Kitchen Tour Week: Day Seven

Hello! Gorgeous! I love so much about this kitchen by Karen Swanson of New England Design Works. This was one of the last kitchens that we visited on the Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour. I have a neat photo of the designer in this very space, taken in August when it was completely gutted. I am very impressed with the transformation! The wallpaper is fabulous, the modern lighting is dramatic while functional, the art – although not intended to remain on the counter edge – sets the mood. From the acid green chairs to the sliding barn door to the whispy white surroundings, this kitchen has an eclectic edge yet feels right at home in this 1850s colonial. 

Horizontal tongue-in-groove walls create a unique backsplash above a 48 inch Wolf range plus inset cabinets from Pennville Custom Cabinetry. Karen is a dealer for this product line and chose many custom features to show off in her own home. 

The stainless steel sink has a very modern faucet. Both go nicely with the stainless steel cabinet door screens and pulls.

A shoe closet was a designer must-have for this busy family.

Cherry red cabinets in the butler’s pantry are a happy surprise between the kitchen and the living room. Mixing it up like this keeps life interesting!

The last kitchen on our tour was a short walk up the street. The homeowner, Jeremy McElwain did a lot of the work himself. Industrial chic pendant lighting and modern touches throughout the home give it an urban vibe, yet the traditional surface finishes maintain its historical integrity.

When dealing with an exposed brick chimney, one way to incorporate it into the space is to make it a fresh focal point.

We were told that we could peek inside the gray custom-designed cabinets, and so we did. This one was our favorite, accommodating three bins for recycling.

In the living room: styling by homeowner Mary Fortunato

We saw a lot of great kitchen spaces on the 5th Annual Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour. Thank you to all of the sponsors, designers and homeowners who shared a day’s worth of dream kitchens with us!

Kitchen Tour Week: Day Six

How was your Thanksgiving? I imagine that this next kitchen on the Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour would be a great spot to host a big family dinner. Designed by Wilson Kelsey Design, it features plenty of counter space, a variety of seating, and efficient work zones with top of the line appliances.

I love a round table. Besides encouraging engaged conversation, it also breaks up the horizontal and vertical planes in a traditional setting. These chairs look super comfy, too. What a great spot to enjoy a home cooked meal, second helpings, dessert, drinks. The bar in the distance features black granite, while the center island and sink counters feature white and gray Calcutta marble. It is a very elegant combination tied together with crisp white cabinetry with frosted glass accents by The Cabinetworks of New Hampshire.

Designer Sally Wilson of Wilson Kelsey Design 

John Kelsey in front of the commissioned wall mural by Zoe Design

A hammered metal bar sink with traditional dual-lever faucet

A slightly contemporary single-lever faucet with pull-out spray at the main sink

The first floor powder room is equally impressive with its black leather embossed wall covering, custom designed console, and stand-out-in-a-crowd fixtures.

A sitting area at one end of the kitchen provides additional room to gather, allowing guests to relax out of the way while keeping the cook company. The combination of gray blue fabrics with zesty pops of orange injects a subtle energy to the neutral palette of the surrounding spaces.

Sally recently shared her bath remodeling expertise at the “Studs to Stunning: Remodeling Tips from the Pros” design seminar hosted at Designer Bath. Take a peek at her presentation here.

Come back tomorrow for the last set of kitchens from the Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour!

Kitchen Tour Week: Day Five

Happy Thanksgiving! Today’s kitchen from the Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour was staged by Indigo Blu Trading Company of Beverly. The kitchen itself was custom built by Meadowview Construction. It is a real beauty!

Dave West of Meadowview Construction

Dave pointed out to us that the counters are made from a granite named “Blue Eyes”... can you see the bits of sparkling blue mixed in with the gray?

Six-burner French range from Lacanache. Plenty of room to cook side dishes while the turkey roasts. The range hood is hidden nicely behind custom millwork.  

We all really liked the details on the cabinetry, like the extra bit of trim on the bottom of the upper cabinets.

Stainless steel sink with pull-out faucet.

The dining area is just off of the kitchen, as is the living room. Even with an open floor plan, this home has a cozy feeling to it. 

A wine fridge built into a separate set of wall cabinets is out of the way of the main traffic flow of this well-designed kitchen. 

Thankful for my friends who joined me on the tour this year: Katherine Hawkins, Rosanne Palazola and Tina McManus.

More kitchens to come after I enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal and some real-life quality time with the family : )

Kitchen Tour: Day Four

photo courtesy: Howell Custom Building Group

Howell Custom Building Group worked with the homeowners to create, design and build this inviting family space. The goal of the design was to improve traffic flow between the kitchen, mudroom and family room by replacing walls with half walls and columns. The centerpiece of the kitchen is an oversized island featuring one piece of black walnut for the counter top. Diagonal flooring visually expands the space and diverts the eye in the open floor plan. 

– from the Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour 2012 program book

A herringbone pattern mini-subway tile backsplash creates a modern focal point above the cook top. In a large kitchen like this, a pot filler is a welcome luxury.

Columns and half walls separate the kitchen from the family room. In this photo: Steve and Susan Howell of Howell Custom Building Group.

Next up ... a NorthShore Kitchen

This traditional cherry and granite kitchen was designed by NorthShore Kitchens Plus. The custom cabinetry has many hidden features from a warming drawer under the cooktop to an uber-efficient pantry just around the corner.

The double oven pictured below is probably the most coveted item of Thanksgiving Day cooks across the country.

I still have some more kitchens to share, but before I get to them, below is a photo of our post kitchen tour snack: pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips (an unusually good combination) served with champagne (which is always good ; ) Thank you, Katherine!

Kitchen Tour Week: Day Three

The third kitchen we visited on the Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour showcased the design talent of Lisa Kawski of lmk interiors. Besides some really smart space planning, this French country kitchen really sparkled with its well thought out layers of light.

Lisa was on hand to answer before and after questions. She has worked on most of the interior of this recently renovated home, including a fabulous wine room which unfortunately I did not get a picture of as I was distracted by complimentary scones and lemon curd from Kim Gregory Pure Pastry. So very delicious!!

We could easily see that this kitchen is perfect for entertaining. Lots of room to walk around, plenty of space for the cooks to do their work, a variety of seating options, plus efficient storage solutions. Very pretty, too, with its toile wallpaper.

Of course I had to get a closer look at the generous sized sink and uniquely sculptural faucet. The abundant counter space and ledged  kitchen window were also quite attractive.

One of my favorite accent pieces in a working kitchen is a brightly colored colander. I actually have a red enameled one just like this at home. Even in a not-so-new kitchen they make a great designer statement.

Kitchen Tour Week: Day Two

Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour 2012

A white picket fence adorned with little creatures posing as finials, is a sly hint of what can be found behind the vivid green door on this sunny yellow home. This was our second stop on the kitchen tour, and we could tell that the interior was going to be just as joyful.  

Once inside, we were greeted by the homeowner, artist and designer, Robin Sears. Entering her kitchen is like walking into the pages of a beautifully illustrated story book. Her artist’s hand is evident on cabinets and tiles and ceramics.  

With it’s Big Chill appliances and checkered linoleum floor it is a nostalgically whimsical space that speaks of a time when the pace of life was a little slower.

Wooden counter tops gleam beneath yellow mixers. A circus train transports vintage Steiffs along the ceiling. 

Garden furniture beckons visitors to sit for a spell. Plates are from a collection Robin designed and painted.

The family bunny is part of the visual fun, tucked beneath the custom-designed window seat.

Inside and out, this truly is a happy home!

Read more about it on Robin’s blog.

Kitchen Tour Week: Day One

Company is coming! I figured Thanksgiving week would be a good time to show off the homes featured during the 5th Annual Wenham Museum Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour last month. I took a LOT of pictures (there were 9 homes on the tour) so I will have to break this post into a weeks worth of inspiring kitchen images. It’s been awhile since I have posted on a daily basis, but I will give it my best shot. This first home, which dates back to 1765, has been thoughtfully renovated by its architect owner. Surrounded by garden-filled grounds, it is a lovely property that still maintains an historical feeling while accommodating 21st century family life. 

The well-organized mudroom is one of the new-and-improved additions to this vintage home.  

Country kitchen white beadboard walls and seeded glass cabinets are paired with a dual-fuel professional stove. The curved bow of the island provides comfortable seating while softening its visual edge. This family loves spending time on the water. They have decorated accordingly.

Soapstone sink and counter with a grooved dish drain are from Cumar Marble and Granite. Cross handle levered faucet from Salem Plumbing Supply.

The dining room welcomes with a long table, windsor chairs, and original hearth. The piano in this space reminds me of when families used to entertain each other instead of plugging in. 

A charming first floor powder room. Love the bar soap in the compote dish. More pretty styling: an embroidered hand towel.

In the side yard, an original soapstone sink has been cleverly transformed into an herb trough. I actually have one of these is in the basement of my 1904 farmhouse. If I can find a way to get it outside, I would love to do this next summer.

There were still some greens in the garden on the day of the tour. By now I am guessing it is all composted and resting for the winter to come.