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Enlarged and Enlightened: The redesign of a once cramped and dark kitchen blends comfort, efficiency and elegance.

DESIGN BY IRINA WEATHERLEY
CONSTRUCTION BY JAMES CONSTRUCTION
TEXT BY DEBORAH J. CARR
COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK WISEMAN

When Pat Kebhart was transferred from northern Minnesota to the Cape, she and her husband, Cal, kept their home in Minnesota and rented a home in Cotuit Bay Shores. While they contemplated whether the move would be permanent, a nearby house they had been admiring went on the market and solidified their decision to relocate.

Built in the 1980s, the historically inspired home is in a neighborhood where look-alike woodchip installations take a back seat to mature trees and appealing, individualized landscapes. The meticulously groomed house is attractively situated on a verdant acre lot, surrounded by pine trees, rhododendrons, dogwoods, thriving perennials and ornamental grasses.

Although it has a mix of vacation and retirement residents, Cotuit Bay Shores is also a popular area for year-round residents. It is a neighborhood where homeowners can capitalize on all the advantages of the Cape lifestyle, as well as the stability of year-round homes and residents.

When the Kebharts purchased their 20-year-old home seven years ago, the real estate agent observed prophetically that they could “always do something with the kitchen.” They were aware of the kitchen’s deficiencies but decided to settle in and defer remodeling decisions until they assessed how the house worked for them. After three years, they felt ready to confront interior design issues, which they assumed would range from cosmetic to structural interventions.

As the real estate agent had suggested, the most problematic area was the kitchen. The kitchen and small adjacent den were dysfunctional in terms of size, access and appeal. In addition, the circulation among the living room, dining room, kitchen, den and patio was limited. Along with increasing the kitchen and den size and making the layout more efficient, the Kebharts wanted to improve the interior circulation pattern and create better access to the patio. As they were assessing the layout and design problems, they realized they had a basic dissatisfaction with the first floor’s aesthetic appeal. Walls needed painting; collections and furnishings required editing and updating.

Given how much the Kebharts entertain, it became clear that the kitchen had become an obstacle to enjoying their home. Nevertheless, they faced the usual conundrum of whether to facelift, update or remodel. They realized that, even with new countertops, cabinets or appliances, they would still have a dark, ill-conceived, 11- by 12-foot kitchen. Although the problems seemed obvious, the homeowners were tentative about a remodeling project that might violate the architectural integrity of the house. They were committed to retaining an interior environment that had the appeal of the home’s handsome exterior, while simultaneously improving access among rooms, increasing usable space and enabling them to entertain more conveniently. “Our objective was to do something that made a statement,” says Pat.

They needed advice on whether simple cosmetic interventions, more extensive structural interventions or a combination of both would improve the home’s functional layout and aesthetic appeal. So they turned to interior designer Irina Weatherley, president of Pastiche of Cape Cod. Although she was able to make some immediate observations during the initial home design consultation, Weatherley spent time talking to the Kebharts to determine their style, preferences and home-improvement objectives. While she has a point of view, Weatherley doesn’t impose her preferences. She believes a designer should understand who lives in a house and how they use their space. “I want to improve the quality of life for clients, bring beauty into their home,” she says, “but it really is all about them.”

“Irina spent a lot of time talking to us,” Cal says. “She understood that, as a couple, Pat and I are very conservative from a style perspective.” The designer says she understood their lifestyle and design priorities–especially their profound love of animals, zeal for entertaining, respect for the environment and whimsical sense of humor. Her proposed solutions reflect their priorities and their blend of sophistication and whimsy, sentimentality and efficiency.

THE PROBLEMS

Initially the project addressed cosmetic improvements throughout the first floor of the house, but the subtext was always the need to address the problems associated with the kitchen. Following her initial consultation, Weatherley made the determination that the house was “schizophrenic.”

The colors of the interior walls were all different, and the furnishings were a bit too eclectic. She correctly assumed the furnishings and decorative appointments were the accumulation of several prior residences. The Kebharts admit their acquisitions had evolved into a style that was more accumulation than coordination. Although she is sensitive to a client’s sense of place and desire to retain pieces that have sentimental value, Weatherley encourages clients to edit. “Making the right choices makes all the difference,” she says.

Despite the distracting variety in texture, pattern and color, Weatherley picked up on basic consistencies, taste and shared interests. “As a couple, there is great depth between them,” she says. The Kebharts acknowledge that, while eager to capitalize on the Cape environment, they understood they had other priorities and preferences. At first they wanted the interior design to be “beachy” but gradually realized they simply wanted casual and comfortable. Weatherley mentions that, as a result of their interior design project, the Kebharts have achieved a seaside theme, but “it is not the typical shells; rather, it is seaweed and turtles,” along with more esoteric environmental inspirations.

As Weatherley reviewed their furnishings, the Kebharts told her what pieces were “must-stays.” She returned with an ambitious plan for the whole house. With her guidance, the couple made judicious decisions about what they would retain and which dubious decorative effects would be eliminated. Cal says the decision-making process was “a bit of give and take.” Pat admits that, while they both like “little cute things,” the editing process encouraged a look at what is more charming detail than miscellaneous ephemera. Weatherley worked the Kebharts’ love of nature and animals into the interior design by incorporating overt as well as subtle images of nature and animals into the décor. A theme emerged that avoided the contrivance of cute but captured the charm of animals and nature. Cats, dogs, turtles, damselflies and dragonflies appear on doorknobs, drawer pulls, fabrics, lamps, lampshades and pillows throughout the house.

Weatherley worked with what the couple already owned but also supplemented with additional purchases. She introduced similar textures to “facilitate cohesiveness” and create a sustained mood throughout the first floor. She recommended strong pieces of furniture and dominating patterns to anchor the rooms. An elegant handmade rosewood desk, a wedding present to Pat’s grandparents, for example, is placed prominently in the living room.

By eliminating some furniture, adding new pieces (lamps, coffee table and a carpet), refinishing the hardwood floors, rearranging, adding and deleting art work, the living room was transformed into a sophisticated area that invites lounging and conversation, but remains resilient to the pets, who have free range in the house.

Weatherley re-imagined the home’s relatively traditional design with clean lines and light spaces. Using her strength in “coordinating colors to change walls,” she and her professional staff transformed the house with a palette of subtle colors, all in the same linen white/gold/copper/beige tones. They used intriguing faux-painting techniques and textures to update the home’s classic look, tie the house together and create a sense of flow among the rooms. For example, the grass-cloth wallpaper in the living room was repainted linen white with saffron architectural faux painting. And the light green foyer was given a dramatic facelift with hand-stenciled stripes of turtles and damselflies, designed by Weatherley. “The faux painting in the foyer is the appetizer,” says the designer. “It sets the tone for what a visitor will find in the rest of the house.”

COSMETIC INTERVENTIONS

As the cosmetic improvements throughout the first floor began to take shape, a big picture emerged. The “spiffing up” inevitably highlighted the kitchen’s deficiencies. Although the cosmetic enhancements could give the home a facelift, Weatherley knew only structural interventions would improve the circulation issues and resolve the kitchen’s fundamental problems. She was convinced that combining cosmetic and structural interventions would create a more harmonious, functional and aesthetically appealing space. While she was adamant about the advantages of remodeling the kitchen, Weatherley understood that many clients need to go through incremental steps with their designers to develop trust before initiating a project that requires a leap of faith.

Confronting the remodeling project was the happy alignment of serendipity, necessity, trust and confidence. The success of the cosmetic interventions paved the way for the remodeling project. As the Kebharts began to envision Weatherley’s big picture, they realized they agreed with her assessment of their needs and were comfortable with her proposal for remodeling the kitchen. Because she understood their preferences and fueled their creativity, the Kebharts widened their focus and made the commitment to take on the project.

THE REMODELING PROJECT

Reflecting on her initial consultation, Weatherley doesn’t mince words about her assessment of the kitchen’s deficiencies: “The kitchen was non-functional.” The floor plan was inefficient, with 25 percent of the area taken up by a hallway and door into the garage. The access from the dining room was too narrow; the small, dark den adjacent to the kitchen wasn’t inviting or connected to the rest of the house and lacked an attractive approach to the patio. The area was a dead end.

Weatherley recognized the complications that different floor levels between the kitchen and the family room and the house’s five different rooflines would present for remodeling the kitchen. Nevertheless, as the designer and project manager, she came up with a plan that reconfigured the space and accomplished all of the Kebharts’ objectives. Despite the perceived difficulties, she met every one of their expectations without sacrificing the home’s architectural integrity. By expanding the family room, reconfiguring the kitchen and the staircase to the attic and creating access to the garage through a new mudroom, the designer increased usable space. She also increased the kitchen’s usable space by blocking out storage areas and reconfiguring the countertops and work centers.

She worked with builder James Bird, owner of James Construction of South Yarmouth. “Jim has an eye for detail, his ego never gets out of whack, plus he’s solution, not problem, oriented,” says Weatherley. “We both do what we need to do to work as a team.”

The Kebharts praise Bird’s handling of a challenging job, but Bird says, “Everything went pretty smoothly. That job, in particular, was a really nice job to work on. The customers are very nice, and Irina is easy to work with.”

The kitchen’s reconfiguration is efficient and flexible with sophisticated colors, fresh styles and innovative components. Blending architectural styles and materials, the new kitchen revives a traditional look evocative of an earlier, more gracious era, when at-home entertaining was a high art. Everything in the kitchen emanates from the dramatic cabinetry, which anchors the room and defines its personality. The cabinetry gives the room a look that is reminiscent of an elegant butler’s pantry. Stylistically, the kitchen has a bit of 1920s and ’30s classic style, blending a traditional look with contemporary conveniences.

The new kitchen exudes visual comfort along with calculated efficiency. With the smart configuration of cabinets, cubbies, bins and pullouts (wine cubby, pull-out spice rack, pull-out trash bin, under-counter microwave), there is an assigned place for almost everything. The cabinets and cubbies provide space that is convenient and easily reachable, proving that ingenious planning and gadgetry can maximize storage even when space is tight. Pat loves the look of the glazed cabinets, which were hand painted after installation. Weatherley designed a layered technique with an undercoating of lipstick red paint and a coat of black paint to achieve a distressed look of quiet subtlety. The glass doors have the added advantage of displaying breakables that can’t be left in the open because of the family cat, Patches.

The kitchen’s colors, patterns, textures, size and shape have made it not only practical and durable but also an attractive space for entertaining. It has a style that matches and complements the overall mood of the house. The color scheme (black, beige, gold and copper tones) and a sophisticated mix of shapes and angles have transformed a cramped, dark area into a comfortable and highly functional space. The classic materials–wood, granite, copper, stone tile—were chosen for function, interest, texture and appeal. The copper flecks in the honed Brazilian granite countertops match the copper sink and faucet, which are not only functional but attractive design accents. The beige stone tile backsplash, hardwood floors, teak armoire (retrofitted to accommodate the TV) and custom-made island, fitted with the wood of an old railway car, complement the distressed black cabinetry.

Weatherley imagined a pleasant workspace, with the addition of three new windows, which were scaled to the size of the copper sink. The windows frame a dramatic view of the landscape and bathe the kitchen in natural light. The interior lighting manipulates available light from natural sources and enhances it with a combination of over- and under-cabinet lighting, recessed, track lighting and wall sconces. The professional grade appliances—Sub-Zero refrigerator, Thermador stove, KitchenAid dishwasher–all reflect the Kebharts’ interest in cooking and entertaining.

The addition, which expands the old den to 245 square feet, is lighter, brighter, more inviting and creates the unity between the kitchen and the den the homeowners sought to achieve. With a dramatic cathedral ceiling, large windows overlooking Pat’s cutting garden, new doors to the patio and French pocket doors to the new mud room, the space has transcended the dead-end feeling of the old space. The room is so comfortable the Kebharts expect to make more use of the fireplace between the kitchen and the den than they ever did before the remodeling project. The handsome new mud room provides convenient access to the garage and additional storage in the custom-fitted cubbies. A vintage mahogany sideboard, painted green, serves as an attractive repository for mail and keys. The beige ceramic tile floor and white bead-board wall over the cubbies reprise the basic palette of the home.

The Kebharts say the project has changed the way they live in and enjoy the house’s interior and exterior spaces. They admit they would have approached their interior design problems room by room, but by working with a professional designer, the kitchen remodeling project was integrated into an overall design scheme for their home. Weatherley is pleased the Kebharts were able to accomplish the goals of bringing together form and function while adding space that doesn’t feel or look like an addition.

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