Kitchen of the Week: Fresh Coastal Style in White, Blue and Wood
A remodeling team adds square footage and improves storage and style with an island, a fireplace and classic details
In this 1880s Colonial house in Duxbury, Massachusetts, nothing about the kitchen’s basic beige walls and standard cherry cabinets connected with the historic charm and classic coastal location of the home.
Wanting a brighter, larger space with details that reflected the home’s roots, the owners turned to architectural designer Peter Stames and project manager Heidi Petrowicz. The remodeling team expanded the kitchen 6 feet into a side yard, adding 92 square feet to the footprint and creating room for a large island. Added windows and upgraded skylights in the vaulted ceiling flood the space with natural light. White Shaker-style cabinets, blue accents, rustic reclaimed-wood ceiling beams, V-groove paneling and wide-plank Eastern white pine flooring add charming coastal details. And a new gas fireplace brings coziness to the updated breakfast nook.
Wanting a brighter, larger space with details that reflected the home’s roots, the owners turned to architectural designer Peter Stames and project manager Heidi Petrowicz. The remodeling team expanded the kitchen 6 feet into a side yard, adding 92 square feet to the footprint and creating room for a large island. Added windows and upgraded skylights in the vaulted ceiling flood the space with natural light. White Shaker-style cabinets, blue accents, rustic reclaimed-wood ceiling beams, V-groove paneling and wide-plank Eastern white pine flooring add charming coastal details. And a new gas fireplace brings coziness to the updated breakfast nook.
Polished marble-look quartz countertops and 2-by-10-inch polished white ceramic backsplash tile help bounce light around.
Two pendant lights hang over the island at the same height despite their drastically different lengths — one in the dropped ceiling and the other in the vaulted portion. Their brass finish coordinates with other brass details in the kitchen.
Pendant lights: Z-Studio 1 Light in matte white and Heritage Brass, Z-Lite; backsplash tile: Seaport in Arctic White, 2 by 10 inches, Tile Bar
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Two pendant lights hang over the island at the same height despite their drastically different lengths — one in the dropped ceiling and the other in the vaulted portion. Their brass finish coordinates with other brass details in the kitchen.
Pendant lights: Z-Studio 1 Light in matte white and Heritage Brass, Z-Lite; backsplash tile: Seaport in Arctic White, 2 by 10 inches, Tile Bar
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The 36-inch dual-fuel range in a blue-gray that inspired the island color creates a focal point at one end of the kitchen. “When you have a white-on-white kitchen, it’s nice to put a pop of color there,” Petrowicz says. “And in this coastal region, blue’s definitely a nice way to go.”
The custom white-painted range hood coordinates with the surrounding cabinetry, while quartersawn white oak trim complements the wood beams.
The custom white-painted range hood coordinates with the surrounding cabinetry, while quartersawn white oak trim complements the wood beams.
A corner cabinet to the right of the range has a two-tiered pullout to make pots and pans more easily accessible. “You tend to have a waste of space there,” Petrowicz says. “These make it much easier to access that blind corner without having to get down on the floor and reach into a dark space.”
Pullout: Rev-A-Shelf; cabinet hardware: Alexander pull, 4 and 8 inches, and Haydon knob, all in satin brass, Emtek
Before and After: 4 Kitchen Remodels With Smart Storage Solutions
Pullout: Rev-A-Shelf; cabinet hardware: Alexander pull, 4 and 8 inches, and Haydon knob, all in satin brass, Emtek
Before and After: 4 Kitchen Remodels With Smart Storage Solutions
Three industrial-style conical sconces in a brass finish add lighting over the sink.
A white enameled cast-iron farmhouse sink has a streamlined look and a large basin for washing pots and pans. The pull-down bridge faucet is finished in bright gold.
Sink: Whitehaven in white, Kohler; faucet: Armstrong in English Gold, Rohl
Sink: Whitehaven in white, Kohler; faucet: Armstrong in English Gold, Rohl
A linear direct-vent gas fireplace adds warmth and ambiance near the breakfast area. “It’s definitely capable of heating the space — it’s not just ornamental,” Petrowicz says.
Shiplap details and a quartersawn white oak mantel that coordinates with the range hood add to the coastal look the homeowners were going for.
Tall cabinets flanking the fireplace hold dishes and other kitchen essentials.
Shiplap details and a quartersawn white oak mantel that coordinates with the range hood add to the coastal look the homeowners were going for.
Tall cabinets flanking the fireplace hold dishes and other kitchen essentials.
This angle looking toward the breakfast area shows a second, smaller oven that the homeowners requested and that sits in the island end. “It’s a lot of functionality in a relatively small space,” Petrowicz says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: This look at the former breakfast area shows some of the details the homeowners wanted to replace, including the beige walls and basic cherry cabinets. They liked the banquette but felt it was too tight for their family. “It only served as a breakfast nook and was not really giving them an eat-in kitchen,” Petrowicz says.
Windows offered a view of the patio and kids’ play area, but the homeowners wanted it to be more expansive.
Windows offered a view of the patio and kids’ play area, but the homeowners wanted it to be more expansive.
After: The updated area features a roomier banquette with built-in storage. “They have space under there to store their pressure cooker and lobster pot,” Petrowicz says. The family’s West Highland terrier, Minnie, is perched atop the banquette.
The new, larger wood table gives the family more room. Weathered driftwood dining chairs work with the coastal look and feel.
A traditional-style candlestick chandelier keeps sightlines open. “We wanted that fixture to have some presence to it but not break up the space,” Petrowicz says.
New windows, including a round one near the top of the vaulted ceiling, maximize light and views.
The new, larger wood table gives the family more room. Weathered driftwood dining chairs work with the coastal look and feel.
A traditional-style candlestick chandelier keeps sightlines open. “We wanted that fixture to have some presence to it but not break up the space,” Petrowicz says.
New windows, including a round one near the top of the vaulted ceiling, maximize light and views.
Behind the island seating stands this pantry area, where the former refrigerator was. The cabinet also holds small appliances. “This was an opportunity to maximize storage for the mom,” Petrowicz says. “This gives her a place to control the mail and then close those doors so the kitchen looks neat and tidy.”
“The kitchen before was a place to go because you had to. Now it’s a room everyone wants to be in,” Petrowicz says.
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“The kitchen before was a place to go because you had to. Now it’s a room everyone wants to be in,” Petrowicz says.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two kids
Location: Duxbury, Massachusetts
Size: 276 square feet (26 square meters)
Design-build team: Architectural designer and builder Peter Stames and project manager Heidi Petrowicz of Archia Homes
Stames and Petrowicz took the former kitchen down to the studs, rebuilt the foundation and pushed the floor plan about 6 feet into a side yard, increasing the footprint by 92 square feet.
A roomy island with a medium blue base (Van Courtland Blue by Benjamin Moore) anchors the light and airy room, complements the blue-gray range and gives a bit of contrast to the white perimeter cabinets (Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore). “One thing we try to stay away from in design is the white-on-white kitchen where nothing stands out,” Petrowicz says.
The blue-and-white palette joins V-groove ceiling paneling and white millwork, rattan chairs and three decorative reclaimed-wood beams to create a fresh coastal style.
Added windows and upgraded skylights on the vaulted ceiling flood the space with natural light. “We wanted to maximize the natural light in the space and make it feel as open and airy as possible,” Petrowicz says.
The remodeling team matched 10-inch-wide Eastern white pine plank flooring with existing antique flooring and used square-head nails for an authentic look.
Custom cabinetry: Horgan Millwork
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