It’s been a long time coming, both in reality and here on this blog, but today I am finally sharing my kitchen renovation reveal. I mentioned that when we bought our first house, we did so knowing that we wanted to knock down a few walls and gut the kitchen. It took a year to create it, and in that time I became pregnant with Luke and my contractor was still here when we brought him home from the hospital. Having lived with some seriously sad little kitchens in Manhattan, I could not be happier with how it turned out.

The harbor view was obstructed from the kitchen when we bought the house (a laundry room and a powder room took up the entire middle of the main floor), and the kitchen was closed off from the family room. The main goal of the new layout was to be able to see into the family room and enjoy the water view while cooking. We took out the laundry room and created one upstairs, relocated the powder room to the opposite side of the first floor, and knocked down the wall between the kitchen and the family room. The house was built in 1905, so I wanted to keep some of the traditional character with the molding and millwork, while incorporating a modern, coastal, bohemian aesthetic.

I’m pretty sure my husband’s only request was to have refrigerator drawers and a place to house his beer, so we had a built in bar created in the old sitting room that is now open to the kitchen, the formal living room, and the foyer. I worked with my friend Bobby Campbell and Jeanine Diller of Millbrook Cabinetry & Design to create the best and most practical layout for the kitchen. Jeanine is a genius, because I never would have thought to have the refrigerator set back into the wall we were closing off to create a pantry, or thought to have the range in the island. These are two things I really and truly love about it, and she was so helpful in finding some of the elements I knew I wanted in my head like the goose neck California Faucets. She was so patient with me when I had to see seven million different painted sample doors in order to choose the exact right shade of blue (it’s Benjamin Moore Downpour Blue). If you’re having cabinets painted, you need to see the color on the actual cabinet samples because it changes the way the color looks dramatically. I’m happy I took my time, because it’s perfect to me.It was important to me that we had a space that was sophisticated and functional, but also comfortable for a family like ours with small children. The original space already had the perfect area for a dining nook, so we had the banquette built along with a custom table from a local husband and wife team, New Antiquity. They were so warm, responsive, and reasonable. During the renovation, we also added a second window in the nook. It truly completes the most perfect place to sit together and enjoy meals together as a family. I love that Jeanine even thought to create space between that area and the rest of the kitchen, because it’s the perfect spot for our dog Bella’s bowls and Luke’s highchair. You can get custom cushions directly from Etsy and save thousands. I’m really glad I went that route because my kids are ruining them already. The Jonathan Adler chairs were a Warehouse sale score at $40 each.My favorite thing about the kitchen is that although it’s the most “adult” kitchen I’ve ever had (and frankly the only kitchen I’ve ever owned) it’s also my boys’ favorite place to play in the house. They love it so much, they even have their own little kitchenette and baby grand piano for providing us with cocktail hour serenades. The memories we’ve already created here made the living out of a toaster oven for the duration of my second pregnancy while chasing a toddler totally worth it.

xo

BB

Kitchen Designer: Jeanine Diller & Robert Campbell, Millbrook Cabinetry & Design. Cabinets: Plain & Fancy. Sink: Shaw’s Original. Kitchen Island Color: Benjamin Moore Downpour Blue. Paint: Benjamin Moore Paper White. Countertops: Zodiaq. Backsplash: Carrara Marble. Island Pendant Lights: Visual Comfort. Ovens & Range: Wolf. Pendant Lights: Hometown Evolution. Dish towels: Anthropologie, Kate Spade. Rugs: Vintage Turkish. Dining Nook Table: Custom via New Antiquity. Nook bench cushions: Custom via Etsy. Chairs: Jonathan Adler. Mixer: Kitchenaid. Jars: Jonathan Adler. Sheepskin rug: Overstock. Shades: Arlo Blinds. Bar cart: Serena & Lily. Cabinet Pulls: Top Knobs. Knobs: Tob Knobs. Highchair: Boon. Faucets & Hot water dispenser: California Faucets. Play Kitchen: Pottery Barn Kids. Mirror: Wisteria (old, similar here).