Kitchens 2014: Get Cooking
Location Londonderry, New Hampshire
Designer Karen Swanson, New England Design Works
Interior Designer April Kvetkosky
Photograph by Jamie Salomon / Styling by Kara Butterfield
Cabinets Shakertown doors with Parisian inset, Pennville Custom Cabinetry.
Countertops Caesarstone Frosty Carrina polished quartz, Boston Granite Exchange.
Island Countertop Calacatta marble, Boston Granite Exchange.
Backsplash Savoy subway tile in rice paper, Ann Sacks.
Butcherblock Walnut with sapwood end grain, Grothouse Lumber.
Photograph by Jamie Salomon / Styling by Kara Butterfield
A white hutch cabinet with large glass doors displays the homeowner’s large dishware collection. The upper cabinets feature doors on a sliding track, an innovative shift from typical hinged doors.
Photograph by Jamie Salomon / Styling by Kara Butterfield
Photograph by Jamie Salomon / Styling by Kara Butterfield
“A good cabinet installer is one of the most important aspects of the construction process.” —Karen Wwanson, New England Design Works
Photograph by Jamie Salomon / Styling by Kara Butterfield
The island was built off-site as a single piece, including the baseboard molding and marble-slab countertop. The end result is an island that looks like a luxe piece of furniture.
Swanson was able to get a high-end look for less by combining economical options with a few splurges where they would have the most impact. The island countertop, for example, is stunning Calacatta marble, while the perimeter countertops are done in more-affordable Caesarstone polished quartz.
By updating what was already there, Swanson was able to make the kitchen chic and contemporary without blowing the budget, eliminating an awkward and dated peninsula bar and reimagining the cabinetry, but keeping all the plumbing and appliances in place.
