Kitchen of the Week: Modern Farmhouse Style Uncorked
Wine cabinets, an island hub, vintage kitchen wares and plenty of shiplap suit this Oregon couple’s entertainment style
Style. “They had a pretty good idea of the style they were after. She was very drawn to the modern farmhouse style,” Hacker says. “And shiplap was definitely a must-have!”
Must-haves. The homeowners also wanted a place to display their collection of vintage items, and the wine collection needed a better spot than the coat closet to await its uncorking. “We fitted the tall cabinet in the kitchen with wine racks, and while it is not temperature-controlled, the walls around it were extra-insulated to eliminate temperature swings,” the designer says.
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Must-haves. The homeowners also wanted a place to display their collection of vintage items, and the wine collection needed a better spot than the coat closet to await its uncorking. “We fitted the tall cabinet in the kitchen with wine racks, and while it is not temperature-controlled, the walls around it were extra-insulated to eliminate temperature swings,” the designer says.
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Layout (before). You can see how the kitchen, pantry and coat closet chopped up the first floor’s flow. The eat-in area was to the left of the angled peninsula, and the dashed line represents the vaulted ceiling.
Layout (after). The kitchen’s footprint remained more or less the same, but removing the built-in pantry and surrounding walls opened it up to the great room and living room. A 13-foot-long island provides a casual dining, serving and gathering space as well as a large workspace with lots of storage to replace the pantry. The sink stayed in the same location, and Hacker moved the range to the exterior wall so that it could be vented without a downdraft.
“The new layout gives them the ability to socialize with family and friends while working in the kitchen,” Hacker says. The large island delineates the kitchen from the rest of the great room, and forms a galley-shaped workspace. At both ends, tall blocks — the wine cabinet on the left, and the refrigerator and its surround on the right — create a balanced composition.
The island. This island is 160 by 41 inches. It has storage, seating and shelves for cookbooks on the side facing the great room. On the work-facing side are a microwave drawer, a pop-up mixer stand and a lot of storage. The island also provides all of the pantry storage for food with roll-out shelves. All this storage meant that they could forgo upper cabinets on the window wall, and instead cover it with paneling and rustic open shelves.
Lighting. “We wanted a large pendant that would look proportional with the scale of the vaulted ceilings,” Hacker says. “We also wanted something that had a farmhouse feel but that would not block the sightlines through the new great-room plan.” Three bell-shaped glass lanterns were just the right fit.
Westminster pendant lights: Sea Gull Lighting; browse pendants
The island. This island is 160 by 41 inches. It has storage, seating and shelves for cookbooks on the side facing the great room. On the work-facing side are a microwave drawer, a pop-up mixer stand and a lot of storage. The island also provides all of the pantry storage for food with roll-out shelves. All this storage meant that they could forgo upper cabinets on the window wall, and instead cover it with paneling and rustic open shelves.
Lighting. “We wanted a large pendant that would look proportional with the scale of the vaulted ceilings,” Hacker says. “We also wanted something that had a farmhouse feel but that would not block the sightlines through the new great-room plan.” Three bell-shaped glass lanterns were just the right fit.
Westminster pendant lights: Sea Gull Lighting; browse pendants
Modern farmhouse elements. The apron-front farmhouse sink, Shaker-style cabinetry, rustic shelves, displayed objects and paneling lend a farmhouse look. The stainless steel finishes, bright quartz countertops and clean-lined contemporary faucets bring in the modern element.
Counters: Misterio, PentalQuartz
Counters: Misterio, PentalQuartz
Range wall. The stainless steel vent hood and Wolf range are part of the more modern look of the kitchen. But the red knobs add cheeky color and a farmhouse touch.
Open shelving. “She had a lot of decorative items that she wanted to display and also liked the idea of having all of her everyday dishes out on open shelves,” Hacker says. The shelves are from a local company, Salvage Works. “They deconstruct old buildings and repurpose the lumber,” she says. Blackened metal brackets add dark accents to the white walls.
On the shelves are favorite kitchen objects like an antique scale, a vintage wooden ice cream maker and an old hand mixer as well as dry goods stored in Mason jars.
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Open shelving. “She had a lot of decorative items that she wanted to display and also liked the idea of having all of her everyday dishes out on open shelves,” Hacker says. The shelves are from a local company, Salvage Works. “They deconstruct old buildings and repurpose the lumber,” she says. Blackened metal brackets add dark accents to the white walls.
On the shelves are favorite kitchen objects like an antique scale, a vintage wooden ice cream maker and an old hand mixer as well as dry goods stored in Mason jars.
Find black shelf brackets
Cabinetry. The custom Shaker-style cabinets, made by Rockwood Cabinetry, are painted a pleasing blue. The full-overlay cabinet design and the thicker-than-standard Shaker profile freshen up the look. The oil-rubbed bronze hardware has a simple profile, and its black finish plays off the open shelving’s brackets.
Next to the range, a pullout keeps herbs, spices and oils close at hand for cooking. Pots and pans are stored in deep drawers, and food is stored in base cabinets with pullouts.
Flooring. “They originally wanted wood flooring, but after learning about the low maintenance and durability of LVT, they decided it was going to be a better option for their lifestyle,” Hacker says. LVT is luxury vinyl tile, a product that looks like wood but that can stand up to moisture and is easier on the feet than hardwood flooring.
Cabinet paint: Gibraltar, Sherwin-Williams; cabinet pulls: Highland Ridge collection, Amerock; flooring: Catalina Oak, Coretec
Next to the range, a pullout keeps herbs, spices and oils close at hand for cooking. Pots and pans are stored in deep drawers, and food is stored in base cabinets with pullouts.
Flooring. “They originally wanted wood flooring, but after learning about the low maintenance and durability of LVT, they decided it was going to be a better option for their lifestyle,” Hacker says. LVT is luxury vinyl tile, a product that looks like wood but that can stand up to moisture and is easier on the feet than hardwood flooring.
Cabinet paint: Gibraltar, Sherwin-Williams; cabinet pulls: Highland Ridge collection, Amerock; flooring: Catalina Oak, Coretec
Backsplash. The countertop quartz continues up the wall 5 inches around the perimeter and extends from the range to the vent hood. “She knew she wanted shiplap on the back wall, and since the cooktop and sink are both on the back wall, I felt that they needed a material that would hold up better to water and cooking grease,” Hacker says. “We matched the width of the shiplap with a backsplash of quartz next to the counter and took it full height behind the range. It provides an easy-to-clean surface on the lower section of the backsplash that blends well with the shiplap.” The look is clean-lined and unfussy, a modern contrast to the collection of vintage kitchen items and Mason jars on the shelves.
Takeaways
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Takeaways
- An island effectively delineates the kitchen from another room within an open floor plan.
- Carefully editing down the more rustic elements to a small handful (in this case, the vintage objects and the reclaimed wood on the shelves) and balancing them with smooth and polished finishes is a good way to get a modern farmhouse look.
- If you want the look of open shelves, figuring out exactly what you want to store there and how often you are willing to dust is important.
- Luxury vinyl tile is a good option if your floors take a beating from wet shoes or pets.
- Continuing a countertop material up the wall as a backsplash can provide a clean, cohesive look.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who collect wine and love to share it
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Size: 288 square feet (27 square meters)
Designer: Hannah Hacker
This Hillsboro, Oregon, couple wanted a kitchen where they could properly store their wine and enjoy gathering with friends to uncork it. But the wine was stashed in a coat closet, and their closed-off, cramped and dated kitchen was restricting the flow of their first floor and wasn’t functional for the way they liked to cook or socialize. Interior designer Hannah Hacker of Adapt Design helped them create an open and welcoming space with the modern farmhouse style they craved.
Problems. The previous kitchen was closed off from the dining room and the formal living room by a large built-in pantry. “With the closed-off feel, those rooms were seldom used,” Hacker says. “And the kitchen had an angled peninsula that divided it into a casual eating area and a work area that were both too cramped.” In addition, the raised-panel oak cabinets and white tile countertops didn’t reflect the homeowners’ personal style.
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