Kitchen Design
Kitchen of the Week
Kitchen of the Week: Cozy Cottage Style With a Fireplace
A designer helps an empty-nest couple create a warm and inviting space with wood cabinets and a stone-look backsplash
John and Holly Markham didn’t find their tight 200-square-foot galley kitchen very welcoming. A wall separating the kitchen from the living room and a lack of windows overlooking the backyard gave the space an isolating feel.
Seeking ideas for an open floor plan, improved storage and more natural light and views, the Boston-area empty-nest couple looked at inspiration photos on Houzz. They then hired designer Hannah Oravec to help realize their vision. Oravec had the kitchen pushed into the backyard by about 10 feet, adding 200 square feet, and eliminated the eating nook and wall separating the kitchen from the living room to create a breezy layout with an island. A bank of windows brings in light and views, while white oak cabinets, a stone-look backsplash and a gas fireplace add style and coziness.
Seeking ideas for an open floor plan, improved storage and more natural light and views, the Boston-area empty-nest couple looked at inspiration photos on Houzz. They then hired designer Hannah Oravec to help realize their vision. Oravec had the kitchen pushed into the backyard by about 10 feet, adding 200 square feet, and eliminated the eating nook and wall separating the kitchen from the living room to create a breezy layout with an island. A bank of windows brings in light and views, while white oak cabinets, a stone-look backsplash and a gas fireplace add style and coziness.
A white quartz slab with minimal veining found at a local stone yard creates a backsplash behind the range. The rustic stone-look accent backsplash flanking the range is ceramic tiles with raised imprints of stone. “It is made to look like fieldstone,” Oravec says. “We found it easier for the contractor to work with, rather than actual stone or stone veneer.”
Honed and sealed marble countertops add an elegant touch. “The clients really wanted something organic,” Oravec says. “We originally were looking at quartz because of the problems of spilling, but they fell in love with the marble when we went to the showroom. They were willing to invest in these countertops. It’s more costly, but to them it was worth it.”
Quartz slab: Cambria
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Honed and sealed marble countertops add an elegant touch. “The clients really wanted something organic,” Oravec says. “We originally were looking at quartz because of the problems of spilling, but they fell in love with the marble when we went to the showroom. They were willing to invest in these countertops. It’s more costly, but to them it was worth it.”
Quartz slab: Cambria
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Before: In the former kitchen, an eating nook created a crowded corner. “There was a bottleneck at the end there with the peninsula,” Holly says. “It was fine for a family of four, but not great for entertaining.”
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After: Oravec removed the eating nook and extended the kitchen into the backyard. The new 36-inch gas range with matte white finish and brushed bronze hardware sits in the expansion.
A custom plaster hood features black walnut trim. “I grew up in western New York, in a farm area,” Holly says. “We had some black walnut trees on our family property. My father had them milled about 20 years ago and gave us some of the boards, and we didn’t know what to do with them. This project finally gave us a way to use them.”
The three drawers seen here to the left of the range hold tea, pot holders and spices. A cabinet to the left of the drawers includes a lift-up mixer. “I didn’t want that huge thing on the counter,” Holly says. “It’s so neat to put it in there and hide it away.”
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A custom plaster hood features black walnut trim. “I grew up in western New York, in a farm area,” Holly says. “We had some black walnut trees on our family property. My father had them milled about 20 years ago and gave us some of the boards, and we didn’t know what to do with them. This project finally gave us a way to use them.”
The three drawers seen here to the left of the range hold tea, pot holders and spices. A cabinet to the left of the drawers includes a lift-up mixer. “I didn’t want that huge thing on the counter,” Holly says. “It’s so neat to put it in there and hide it away.”
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Drawers to the right of the range include a designated junk drawer for items like reading glasses, notepads and tape. A corner cabinet holds a lazy Susan. Brass cup pulls and knobs add a warm finish to the cabinets.
The side of the island facing the sink holds a below-counter flat-panel microwave, a cabinet with dividers for cookie sheets and baking pans, and drawers for cutlery and food storage containers.
The side of the island facing the sink holds a below-counter flat-panel microwave, a cabinet with dividers for cookie sheets and baking pans, and drawers for cutlery and food storage containers.
Five new double-hung windows over the sink now flood the kitchen with natural light, allow fresh air inside and offer improved views of the backyard.
The window frames have a matte black finish, and some of the black walnut from the family property adds a warm detail between each window. “The windows are installed flush on the countertop so it has a less cluttered look,” Holly says. “The brown from the black walnut warms it up, so it doesn’t seem too stark.”
The window frames have a matte black finish, and some of the black walnut from the family property adds a warm detail between each window. “The windows are installed flush on the countertop so it has a less cluttered look,” Holly says. “The brown from the black walnut warms it up, so it doesn’t seem too stark.”
An updated white apron-front single-bowl sink is paired with a modern matte black pull-down faucet. “It was to kind of keep with a more sleek, Scandinavian look,” Oravec says. “Just clean, crisp, simple lines.”
A paneled dishwasher sits to the right of the sink. A pullout trash and recycling center are on the left.
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A paneled dishwasher sits to the right of the sink. A pullout trash and recycling center are on the left.
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Open shelves near the opening between the kitchen and living room display favorite cookbooks, family photos, plants and baskets. “We had a great bookshelf in our old kitchen for cookbooks and things you use all the time and didn’t want to give that up,” Holly says. “It was a nice way to make sure we had a defined area for books.”
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Pendants with handblown glass shades provide light over the island. The kitchen also includes LED recessed lights in the ceiling, which were digitally removed by the photographer in these photos.
Simple matte black Windsor-style spindle counter stools at the island provide seating for casual meals and visiting with the cook. “I wanted something in a style that my grandmother would have in her kitchen,” Holly says.
A paneled refrigerator in the corner stands to the right of the sink area. A tall pantry cabinet is to the right of the refrigerator. “It was away from the windows but also close enough to the island and sink and not inhibiting any natural light into the space,” Oravec says.
White oak flooring coordinates with the cabinetry.
Simple matte black Windsor-style spindle counter stools at the island provide seating for casual meals and visiting with the cook. “I wanted something in a style that my grandmother would have in her kitchen,” Holly says.
A paneled refrigerator in the corner stands to the right of the sink area. A tall pantry cabinet is to the right of the refrigerator. “It was away from the windows but also close enough to the island and sink and not inhibiting any natural light into the space,” Oravec says.
White oak flooring coordinates with the cabinetry.
A wall of cabinetry to the right of the fridge helps balance out the weight of the range wall. The upper cabinets with clear glass doors and matte black frames store everyday dishes and cups and include brass latches. “It helps give that cottage feel,” Oravec says.
This hardworking cabinet wall also stores extra cutlery, place mats and napkins, and it has a designated drawer for electronics. “It feels like there’s a drawer and place for everything,” Holly says. “What I’ve noticed is that my husband and I linger in the kitchen now. We sit there with the fireplace and enjoy looking out the windows.”
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This hardworking cabinet wall also stores extra cutlery, place mats and napkins, and it has a designated drawer for electronics. “It feels like there’s a drawer and place for everything,” Holly says. “What I’ve noticed is that my husband and I linger in the kitchen now. We sit there with the fireplace and enjoy looking out the windows.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: John and Holly Markham
Location: Melrose, Massachusetts
Size: 400 square feet (37 square meters)
Designer: Hannah Oravec of Lawless Design
Warm off-white walls with a brighter white ceiling and trim provide a clean backdrop for the matte black and rustic wood details in this updated kitchen. “We did the brighter white on the ceiling to give it dimension,” Oravec says.
The perimeter cabinets are Shaker-style, quartersawn white oak in a natural finish. The island base is white. “We went with the white oak to bring in the warmth but not be too dark or heavy,” Oravec says. “The combination of the cabinets really makes this space successful. If we went all white, it would be too light. If we did all wood upper cabinets, it would be too heavy.”
The 86-by-55-inch island features beadboard detailing on the ends. “This was to add a little more pop to the island and some texture,” Oravec says.
The Markhams own a company that distributes modern European fireplaces, and they wanted to include one in their revamped kitchen. They chose a thin single-sided gas fireplace by a manufacturer from the Netherlands. “It was a way to be around what we sell,” Holly says. “It has been one of the most pleasant parts of the kitchen.”
Fireplace: Cupido 50 by Element4, European Home
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