Kitchen of the Week: A Cottage Kitchen Opens Up
A Maryland remodel balances modern needs and architectural integrity in a kitchen designed for gatherings
Becky Harris
September 23, 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
Before Photo
David Brown’s kitchen, before and after its remodel. Photos by Tracey Brown
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: David Brown, a software engineer who loves to cook and have his family over for dinner
Location: Sykesville, Maryland
Size: 230 square feet (21 square meters); 17 feet by 13½ feet
Designer: Andrea Lynn Orndorff of A. Lynn Design
Before its remodel, the kitchen in David Brown’s 1910 cottage in Sykesville, Maryland, had gone for decades without updates. It had little counter space and storage, and the dark paneling and limited light made it dim no matter the time of day. Brown is up on all things tech and wanted modern upgrades and a lighter, more open kitchen, but he appreciated his home’s age and wanted his remodel to honor it.
“When David first came to me with ideas for his new kitchen design, he was considering stained cherry cabinets,” interior designer Andrea Lynn Orndorff says. But after seeing the photos he had saved to his Houzz ideabook, it was clear he wanted a white kitchen.
“My goal was to keep the overall look light, bright and fresh with white cabinetry and light walls, while also pulling in some warmer elements and adding texture via the material choices,” Orndorff says. “It was important that the new kitchen not feel too modern, so David and I worked together to create an updated space in keeping with the feel of the house.”
A Small Island Replaces the Peninsula
Orndorff suggested removing the peninsula that separated the eat-in area from the kitchen and replacing it with a small freestanding island. This made room for a more functional layout. “The island was important to the overall design — it needed to feel like a simple piece of furniture,” Orndorff says. “I avoided cabinetry on its base, which would have weighed down the whole room.” The choice to use recessed lighting and no pendants also keeps the room feeling open and bright.
The 48-by-25-inch island’s butcher-block top adds a warm contrast to the white, as do the cherry floors, chosen to match new flooring Brown had installed elsewhere in the house.
Orndorff left the natural pine on the window sashes to bring in more wood. It was Brown’s idea to install a beadboard ceiling. “The ceiling added some cottage charm that he didn’t want to lose with a new kitchen,” Orndorff says. Brown, an avid cook, also requested a shelf for his cookbooks.
Island: Boos
See more kitchen islands
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: David Brown, a software engineer who loves to cook and have his family over for dinner
Location: Sykesville, Maryland
Size: 230 square feet (21 square meters); 17 feet by 13½ feet
Designer: Andrea Lynn Orndorff of A. Lynn Design
Before its remodel, the kitchen in David Brown’s 1910 cottage in Sykesville, Maryland, had gone for decades without updates. It had little counter space and storage, and the dark paneling and limited light made it dim no matter the time of day. Brown is up on all things tech and wanted modern upgrades and a lighter, more open kitchen, but he appreciated his home’s age and wanted his remodel to honor it.
“When David first came to me with ideas for his new kitchen design, he was considering stained cherry cabinets,” interior designer Andrea Lynn Orndorff says. But after seeing the photos he had saved to his Houzz ideabook, it was clear he wanted a white kitchen.
“My goal was to keep the overall look light, bright and fresh with white cabinetry and light walls, while also pulling in some warmer elements and adding texture via the material choices,” Orndorff says. “It was important that the new kitchen not feel too modern, so David and I worked together to create an updated space in keeping with the feel of the house.”
A Small Island Replaces the Peninsula
Orndorff suggested removing the peninsula that separated the eat-in area from the kitchen and replacing it with a small freestanding island. This made room for a more functional layout. “The island was important to the overall design — it needed to feel like a simple piece of furniture,” Orndorff says. “I avoided cabinetry on its base, which would have weighed down the whole room.” The choice to use recessed lighting and no pendants also keeps the room feeling open and bright.
The 48-by-25-inch island’s butcher-block top adds a warm contrast to the white, as do the cherry floors, chosen to match new flooring Brown had installed elsewhere in the house.
Orndorff left the natural pine on the window sashes to bring in more wood. It was Brown’s idea to install a beadboard ceiling. “The ceiling added some cottage charm that he didn’t want to lose with a new kitchen,” Orndorff says. Brown, an avid cook, also requested a shelf for his cookbooks.
Island: Boos
See more kitchen islands
A More Open Floor Plan
Orndorff removed the peninsula and moved the oven, microwave and range over to the wall along the bottom of the plan shown here. She installed a banquette in the eat-in area (upper right). The refrigerator remained on the same wall (top left) and the sink remained underneath the window.
Orndorff removed the peninsula and moved the oven, microwave and range over to the wall along the bottom of the plan shown here. She installed a banquette in the eat-in area (upper right). The refrigerator remained on the same wall (top left) and the sink remained underneath the window.
Walnut-stained open shelves between the cabinets to the right of the sink add more warm wood and keep the room from feeling weighed down by loads of upper cabinets.
The backsplash is 3-by-6-inch glossy subway tile in a light gray.
Find shelf brackets
The backsplash is 3-by-6-inch glossy subway tile in a light gray.
Find shelf brackets
Before Photo
Before: This photo was taken from the existing eat-in area. The homeowner wanted a more open layout.
After: The refrigerator stayed in roughly the same spot after the renovation.
Exposed Brick Leads to an Expanded Space
“David suspected that a previous remodel had left some dead space behind the refrigerator wall in the kitchen,” Orndorff says. They looked in the basement and attic for clues. In the attic they found an old brick chimney and realized it had been covered by a wall in the kitchen.
Orndorff suggested exposing the brick in the kitchen and discovered dead space along the entire wall to the left of the chimney — 16 inches of depth she used to widen the kitchen from just over 12 feet to 13½ feet.
“I really wanted to get an island in this narrow kitchen,” she says. “With the additional width we gained, we were good to go.” This was the only change she made to the kitchen’s footprint.
Orndorff also replaced clunky baseboard heating with radiant heat within the toekicks of the cabinetry.
Cabinets: KraftMaid; cabinet paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
Exposed Brick Leads to an Expanded Space
“David suspected that a previous remodel had left some dead space behind the refrigerator wall in the kitchen,” Orndorff says. They looked in the basement and attic for clues. In the attic they found an old brick chimney and realized it had been covered by a wall in the kitchen.
Orndorff suggested exposing the brick in the kitchen and discovered dead space along the entire wall to the left of the chimney — 16 inches of depth she used to widen the kitchen from just over 12 feet to 13½ feet.
“I really wanted to get an island in this narrow kitchen,” she says. “With the additional width we gained, we were good to go.” This was the only change she made to the kitchen’s footprint.
Orndorff also replaced clunky baseboard heating with radiant heat within the toekicks of the cabinetry.
Cabinets: KraftMaid; cabinet paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore
The brick was a delightful find and adds warmth and texture. Orndorff carefully worked it into the design — note how the cabinet installers hand-chiseled that white filler piece to fit snugly along the irregular edge of the bricks. “The exposed chimney is very nice,” owner Brown says. “I was on the fence when it was originally proposed. I am glad we went with it.”
Orndorff used a glass cabinet in this spot to lighten things up and create a place for display. Extra illumination comes from lighting in the top of the cabinet and beneath It.
Orndorff used a glass cabinet in this spot to lighten things up and create a place for display. Extra illumination comes from lighting in the top of the cabinet and beneath It.
Before Photo
Before: This was the old eat-in area. The wall to the right of the table felt like wasted space.
After: With the old peninsula gone, Orndorff had enough circulation area to make use of that wall next to the dining area. She created a full wall of cabinets and appliances: a wall oven with a microwave above it, an induction cooktop, the dishwasher and the sink (to the right of the dishwasher). By using an induction range, she freed up storage space for pots and pans beneath it. Counter space around the range provides room for food prep. The tall cabinet at left past the ovens is a food pantry with pullout shelving.
For the appliances, Orndorff chose GE’s Profile series in a slate finish. “This finish is softer and warmer than stainless steel,” she says. “It feels right at home in a residential kitchen and is less prone to fingerprint smudges.” To avoid being too matchy, she chose a stainless steel vent hood from KitchenAid.
The Shaker-style cabinets are in keeping with the cottage’s age.
For the appliances, Orndorff chose GE’s Profile series in a slate finish. “This finish is softer and warmer than stainless steel,” she says. “It feels right at home in a residential kitchen and is less prone to fingerprint smudges.” To avoid being too matchy, she chose a stainless steel vent hood from KitchenAid.
The Shaker-style cabinets are in keeping with the cottage’s age.
Countertops Bring the Contrast
“For the countertops, David was looking for a slate look with a matte finish,” she says. She sourced a quartz that looks like soapstone with a suede finish. Soapstone would have been found in a 1910 cottage back in the day. Quartz, an engineered surface, lends the look but is more durable.
“The look-alike was the perfect choice,” Orndorff says. “It has a subtle vein pattern and a suede finish without the maintenance of soapstone or slate — no oiling required.” A bridge faucet and apron-front sink give another nod to vintage cottage style.
Wall paint: Moonshine, Benjamin Moore; trim and ceiling paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; quartz counters: Charcoal Soapstone with suede finish, Silestone
Browse traditional faucets
“For the countertops, David was looking for a slate look with a matte finish,” she says. She sourced a quartz that looks like soapstone with a suede finish. Soapstone would have been found in a 1910 cottage back in the day. Quartz, an engineered surface, lends the look but is more durable.
“The look-alike was the perfect choice,” Orndorff says. “It has a subtle vein pattern and a suede finish without the maintenance of soapstone or slate — no oiling required.” A bridge faucet and apron-front sink give another nod to vintage cottage style.
Wall paint: Moonshine, Benjamin Moore; trim and ceiling paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; quartz counters: Charcoal Soapstone with suede finish, Silestone
Browse traditional faucets
An Eat-In Spot for Frequent Family Dinners
Brown loves to have family members over and cook for them, so an eat-in spot where they could all fit for dinner (and keep him company while he cooked) is an important social element of the new kitchen.
A Saarinen tulip table with a marble top introduces an iconic modern element into the room. Orndorff designed a built-in banquette for seating around it. Its walnut finish ties it to the open shelves we saw before.
A chandelier made of weathered zinc and oak has a simple form, like the table, but its Colonial style stands in contrast to it. “I like to bring together items that speak together in form but come from different eras or from different places around the world,” Orndorff says.
Banquette paint: Midnight, Sherwin-Williams; chandelier: Feiss
Brown loves to have family members over and cook for them, so an eat-in spot where they could all fit for dinner (and keep him company while he cooked) is an important social element of the new kitchen.
A Saarinen tulip table with a marble top introduces an iconic modern element into the room. Orndorff designed a built-in banquette for seating around it. Its walnut finish ties it to the open shelves we saw before.
A chandelier made of weathered zinc and oak has a simple form, like the table, but its Colonial style stands in contrast to it. “I like to bring together items that speak together in form but come from different eras or from different places around the world,” Orndorff says.
Banquette paint: Midnight, Sherwin-Williams; chandelier: Feiss
The Saarinen table’s marble top.
Splurges and Savings
The biggest splurge was the Silestone counters, though Orndorff notes that they planned carefully to use every little bit of one slab so as not to have to purchase a second one. They also opted for high-quality cabinets, and Brown is glad they did.
They saved by finding the Saarinen table on sale and by sourcing budget-friendly tile and hardware.
Splurges and Savings
The biggest splurge was the Silestone counters, though Orndorff notes that they planned carefully to use every little bit of one slab so as not to have to purchase a second one. They also opted for high-quality cabinets, and Brown is glad they did.
They saved by finding the Saarinen table on sale and by sourcing budget-friendly tile and hardware.
Takeaways
Contractor: Paul Lewis of Lewis & Associates
More
How to create and use Houzz ideabooks
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
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- To keep a kitchen feeling airy, choose an island with an open base and mix in some glass-front cabinets and-or open shelves.
- Cookbook lovers: Let your design pros know you want designated space for cookbooks within the kitchen.
- Warm a white kitchen with key touches of other textures such as wood, brick and textiles.
- In an old house, poke around in the attic and basement for clues to the original floor plan; you may find that a chimney or other usable space has been walled off.
- An induction stove frees up room beneath it for cookware. It also offers more control for electronic cooktops and is easier to clean than traditional burners.
- You can bring in modern materials and still maintain architectural integrity. Here it was a quartz countertop that looks like soapstone.
- Upper cabinets don’t have to look bulky. Notice the way they’re laid out here to maintain a more open feel.
Contractor: Paul Lewis of Lewis & Associates
More
How to create and use Houzz ideabooks
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Find kitchen designers in your area
Browse kitchen and dining products
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I'm pretty entertained by those defending the knotty pine. I've always considered it a " Why do you want your hose to have chicken pox ?" kind of thing. The new kitchen is just beautiful. And a white kitchen is vision friendly. As people get older those dark cabinets and dark granite surfaces cause eyestrain in the evening. I am interested to read the comments about induction cooktops. I've actually never been in a house with one. And I do understand that you need all new pots. I'm not ready to parcel out the Le Crueset yet ! But the gas stove is still a bear to clean. And the repairman told me ( after the 3rd failure of the Jenn Air which had to be junked ) that the self cleaning feature is often way too hot and has killed a number of appliances.
While I agree with you regarding dark surfaces and aging eyes, the knotty pine can be painted so it’s no longer dark. No different than bead board treatment on ceiling unless that was a sheet of bead board rather than individual boards. But having two different types of bead board treatments wouldn’t work.m
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/houzz-tour-lakeside-cottage-relaxes-into-country-style-stsetivw-vs~109513751
Depends on your pots. If a refrigerator magnet sticks to your existing pots there is no need to buy new ones.
I have an induction cook top and am able to use my Le Crueset cook ware