround a round tulip-style dining table. Pillows and decorative plates add soft colors and subtle patterns. Now the couple have a family-friendly kitchen and dining space with modern-day convenience and nods to the home’s roots. “We were able to reintroduce the antique charm of the home,” Murray says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three kids
Location: Milton, Massachusetts
Size: 550 square feet, including a dining nook (51 square meters)
Architect and interior designer: Keri Murray
Before: The kitchen had a tight layout, with a compact island and a range hood over the peninsula that cut the room off from the den. A door in the back left corner connected the den to a small mudroom off the home’s front entryway. Murray decided to relocate the den and use its space to create the new, larger kitchen.