The owners of this 1,632-square-foot ranch have big plans for the space, which had been their vacation home for 23 years, as they convert it into a full-time residence for their retirement. Located on Kent Island in Maryland, the waterfront property is slated for a top-to-bottom renovation, including (zoning gods willing) the addition of a second floor.
But first, the kitchen. The clients had worked with Aidan Design of Silver Spring, Md., to redesign the kitchen in their previous home and so hired the team again for this project.
“The wife loves to cook,” says Nadia Subaran, principal and senior designer for Aidan Design. “But the existing kitchen in the vacation house was just too small.”
BEFORE: The tiny kitchen needed a lot of love; new cabinets, flooring and appliances were all in order. The small room behind the blue wall housed mechanicals that were replaced by a tankless water system, allowing the room to be absorbed into the new kitchen footprint.
The fridge was in an adjacent mudroom, there wasn’t nearly enough storage, and the owners wanted to add a bar/serving area. The clients also asked that the kitchen be reoriented to take advantage of the Chesapeake Bay view just beyond the French doors of the dining room.
“Functionality was a priority to serve all their needs for preparing meals and entertaining,” said Subaran.
Space Constraints
Thanks to the conversion of an old boiler system and hot water heater to a new tankless water system for the whole house, a mechanicals room was no longer necessary and could be absorbed into the new kitchen footprint. The mudroom, likewise, sacrificed a few feet to the new kitchen and was resized to be more proportionally appropriate for the rest of the home.
The moves created a slightly bigger, rectangular area for improved layout and flow. Removing a partial wall between the kitchen and dining room further opened up the space, providing a clean slate for counter and storage planning and bringing in more daylight from the existing windows.
The new kitchen is by no means large (still only 200 square feet), but clever cabinetry solutions, open shelving and a two-sided peninsula allowed the designers to accommodate everything the clients wanted. The new cabinets include a floor-to-ceiling, shallow-depth unit with glass doors and open shelving for books and decorative elements.
“It’s not only visually interesting, but functionally, it holds about six dozen glasses,” says Subaran.
The peninsula divides the kitchen and dining room: The sink, dishwasher and cleanup/prep space occupy one side, and a bar area with beverage fridge and rollout liquor and wine storage lines the other.
“The husband is about a foot taller than the wife, so the bar counter is raised,” said the designer. “We gave him his own space to make drinks, where he could be part of the action but not necessarily in the work area.”
The wife loved the professional appliances she’d installed in her last kitchen and wanted them here, too. Subaran obliged with a refrigerator/freezer, range, second wall oven and microwave that fit cozily and discreetly into the design.
“People have the idea that big pro appliances can take over a space,” she said, “but here, you can see that they’re not the star of the show. The design isn’t about the appliances; it’s about the view.”
Permanent Vacation Palette
The husband wanted to keep the wood paneling on the dining room side of the space, which created a bit of an aesthetic challenge, according to Subaran, for making the 1950s-era house feel more modern.
“We were going for something light and bright and inviting,” she added. “Our clients are not formal people, and we wanted a palette that reflected the water views while avoiding anything that felt too beachy.”
A light blue-gray color was paired with crisp, white tile and cool quartzite countertops. Subaran said they loved that finish on the cabinets, and the beautiful natural stone has lots of subtle movement and color. The warm wood flooring in the dining room was extended into the new kitchen.
Floating shelves over a snack prep area between the paneled fridge and the shallow display cabinets, as well as on the opposite wall next to the kitchen window, help keep the space feeling light and airy. Here and there, pieces from the couple’s large inherited collection of African and South American art and contemporary sculptures punctuate the design.
“This was all about creating a palette and environment that felt unique to the site and to the clients,” said Subaran. “They wanted a space that felt really welcoming. I love when I get to do projects like this.”
SOURCES
Designers: Nadia Subaran & Kelly Emerson, Aidan Design; Contractor: Edgar Navarro; Photographer: Robert Radifera; Appliances: Thermador; Backsplash: Pratt and Larson; Cabinetry: Wood-Mode; Countertops: Marble Systems; Hardware: Top Knobs; Lighting: Shades of Light
