Looking for more space, Jill Wheeler’s clients, a Dorchester couple with rescue dogs and a baby, hired Scott Melching Architects to design them a home on a woodsy site in Stow. After Maine Cabinet Co. laid out the kitchen, Wheeler worked with the homeowners to detail it just so. When it came to choosing the colors, they didn’t want white on white. “The rest of the house is neutral, so they were open to something a bit different here,” the Birch Hill Interiors principal says. “This blue-gray is subtle, pretty, and avoids the modern farmhouse cliche.”
1 Distressed brown leather stools introduce another color and material and lend a lived-in look around the island. The three-sided seating configuration is conducive to conversation and helps keep traffic out of the path to the pantry/mudroom.
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2 Blackened steel dome-shaped pendants by Regina Andrew anchor the island and the gold-leafed interiors give off a warm glow.
3 Natural white oak trim at the bottom of the hood breaks up the blue and injects warmth. “The wood takes cues from the floor and repeats in the dry bar and dining nook just beyond the island,” Wheeler says.
4 Incorporating an open cabinet rather than one with doors helps prevent the upper corner from looking top heavy and offers the opportunity to display books and personal decor.
5 Hudson Valley Lighting sconces bring brass to the top of the room. “We used a gold finish throughout the house and also wanted to avoid clear glass in this hard-to-clean area,” Wheeler says.
6 Four-inch square ceramic tiles in a nuanced blend of whites are a classic alternative to plain white subway tiles. “The light bounces off the glossy, textured surface and the organic look is a bit rustic but still refined,” Wheeler points out.
Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.