kitchens

Milk glass pendants from O’Lampia illuminate the all-white kitchen’s oversized island crafted by Martha’s Vineyard cabinetmaker Ryan Dillon.

There’s no shortage of seating at the kitchen’s twenty-two-foot island, which was made by B&G Cabinet.

Gates opted for a stronger-veined quartz on the kitchen island to counter the serene cerused-oak cabinetry; the pendants from Hudson Valley Lighting inspired the blue hue of the butler’s pantry.

The kitchen island is painted Benjamin Moore Blue Jean. A mosque lantern from Guinevere antiques hangs above it.

The homeowner requested a kitchen where she could look at the water while making sandwiches for her family, says designer Jocelyn Chiappone. Hand-hewn aged maple tops the counters.

The cabinetry features a sunny yellow coffee station that takes its cue from the upholstery on the nearby banquette pillows.

In the old kitchen, an appliance wall blocked the ocean view; now a custom lantern illuminates a Shaws sink in the island, which enjoys unobstructed ocean vistas.

The kitchen cabinets are from Christopher Peacock and include a secondary island topped with walnut that services the dining room and includes slots at either end for trays.

Interior designer Brooke Michelsen designed the kitchen cabinets, while the stained-oak island is topped with quartzite.

Narrow-planked stained-oak floors in a herringbone pattern anchor the home with a traditional touch. The artwork on the grasscloth-covered walls is by Miya Ando.

Oak beams lend a farmhouse feel to the kitchen, which is open to the front hall, back hall, and den.

The homeowner is an avid cook and baker, so the firm designed a lower surface at the end of the island that is meant for kneading dough and other prep work.

Nearby, the butler’s pantry is painted Farrow & Ball Pigeon and displays the clients’ china collection.

The kitchen’s concrete island top echoes the fireplace for consistency in style. The hardworking island holds a sink and an induction cooktop. The range hood is set high on the ceiling, so it won’t disrupt the view to the outdoors.

“I wanted it to be clean and simple,” Elms says of the kitchen, which features painted Downsview cabinets topped with a quartz countertop that extends up the wall and an oak island lit by plaster pendants.

The custom walnut table can seat twelve; an interior window (at rear) offers views of the backyard across the family room.

While Smith, who loves to cook, describes her kitchen as “mostly white,” she incorporated color by sidling up Lillian August stools to an island painted Benjamin Moore Kensington Blue. On the far wall, which overlooks the patio, Carrara marble runs from the counter to the ceiling.

In the kitchen, an earthy patinated-steel hood and Waterworks tile complement cabinets painted Benjamin Moore Brewster Gray; the exuberant chandelier and tufted red-leather benches are from Sedgwick & Brattle, Filicia’s to-the-trade showroom.

Little shots of color, including the bright pink lanterns, add a cheerful note to the kitchen.

A large component of the renovation was creating better flow between the kitchen, breakfast area, and family room.

Concrete counters top cabinets from Walton Woodworking in the kitchen, which was designed to look like an old butler’s pantry; the overhead monitor suits the period architecture better than skylights.

The kitchen, designed and built by Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers, is decidedly contemporary with its Farrow & Ball Light Blue cabinetry, marble-topped island, and backsplash that designer Kristin Paton says resembles a Klimt painting.

Working with Oregon-based interior designer Sonia Carlson, Pomerleau chose a natural, neutral palette of grays and whites—as well as oak flooring and a quartzite-topped island—for the sleek kitchen.

In the expanded kitchen, woven jute stools tuck under the island, while a custom integrated sink overlooks the deck and backyard.

Urban Electric Co. lights gleam above the Calacatta gold marble island top. Rift-sawn oak gives the cabinetry a furniture-like look. “Because the kitchen is open to the dining and living rooms, we wanted it to be a bit dressier,” says Forehand.

In the kitchen, the silver-gray countertops feature the same stone as the fireplace mantel and surround. “It has a nice leathery finish, so it feels really great on the hand,” says Herrmann.

Zawel gave the kitchen a light facelift, which included painting the island and incorporating new lights and backsplash tile; the custom stools are by Boston-based Jeff Woods.

The new kitchen sports custom cabinets painted Farrow & Ball Parma Gray and a La Cornue range that had to be hoisted through a window on a crane. The Urban Electric Co. lantern is surrounded by soffits concealing ductwork.

Jewel-like glass globes from Juliska hang above the quartz-topped island. The glass-front buffet, made from reclaimed oak, is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Crisp Romaine. “I have a love affair with that color,” Remondi says. The counter chairs are natural rattan from M-Geough.

Smith created what she refers to as an “appliance garage:” a cabinet that holds a mixer, toaster, and other essentials. Thanks to a walnut interior that matches the kitchen island, the cabinet is attractive whether its doors are open or closed.

A built-in hutch houses Smith’s large cabbage ware collection—a lovely pop of green in a sea of blue.

A herringbone-patterned runner in a soft French blue covers the stairs that lead to the back half of the house. “It was once servants’ quarters; now my husband and I are the servants,” jokes Smith.

The brass range hood is from CopperSmith. “I wanted something as elevated as the range but that didn’t compete,” says Smith.

The custom-made pendants are wrapped in Schumacher’s Elton Cotton Check fabric. “They add a nice softness to the space,” says designer Kate Smith.

In the modern kitchen, the nailhead design on the cornice above the sink echoes the sheen of the metal range hood.

The casual dining area is open to the kitchen with its minimalist cabinetry designed and installed by builder Mike Radman. Chairs from Four Hands surround the Gus* table. LEFT: Blue notes in the living room include a Precedent sofa and a painting by artist Fernando Varela. The nesting tables are from Pottery Barn.

In the kitchen, a built-in buffet can serve small groups or a crowd. Pantries flank both sides. The cabinetry is painted Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter.

One of the biggest changes Albert made to the condo was closing off the kitchen from the entry and reorienting it to open into the living and dining area. He kept the kitchen’s petite floor plan but “tripled the storage capacity by wrapping all three sides with cabinetry,” explains Albert, who chose an Ann Sacks tile as a fun accent.

The Doca kitchen cabinetry features cut-out finger pulls in lieu of hardware. Three Lawson-Fenning barstools boast Brentano vegan-leather seats and backs covered in a Romo fabric.

Najnigier loves the Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort pendants that hang above the waterfall island because of the marble spheres suspended from inside each one.

The new kitchen features Urban Electric Co. pendants, honed Vermont Danby stone, and counter stools by Sawkille Co.; “the rare Paul Philp vase, which sits out of harm’s way above the refrigerator,” says Booth, “is by my favorite ceramicist and found in my favorite city, London.”

The owners are avid cooks, so designer Lisa Kreiling lined the back of the island with shelves to display their cookbooks. The custom cabinets are painted Farrow & Ball Elephant’s Breath and are topped with Vermont Danby marble. Brass mesh covers the upper pantry doors at left.

Some cabinetry and the kitchen’s central island showcase blue, the wife’s favored color, which designer Lisa Duffy also picked up in the Perennials fabric on the RH stools. Massive wood beams and white-oak floors add rustic charm to industrial touches like iron-and-glass cabinetry, steel-framed windows, and House of Rohl fixtures.

A custom island, open shelving, and cabinetry in various finishes give the kitchen a collected look.

To give the existing kitchen a light refresh, Boothby introduced mint accents in the form of a light fixture from The Urban Electric Co., barstools from Palecek, and a Muriel Brandolini fabric adorning a built-in cabinet.

Goodson kept the kitchen layout but added quartzite counters. Moroccan tile from Mosaic House adorns the accent wall.

The kitchen with its stone walls, plaster range hood, and expansive island (those are under-the-counter storage baskets on the left) flows from the entry hall and into the dining room. “We wanted the kitchen design to be seamless with the rest of the house so that it doesn’t startle,” explains Farmer. Architect Stuart Disston points to the new concrete lintels above the windows: “What you see outside is what you see inside.”

A patterned backsplash is a focal point of the kitchen.

Hickory accents provide a warm counterpoint to the soapstone countertops, the blue-and-white tiles from Country Floors, and the blue appliances from BlueStar.

Clerestory windows flood the new kitchen with natural light.

Another feature of the custom cabinetry is a retractable step stool, which measures a mere one-inch thick when folded and stored.

The custom cabinetry in both the kitchen and pantry is painted Benjamin Moore Eagle Rock, a shade of gray that reminds the client of a favorite handbag.

The new pantry connects the kitchen and dining room.

“The client is a skilled cook, so a lot of thought was put into the cabinet design and where certain items—such as spices and utensils—would go,” says architect Andrew Reck.

Scandinavian design influences are apparent in the kitchen’s copious white surfaces and light-wood ceiling and flooring; the island’s blue hue subtly nods to the owner, a nautical engineer.

Custom cabinets positioned in a high-traffic area feature Hawa pocket-and-pivot doors to avoid impeding room flow.

A midcentury fondness for cathedral ceilings and skylights pays off in this redesign, allowing for dramatic touches like a muscular Zephyr Trapeze Island range hood.

Designer Diane Burcz incorporated classic materials including Stone Grey Blend backsplash tiles from Heath Ceramics, orange laminate cabinets by Abet Laminati, and large-format Porcelanosa floor tiles resembling a concrete slab. Bertoia-style wire chairs surround the island.

An efficient kitchen/dining area features Cookshire Cabinetry maple cabinets from Country Home Center and a custom Baltic birch table, designed by Cushman Design Group and made by Whitaker Hartt Cabinetry.

Vintage stools nestle into the island’s recess, which is covered with melamine to resist scuffing from fidgety feet.

An Ochre pendant illuminates the honed-marble island in the kitchen addition; the Andersen windows were painted black to emulate the home’s original steel casements.

A larder, built by Bespoke of Winchester, to the left of the range contains a microwave and pantry storage. The island is painted Farrow & Ball Studio Green and topped with soapstone.

All the outlets in the home feature unlacquered-brass switch plates with black plugs and switches.

Like all the trim in the house, the bar is painted Farrow & Ball Shaded White.

The custom Venegas and Company kitchen highlights an Ann Sacks metal-tile backsplash, custom hood, and an island crafted from slices of stone suspended in resin.

A blackened-wenge countertop punctuates the end of the island, which is otherwise topped with a Nebbia Caesarstone slab from Cumar Couture Stone. “The wood portion is for prep and the agate for dining,” kitchen designer Donna Venegas says.

The beverage station’soak surround adds warmth and personality.

Enigma, a durable manufactured material that’s dead ringer for marble tops the island.

Floating shelves break up the expanse of white cabinets and offer a spot to display pretty things.

A mirrored back reflects light and adds a sense of depth to the bar.

The designers chose easy-care options like these counter chairs from

Floating shelves break up the expanse of white cabinets and offer a spot to display pretty things. The designers chose easy-care options like these counter chairs from Anthropologie.

Light gray cabinets offer subtle contrast that enlivens the mostly white kitchen.

The stove has its own dramatic moment thanks to a mirrored tile backsplash and a range hood interior designer Kellie Burke describes as “sexy” with its bold shape and brass strapping.

Kelly Wearstler’s midcentury-inspired Strada lamp adds glamour to the breakfast table.

A mix of materials suits the relaxed but refined vibe in the kitchen—from the planked ceiling to the engineered ceramic flooring designed to resemble the reclaimed oak boards in the homeowner’s beach house. Oversized hammered-nickel hardware complements hand-painted cabinetry; the barstools are from Bradley USA.

Open shelving and base cabinets in a custom blue from Christopher Peacock Paint create a sweet vignette near the walk-in pantry.

A calacatta gold marble-clad wall with a showstopping range hood in polished nickel anchors this Christopher Peacock-designed kitchen, which features cabinetry from the designer’s Refectory collection. The countertops are calacatta gold, too.

The kitchen’s limed-oak cabinetry and honed-Basaltina countertops reflect interior designer Lorraine Letendre’s mastery of materials.

The kitchen skews more modern but still blends nicely, thanks to the reclaimed white-oak timbers and butternut walls, with the lodge feel of the adjacent great room.

A white lacquer kitchen made by About Face Cabinetry & Refacing with a Radianz quartz slab on the island “just disappears,” says designer Jim Gauthier. It also highlights the richly textured reclaimed barnwood paneling.

An oversized island (with easy-to-clean CB2 leather chairs) means the whole family can gather for a casual meal.

The pantry adjacent to the kitchen continues the gray-brown theme with the addition of beadboard wainscoting, shelves lined with the homeowner’s ironstone collection, and Archie’s own built-in bed.

The kitchen features original cabinetry newly painted in Farrow & Ball London Clay. The custom encaustic floor tile unites the colors found in the kitchen and hallway beyond.

The kitchen features original cabinetry newly painted in Farrow & Ball London Clay. The custom encaustic floor tile unites the colors found in the kitchen and hallway beyond.

To create flexible space, the structure’s large kitchen features two islands, both set on casters, which can be moved around to accommodate different activities, such as group cooking classes.

Rabun opted for a large-scale tile backsplash so it’s visible from across the open kitchen, dining room, and living room; the indoor/outdoor woven basket-weave-and-teak stools are from Made Goods.

Extensive use of light natural woods and neutral colors seamlessly unites the interior and exterior designs

The kitchen features a smoked-oak island, a Neolith backsplash and countertops, a stainless-steel hood, and Holly Hunt barstools.

Waterworks pendants hang above the island of an English deVOL kitchen.

A Lacanche range features brass dials and details to match the brass cabinet pulls and plumbing fixtures in the kitchen.

The floor transitions from rift-cut white oak in the great room to polished marble in the kitchen. The same stone was used for the backsplash. Kochman Reidt + Haigh designed the cabinetry.

Because the homeowners thought decorative lighting would detract from the home’s views and geometries, Sawyer outfitted the space with architectural fixtures, like the one-inch-square Lumium tube pendant above the kitchen island.

The craftspeople at Red House Building fabricated the custom ebony-stained dining table. Tall storage cabinets provide privacy from the road, while ribbon windows above draw in natural light. White cabinets adjacent to the island conceal a dumbwaiter to the roof-deck.

A marble-lined niche under the Wolf cooktop showcases the owners’ copper pot collection.

There are multiple instances where materials bridge the indoors and out, including the wood ceiling above the kitchen sink.

The pantry off the kitchen takes a whimsical turn with Jennifer Shorto’s Orange & Leaves wallpaper.

The classic white kitchen gets a spark from a blue refrigerator with an old icebox feel and counter stools that wear an indestructible fabric by Christopher Farr for Perennials.

A new ceiling coffer adds heft to the existing kitchen. Caan freshened things with O&G Studio barstools painted aubergine. The colored glass bottle collection inspired the palette.

A farmhouse sink and hickory cabinets with hammered-bronze hinge straps that double as pulls give the kitchen a rustic feel. A built-in succulent garden behind the sink adds a touch of color.

The kitchen harkens back to the early twentieth century, when the home received its first round of improvements.

The dining table in the kitchen belonged to the homeowner’s great-grandfather; that’s the butler’s pantry through the doorway.

In the fresh-but-dramatic kitchen, glass cabinets reveal dishes, and a vintage light fixture suspended from a lacquered plaster ceiling makes a statement. A twin fixture hangs above the adjoining dining room’s teak table.

In the kitchen, Morgan Harrison customized The Urban Electric Co. light fixtures with Benjamin Moore Blue Heron to match the island.

To designer Michelle Morgan Harrison’s delight, the clients wanted to experiment with high-gloss color, so she paired a Schumacher wallpaper with Benjamin Moore Oxford Gray in the butler’s pantry.

Homeowner Aja Bowley and daughter Elisa are seen here in the kitchen, which features backsplash tiles from Heath Ceramics. A vintage chandelier lights up the dining area.

Custom bamboo hardware by P.E. Guerin in the kitchen nods to the homeowner’s love of Japan.

The gray grout between Cle Tile’s Moroccan zellige backsplash, says designer Heide Hendricks, mimics shadow lines.

The chairs and bar stools in the kitchen were sourced from Boston’s IL Decor, but the room’s floral Osborne & Little shades elicit oohs and aahs.

Green custom tile work in the kitchen is eye-catching but not excessive thanks to the otherwise neutral palette of the light-colored cabinetry, wood floors, and hemlock ceiling.

Spacious shelves provide plenty of storage.

The kitchen cabinetry is by Christopher Peacock. A custom hood by Mitchel and Mitchel hovers above a range by La Cornue.

The new kitchen was scaled up to twice its original size; the plain English-style cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray, and the architects added a butcher-block countertop along the far wall to accommodate the homeowner’s affinity for baking.

In the kitchen, glass pendants from Rejuvenation are airily transparent but hefty enough to make their presence known, while the Danby-marble-topped island is painted Farrow & Ball Castle Gray.

The most extensive work was done in the kitchen, where painted custom cabinets, durable quartzite countertops, and walnut flooring replaced dark cabinetry and marble flooring. Barstools from Lawson-Fenning and pendants from The Urban Electric Co. outfit the island.

Builder Eric Adams says it took three people roughly 170 hours total to realize the high-gloss ceiling in the dining room. “And ninety percent of that time was just doing prep work,” he says.

A coat of paint and gold hardware bring new life to the kitchen cabinets. The existing twin islands were freshened up with Calacatta marble on top and sides.

For quick meals, the Ferraro family sits down at a kitchen island lit by antique brass-and-white-glass fixtures. Homeowner and designer Dana Ferraro had two in storage but could only find a third in chrome—so she painted it to match.

The kitchen’s disparate materials—a soapstone farmer’s sink, butcher-block prep island, and marble counters—are unified by the black-and-white theme.

The contemporary kitchen picks up the same color of tile used around the living room fireplace to brighten a recessed wall with open shelving. A blend of heartwood and sapwood in the Douglas fir island and ceilings creates a range of honeyed tones that complement the reclaimed heart-pine floors and vintage counter stools.

The kitchen’s leopard-themed glass mosaic backsplash features 24-karat gold leaf and adds another Old World element.

To create this “anti-kitchen,” designer Duncan Hughes skipped whites altogether and opted for Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue walls, made even more mesmerizing with original artwork by Eric Zener. Leather banquettes and gold Jonathan Adler chairs add to the clubby feel.

The home’s former kitchen space was gutted, reconfigured, and replaced with a kitchen built by SieMatic that includes a marble-topped island.

The kitchen includes an island with plenty of space to maneuver. “The homeowner planned to use the island to host casual buffets and wanted to ensure the countertop was generous and uninterrupted without sinks or cooktops,” designer Mara Miller says.

Custom cerused-oak cabinets with a gray wire-brush finish add subtle drama to the kitchen, while rivet detailing on the hood lends an industrial vibe; the Grohe faucet heads have been known to double as microphones on ladies-only weekends.

Because the kitchen looks out on the lawn and ocean, Lebeau kept the palette tight and bright. Visual Comfort cage pendants play up the concept of transparency.

Pendants from Circa Lighting hang above a Caesarstone-topped island in the kitchen; the barstools are from Kravet, and white oak flooring appears throughout.

White rebuilt her former Edgartown kitchen, changing the color palette and orientating it to the view: “We didn’t have to figure out where to put the silverware,” she says.

Designer Donna Elle was averse to going stark white in the kitchen. “Because it’s part of the main space,” she says, “I didn’t want a contrast—I wanted a balance.” The cabinets have a strié finish that is white on off-white.

In the kitchen, the designer incorporated an on-trend blue island, a statuary marble countertop, knotty cypress cabinetry, and custom shelving with brass supports.

A once-characterless condo got a bold refresh that is both comfortable and conducive to frequent entertaining; the counter stools are from Bungalow 5, and the punchy striped fabric is from Robert Allen.

Designer Laura Keeler Pierce wanted to open up the kitchen without sacrificing storage; the custom hanging brass-and-glass shelving unit, fabricated by Fishbone Metal Works, does the trick.

An open stairway links all three levels of the guesthouse. Its steel structure and chunky wooden treads echo structural and decorative elements in other parts of the home.

A deck alongside the second-floor dining area connects the guesthouse to the outdoors.

Shades of sea greens and blues enliven the white kitchen. Designer Leslie Fine united the open spaces with common elements, such as the wood-stained counter stools that match the wood furniture of the dining and living rooms.

In the chic kitchen, Kramer sourced the Chapman & Myers pendants from Circa Lighting, and the barstools are by Serena & Lily.

Kramer gutted the existing kitchen and installed new custom cabinetry, subway tile, quartz countertops, and antique brass fixtures.

Simple kitchen cabinets sport polished white-bronze pulls to match the trim of the range hood. Pendant lights from Circa Lighting hang above an island topped with leathered white quartzite.

Payne | Bouchier Fine Builders opened up the kitchen to the stairway and designed a center island that involved some tricky plumbing. Nearby, Rivoli reimagined the formal dining area as a cozy family room cocooned in Phillip Jeffries grasscloth, while the wall adjacent to the fireplace provided the perfect spot for an antique Welsh teacup cupboard.

Lickie the pooch feels right at home in the sunny new kitchen.

Imported hardwood forms the floor of the cozy patio off the kitchen.

Builder Adams + Beasley Associates fabricated this custom walnut dining island while designer Alan Tanksley updated the existing kitchen cabinets; the light fixtures are from The Urban Electric Co.

A ten-foot-long kitchen island doubles as a dining counter and an accessible workstation for the owner; “my client loves bubbles,” says Rapp, “so we chose two of the large Hinsdale light pendants from Hudson Valley over the island.”

Black intentionally skipped installing a tile backsplash: “Part of the reason the kitchen still looks great is because there’s no tile,” she asserts.

Huge windows turned a nondescript back exit into a sunny breakfast nook that features a ceramic garden table with a dragon design.

The recess above the kitchen island is outfitted with silver Phillip Jeffries wallpaper on the ceiling and mirrors around the sides. “It feels like it’s open to the sky,” Butscher says. Again, the classic and contemporary blend in the Shaker cabinetry and the streamlined waterfall-edge island.

Down came two walls to create an open-plan kitchen, breakfast area, and family room.

The kitchen island is topped with leathered Nero Mist granite and painted Farrow & Ball Hague Blue. To seamlessly tie together the home, all the walls in the public spaces got a coat of Benjamin Moore Light Pewter paint.

ModShop counter stools covered in Kravet vinyl surround the waterfall-edge island while Happy pendants custom made by Siemon & Salazar twinkle above.

The kitchen cabinetry, by Heartwood Cabinetmakers, flows all the way to the ten-foot-high ceiling to maximize storage.

The room features two stainless-steel sinks, one in the island and a second in the back corner, where marble mosaic tiles from Ideal Tile of Newton don the wall.

The kitchen backsplash sports more Delft tiles.

The owners’ collection of Staffordshire dinnerware, displayed in the dining area, inspired designer Gerald Pomeroy’s choice of the garden level’s blue-and-white palette.

The team paid careful attention to lighting in the kitchen, including dimmable recessed fixtures as well as lighting under and inside cabinets and drawers; those are pendants from Nessen Lighting hanging above the island.

In the kitchen—which was moved from the front of the home to the center—designer Michael Ferzoco worked closely with homeowner Michael Conlon, a restaurateur who has overseen the renovation of several commercial kitchens. Elm cabinetry from Scavolini is paired with both white Caesarstone and walnut countertops; a custom copper vent hood and Haute Living barstools upholstered in a Perennials fabric round out the sleek space.

A light fixture by PELLE hangs above a table and chairs from Casa Design Group in the dining area; the artwork is by Adrienne Schlow.

Over the island, Leonard replaced traditional light fixtures with acorn-shaped pendants from Circa Lighting.

The homeowner calls her late husband “the ultimate entertainer;” the kitchen was the first remodeled room in the house.

“I love Nikki’s style. It’s stylish but not fussy,” homeowner Kristen Hartz says. The Orient Express counter stools are woven from family-friendly synthetic rope.

Clear-acrylic hardware with weathered-brass detailing adds the slightest hint of glam to this modern-farmhouse kitchen with coastal undertones.

A new built-in banquette with durable tweed seat cushions hugs the corner of the kitchen, creating a cozy breakfast nook that overlooks the back garden.

The paint color of the cabinets, Icy by Sherwin-Williams, ties in the period-appropriate wallpaper the homeowner used in the dining room. The marble checkerboard-patterned floor tiles by Paris Ceramics, which are honed and slightly tumbled, have a Victorian sensibility inspired by what one might have found in a kitchen of this era.

“The Visual Comfort pendant lights look as though they could have come from a train station,” says designer Dean Sawyer, who collaborated with homeowner Emily Rives on the fixtures and finishes.

By relocating doorways, the architects were able to take advantage of the short hall to the kitchen. The new pantry wall and cabinetry nearly double storage capacity.

Pattern on the walls helps balance the solid blocks of cabinetry, though it’s also smooth and neat. “If we had used tile with grout lines, there would be a very different feel,” architect Christina Marsh says.

The Corbett Lighting Calligraphy pendants over the island relate to fixtures elsewhere in the home.

Counter stools placed across from one another are more conducive to conversation than ones positioned side by side. “They can sit here for an intimate dinner,” designer Ana Donohue says.

“We don’t like a lot of spoons in jars on the kitchen counter,” the wife says. No fear of that in this kitchen where small appliances and the pantry hide behind the paneling.

Grayish-blue walnut cabinets frame a Wolf range and a Vent-A-Hood.

The kitchen now offers unobstructed views of the backyard; the Blanco faucet provides even more visual interest.

A wall of windows above the sink brings light to a space formerly dominated by cabinetry.

The new kitchen island boasts seating for five at Palecek bar stools perched beneath pendants from Hudson Valley Lighting.

The kitchen’s array of cooking stations

In addition to the main sink and seating, the Giotto quartzite-topped center island shelters an extra Wolf oven at the far end.

A twelve-foot skylight illuminates an island topped with porous concrete, while a painting by Colombian-born artist Alexis Duque accents the gas fireplace.

The brass-capped acrylic stools around the kitchen island are by Interlude Home, and the roman shade fabric is from Thibaut.

The bar, which connects the lounge to the family room, has a mosaic marble-and-metal backsplash by Akdo.

The kitchen needed a complete revamp with the exception of the numerous casement windows, which make the homeowners “feel like we’re eating outdoors.” Monahan went for a seven-foot island with stools sitting on a vinyl floor mat by Beija Flor.

The islands’ Stratton Blue paint from Benjamin Moore is a bold yet soothing counterpoint to the otherwise white kitchen. “We used a lot of natural materials,” Boothby says, noting the caned counter stools and the baskets in the glass-front cubbyholes.

In the kitchen, astragal molding was carried from the upper cabinets onto the ceiling, drawing the focal point up. The same style molding was used to frame ceiling beams. The Urban Electric Co. lanterns and a pendant light hang above the island and table.

Skok splurged on handmade red-and-blue Portuguese tiles for the backsplash. She discovered the tin schoolroom pendants in London, where she began her design career.

Skok loves the double-sided glass cabinets filled with vintage treasures: “When the cabinets are lit during a dinner party, everything twinkles,” she says.

To update the kitchen, Caan painted the cherry cabinets white and chose a fun serpent-patterned wallpaper backsplash by Katie Leede & Company; careful to retain some of The Barn’s history, the designer kept certain structural beams and trim the original wood.

Comfy Minton Spidell stools surround the marble-topped island. Rather than tiles, the owners opted for a light-reflecting mirrored backsplash for the range.

“An all-white kitchen didn’t suit this house,” says interior designer Amy Thebault. “The green cabinets look like they’ve always been here.”

An intimate dining area is simply furnished with a table from Noir and chairs from France & Sons.

Custom kitchen cabinet doors were crafted from reclaimed cypress.