Kitchen of the Week: Oyster Is the New White
A designer whips up a leafy green, celery and off-white palette inspired by garden views
Becky Harris
March 16, 2018
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Photos by Jessica Delaney Photography
Kitchen and Family Room at a Glance
Location: Melrose, Massachusetts
Size: 660 square feet (61 square meters), including the kitchen, eat-in area, family room, powder room and pantry
Designers: Justine Sterling Design (interior design) and Royal Barry Wills (architecture)
This Massachusetts family — a couple and their daughter — wanted an eat-in kitchen and a family room that would suit their busy lifestyle and love of entertaining. “They were also looking to jazz things up a bit here and break out of the more traditional style they have in the rest of their house,” says interior designer Justine Sterling.
Scope of work. This was a full renovation of a Colonial-style home that took down walls between the kitchen, office and family room to create a more open floor plan. They replaced the old windows with larger, more energy-efficient windows to let in the light.
Kitchen and Family Room at a Glance
Location: Melrose, Massachusetts
Size: 660 square feet (61 square meters), including the kitchen, eat-in area, family room, powder room and pantry
Designers: Justine Sterling Design (interior design) and Royal Barry Wills (architecture)
This Massachusetts family — a couple and their daughter — wanted an eat-in kitchen and a family room that would suit their busy lifestyle and love of entertaining. “They were also looking to jazz things up a bit here and break out of the more traditional style they have in the rest of their house,” says interior designer Justine Sterling.
Scope of work. This was a full renovation of a Colonial-style home that took down walls between the kitchen, office and family room to create a more open floor plan. They replaced the old windows with larger, more energy-efficient windows to let in the light.
Style and color inspiration. The homeowners were looking to freshen up these spaces with transitional style. The gardens outside all of those windows where the homeowners love to work out their green thumbs inspired the renovation. “The color palette for the new kitchen and living room is a fresh oyster base with pops of celeries and greens in different textures and patterns,” Sterling says. “And my client didn’t want a bright white. Oyster became the white in here.”
Wall color: April Showers, trim color: White Dove, both Benjamin Moore; Cabinetry: Dynasty in Oyster, Omega, Halco Showroom; sink: Rohl; faucet: Hansgrohe
10 Pros Share Their Favorite Off-White Paints
Wall color: April Showers, trim color: White Dove, both Benjamin Moore; Cabinetry: Dynasty in Oyster, Omega, Halco Showroom; sink: Rohl; faucet: Hansgrohe
10 Pros Share Their Favorite Off-White Paints
Kitchen island. The large communal island makes casual entertaining easy, with the work side separated from the seating. It sits between the refrigerator, range, ovens and sink and is convenient to the eat-in area. (We’ll get over there in a minute.) It also has a large countertop for laying out food and drinks for parties. A later change from the original floor plan, below, was adding an overhang on both sides so they could accommodate four counter stools.
Stools: Design Within Reach; lighting: Circa Lighting; appliances: Thermadore
Browse modern wood counter stools
Stools: Design Within Reach; lighting: Circa Lighting; appliances: Thermadore
Browse modern wood counter stools
Counters. Here’s a close look at the quartzite countertops. Quartzite is a natural stone that has beautiful veining patterns that resemble those found in marble, but it is much harder. This one is called Taj Mahal. Sterling notes that the majority of her clients have been opting for quartzite over granite or marble for the past four years.
Quartzite vs. Quartz: What’s the Difference?
Quartzite vs. Quartz: What’s the Difference?
Hardware. Other rooms in the house had warm unlacquered brass accents, so Sterling brought in the same finish throughout the new spaces via the hardware.
Pro tip. Casement windows are a good choice over a countertop for easy opening.
Hardware: Horton Brasses
Which Window is Right for Your Home?
Pro tip. Casement windows are a good choice over a countertop for easy opening.
Hardware: Horton Brasses
Which Window is Right for Your Home?
The hardworking island includes deep drawers for pots and pans and a microwave drawer.
Lighting. In addition to recessed lighting in the ceiling, Sterling used seeded glass and brass pendant lights over the island. They bring in texture but are airy and unobtrusive.
Floors. The room is anchored with dark-stained hickory floors for contrast. The planks are 8 inches wide.
Floors: wide-plank flooring, Carlisle; lights: Katie large fitter pendant, Visual Comfort
Lighting. In addition to recessed lighting in the ceiling, Sterling used seeded glass and brass pendant lights over the island. They bring in texture but are airy and unobtrusive.
Floors. The room is anchored with dark-stained hickory floors for contrast. The planks are 8 inches wide.
Floors: wide-plank flooring, Carlisle; lights: Katie large fitter pendant, Visual Comfort
Window treatments. Sterling helped her clients choose a beautiful hand-blocked fabric for the valances and fixed Roman shades. “I chose fixed Roman shades so they can stay at the perfect height, and they cover mechanical shades,” she says. Worth noting are the small details here — check out the way the Roman shade is cut to tuck in beneath the crown molding.
Another small but impactful detail: Sterling extended the quartzite backsplash all the way up to the windowsill instead of adding an apron. (The apron is the piece of wood trim you often see underneath a windowsill.) “This is a cleaner look, and it’s also easier to clean,” she says.
The range is an induction cooktop.
Window treatment fabric: Galbraith & Paul
Another small but impactful detail: Sterling extended the quartzite backsplash all the way up to the windowsill instead of adding an apron. (The apron is the piece of wood trim you often see underneath a windowsill.) “This is a cleaner look, and it’s also easier to clean,” she says.
The range is an induction cooktop.
Window treatment fabric: Galbraith & Paul
Small appliances. These countertop cabinets hold all of the small appliances such as the coffeemaker, and there are outlets for them inside.
Storage. “Storage was a priority for the homeowners. They love clean, organized spaces and don’t like to leave stuff out,” Sterling says. She gave them ample storage solutions. This long row of cabinets that extends down the hall serves as a landing zone for the family. If you look at the floor plan you can see how they enter (from the left side in this photo), walk down the hall and can put away their things rather than plunking them down on the kitchen island.
Light switches and outlets: Legrand
Cabinets 101: How to Get the Storage You Want
Light switches and outlets: Legrand
Cabinets 101: How to Get the Storage You Want
Floor plan. Before we move on to the eat-in area and family room, here’s a plan to help you see how everything fits together. Those cabinets in the previous photo face the kitchen in the middle of the plan. It also shows that there is a walk-in pantry behind the refrigerator. There is a formal dining room and living room on the first floor in addition to the spaces shown here.
How to Read a Floor Plan
How to Read a Floor Plan
After. The kitchen is wide open to this sunny eat-in area. “We used the same paint color throughout all of these spaces,” Sterling says. “This created continuity and makes it feel bigger.”
The eat-in area incorporates a built-in window seat along the large garden-view window. There is hidden storage beneath the bench.
Sterling custom-designed the cherry dining room table to pick up on the deep color of the floors. The chair cushions continue the soft celery from the kitchen’s color palette, and the fixed Roman shades continue the textile into this space for more continuity.
Chandelier: Westport chandelier, Visual Comfort; bench fabric: Romo; rug: Chilewich
Find cherry dining tables
Sterling custom-designed the cherry dining room table to pick up on the deep color of the floors. The chair cushions continue the soft celery from the kitchen’s color palette, and the fixed Roman shades continue the textile into this space for more continuity.
Chandelier: Westport chandelier, Visual Comfort; bench fabric: Romo; rug: Chilewich
Find cherry dining tables
Functionally, the space serves not only for family meals together but also for homework and paperwork. This spot with its expansive view of the backyard is the mother’s and daughter’s preferred workspace. (Dad moved his office into a bedroom upstairs as a result of this renovation, as his old office now serves as the family room.)
“The printer is hidden in the cabinet next to the window seat along with the daughter’s homework supplies and files so she can easily pack them away when guests come over,” Sterling says.
Table: custom, Huston & Co.; side chairs: Hickory Chair upholstered with Kravet and Cowtan & Tout fabrics; motorized shade: Lutron via The Boston Shade Co.
Find kitchen designers in your area
“The printer is hidden in the cabinet next to the window seat along with the daughter’s homework supplies and files so she can easily pack them away when guests come over,” Sterling says.
Table: custom, Huston & Co.; side chairs: Hickory Chair upholstered with Kravet and Cowtan & Tout fabrics; motorized shade: Lutron via The Boston Shade Co.
Find kitchen designers in your area
Family Room
This comfortable family room is open to the eat-in area. It used to be Dad’s office, and there was a wall between the two spaces.
Chair: Ethan Allen
This comfortable family room is open to the eat-in area. It used to be Dad’s office, and there was a wall between the two spaces.
Chair: Ethan Allen
This room is their main TV-watching spot. Creams and leafy greens continue the color palette. Sterling gave the owners a metal tray so they can keep coffee table things corralled. This suits the homeowner’s love of having a place for everything.
Painting: “Downriver II” by Susan Morosky; nesting side tables: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; sofa: Ethan Allen; coffee table: FDO; table lamps: Barbara Cosgrove; rug: Dash & Albert
Painting: “Downriver II” by Susan Morosky; nesting side tables: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; sofa: Ethan Allen; coffee table: FDO; table lamps: Barbara Cosgrove; rug: Dash & Albert
Fireplace
Before. This shot of what the fireplace used to look like shows where a dramatic change took place.
Before. This shot of what the fireplace used to look like shows where a dramatic change took place.
The contractor built a beautiful new mantel that works with the new style of the room.
Sterling specified the same quartzite she’d used on the kitchen counters for the hearth and found a tile that picks up on the colors of the veins.
Graceful sconces repeat the antique brass finishes seen throughout the home.
Photographs: Debby Krim; sconces: Reed single sconce, Visual Comfort; tile: 401-Silver B, Discover Tile
Contractor: Chuha Construction
More
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
More Kitchens of the Week
Other Resources on Houzz
Find kitchen designers and see their past projects
Shop for your kitchen and dining room
Sterling specified the same quartzite she’d used on the kitchen counters for the hearth and found a tile that picks up on the colors of the veins.
Graceful sconces repeat the antique brass finishes seen throughout the home.
Photographs: Debby Krim; sconces: Reed single sconce, Visual Comfort; tile: 401-Silver B, Discover Tile
Contractor: Chuha Construction
More
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
More Kitchens of the Week
Other Resources on Houzz
Find kitchen designers and see their past projects
Shop for your kitchen and dining room
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Perfection!!
WOW! I love it! gorgeous and functional.
It really is beautiful! A little more colour maybe but that is a personal choice.