Location: Bethesda, MD, USA We demolished an existing house that was built in the mid-1900s and built this house in its place. Everything about this new house is top-notch - from the materials used to the craftsmanship. The existing house was about 1600 sf. This new house is over 5000 sf. We made great use of space throughout, including the livable attic with a guest bedroom and bath. Finecraft Contractors, Inc. GTM Architects Photographed by: Ken Wyner

Photo courtesy of Murray Homes, Inc. Kitchen ~ custom cabinetry by Brookhaven Designer: Missi Bart

We introduced a new Kitchen to a 100 year old farmhouse in northern New Jersey. The family uses the Kitchen a lot, so it was important to introduce large work surfaces, and a variety of spaces. Most important is the introduction of an oversized work island with a sink, wine refrigerator, and built-in walnut cutting board. the cutting board has a slot for bread crumbs that lead to a small drawer with a removable tray for disposing the crumbs. The simple flat panel cabinets and modern light fixtures help integrate the updated Kitchen into a traditional farmhouse structure.

Tom Crane - Tom Crane photography

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn

Kitchen Hide-away door to Pantry

Our clients struggled with the fractured layout of their traditional Tudor style home in Weston MA. Typical for the time period in which it was built, a series of unconnected rooms and a kitchen too small for the gathering of the family or entertaining guests was literally cramping their style. The homeowners were seeking to reimagine the space, making room for larger gatherings while maintaining the intimacy of separate individual spaces. A truly collaborative process between the homeowner and our design team resulted in a blending of formal and casual design transforming the space into a bright and flexible living area that allows for both cozy family dinners or a party for a crowd. To open the fractured space, the Feinmann team removed two walls between the kitchen and the family room. A bright, casual dining area with functional built-in seating anchors one end of the room. Upgrades in appliances and ample work surfaces make this a true cooks kitchen. The painted cabinetry along the perimeter of the kitchen keeps the space feeling bright while the rich, dark brown lyptus wood cabinetry on the island adds warmth and contrast. The black walnut bar invites guests to linger while keeping them out of the busy cooking area. Sunlight, pond views and an elegant raised coffered ceiling in the seating area off the kitchen create a cozy place to relax, take in the view of the pond or catch a game on the new custom wireless audio flat screen television. What was once a divided floor plan is now a truly connected space thanks to the ingenuity and vision of the Feinmann design team. Photos by John Horner

The white painted perimeter cabinets with glass fronts are reminiscent of what one would find “back in the day”. The large, dark stained island boasts a second sink and seating for casual dining and conversation. The island has a Caesarstone countertop, which gives the look of Carrera marble but is far more durable. The butcher block counter at the end of the island has an abundance of lighting for prep work and houses the prep sink. The contrast in heights, colors and textures of these two countertops provides a nice visual break for this long island while balancing the sleek look of the Caesarstone with the warmth and charm of natural wood.

This 1920 Craftsman home was remodeled in the early 80’s where a large family room was added off the back of the home. This remodel utilized the existing back porch as part of the kitchen. The 1980’s remodel created two issues that were addressed in the current kitchen remodel: 1. The new family room (with 15’ ceilings) added a very contemporary feel to the home. As one walked from the dining room (complete with the original stained glass and built-ins with leaded glass fronts) through the kitchen, into the family room, one felt as if they were walking into an entirely different home. 2. The ceiling height change in the enlarged kitchen created an eyesore. The designer addressed these 2 issues by creating a galley kitchen utilizing a mid-tone glazed finish on alder over an updated version of a shaker door. This door had wider styles and rails and a deep bevel framing the inset panel, thus incorporating the traditional look of the shaker door in a more contemporary setting. By having the crown molding stained with an espresso finish, the eye is drawn across the room rather than up, minimizing the different ceiling heights. The back of the bar (viewed from the dining room) further incorporates the same espresso finish as an accent to create a paneled effect (Photo #1). The designer specified an oiled natural maple butcher block as the counter for the eating bar. The lighting over the bar, from Rejuvenation Lighting, is a traditional shaker style, but finished in antique copper creating a new twist on an old theme. To complete the traditional feel, the designer specified a porcelain farm sink with a traditional style bridge faucet with porcelain lever handles. For additional storage, a custom tall cabinet in a denim-blue washed finish was designed to store dishes and pantry items (Photo #2). Since the homeowners are avid cooks, the counters along the wall at the cook top were made 30” deep. The counter on the right of the cook top is maple butcher block; the remainder of the countertops are Silver and Gold Granite. Recycling is very important to the homeowner, so the designer incorporated an insulated copper door in the backsplash to the right of the ovens, which allows the homeowner to put all recycling in a covered exterior location (Photo #3). The 4 X 8” slate subway tile is a modern play on a traditional theme found in Craftsman homes (Photo #4). The new kitchen fits perfectly as a traditional transition when viewed from the dining, and as a contemporary transition when viewed from the family room.

Rob Karosis Photography www.robkarosis.com

The cabinet paint is standard Navajo White and the 3"x6" tile is Pratt & Larson C609 metallic glazed ceramic tile. Visit http://prattandlarson.com/colors/glazes/metallics/

Chris Little Photography

Design: Donald Powers Architects Construction: Modern Yankee Builders Photography: On The Spot Photography

Jeff Herr

Photo: Daniel Koepke