Once you step foot on Martha’s Vineyard, you feel it. There’s just a certain vibe to the island – effortless style and easy living. Everything you see, from architecture to interior design to clothing, speaks understated, simple, and chic. And that is just the vibe of a kitchen we are working on in Chilmark. Our clients, a young family of five, are ready to start making the next generation of memories on the island they love – starting with a lovingly thought out home renovation.
To make the home work for their lifestyle and exude their personal style, they sought the help of Marina Case, principal designer of The Red Shutters. She and The Red Shutters team are assisting them with an entire home design transformation, but the kitchen is where so much of the integral changes are happening. Although this project is not yet complete, we’re so excited about how everything is coming together, that we wanted to share our progress to date.
The Home’s Historic Charm
An overview of the home’s history will help explain the foundation for our design. The inspiration for our client’s home was The Vincent House, which is the oldest house on the Vineyard and dates back to the 1600s. Post and beam construction, steeply pitched roof, and cedar shakes are hallmarks of both structures. Our design incorporates an homage to those more simplistic elements, while bringing the living spaces in tune to how we live today – something we have coined as #historywithstyle.
The Layout
The original kitchen footprint was simply not functional for the large, busy family. Lack of storage and counterspace, along with a frustrating workflow, were top complaints. The new kitchen layout is much more practical and inviting. The encroaching peninsula is no more and we added 150 square-feet to create a larger home center. Although it doesn’t seem like much, that extra space makes a huge difference in this kitchen. As part of the transformation, we added more windows and a sliding door to let in more natural light. We used the Andersen 400 Series. The result is a bright kitchen that now opens to the family room, as well as a new deck, expanding eating and entertainment possibilities. Although the new kitchen design required some construction and moving of plumbing, the function and aesthetic was so worth the effort and expense. The new space is almost unrecognizable from the original.
Materials
Great care was taken in selecting the materials for this kitchen project. As interior designers, we take a holistic approach to kitchen design. Rather than looking through a single lens, we create a design that will seamlessly blend the kitchen with the rest of the home.
Cabinetry
For a laid back, luxurious feel, we opted for Crown Point Cabinetry’s Select Shaker style. The line is custom and handcrafted in Vermont. We painted the cabinets in Sherwin-Williams’ Escape Gray for a hint of color while keeping the room light and bright. This timeless hue is one of our favorite go-to’s. To showcase the barware of this family that enjoys cocktails and wine, we included some glass fronts in the cabinetry.
Hardware
To connect the cabinetry back to the iron hand-forged historical elements in the kitchen lighting, fireplace, and rest of the home, we selected aged iron knobs from Top Knobs.
Countertops
The homeowners love the look of carrera marble, but wanted something a bit more easy to maintain with their young children. So we opted for a quartz that resembles a carrera. This is a great way to achieve a traditional look with updated, nonporous technology.
Backsplash
A more minimal backsplash allows the eyes to wander to the key features of the kitchen. Here we went with a clean, white subway tile.
Lighting
It’s so important to layer lighting in the kitchen. Here, we incorporated task, ambient, and accent lighting with recessed lighting, pendants, and undercabinet lighting. The pendants harken back to the forged iron. The iron, classic lanterns we selected are stunning and easy to maintain because they do not have any glass sides.
Appliances and Fixtures
By using stainless steel appliances, we instantly updated the space, giving it a more modern feel. We went with our favorites: Wolfe 6 burner stove, Bosch combination oven, Sub-Zero fridge, and Bosch dishwasher. These are balanced by the farmhouse sink from Kohler and the more traditional main sink faucet from Rohl.
Flooring
So that there would be continuity, we installed wood flooring in the kitchen and refinished the wood floors in the surrounding areas so that the remodel would not look fractured.
Watch for Full Reveal
We still need to add a few finishing touches. Be sure to follow us to see the full reveal of this kitchen design project on Martha’s Vineyard.
Scroll down for our boards showing all of the main features from our kitchen design.
Cape Kitchen
Ready to Get Started Transforming Your Space?
There are so many ways in addition to pattern to breathe fresh life into a home. View my Portfolio to see more examples of my interior design projects and follow us on Instagram for more interior design inspiration.