Photography by Alise O'Brien
“The home has a bit of a European feel,” says Amy Studebaker, of Amy Studebaker Design, recalling a house she designed for clients in 2017. “We wanted to maintain the feel but lighten the aesthetic.”
That included the original kitchen, which felt dark and heavy. Studebaker removed the existing cabinetry, reconfigured the layout, and designed cabinets to resemble furniture, concealing the refrigerator and freezer behind wooden doors painted a soft, creamy flax color. The pièce de résistance, she says, is the range hood. Studebaker enlisted the expertise of Kleine Painting to give the wooden hood a faux finish resembling metal. “The layering of deep tones created a patina that we felt was perfect for the home and kitchen,” she says. In a nod to the rest of the house, which is decorated with antiques, Studebaker added custom wood corbels to support the hood.
The blue tile with gray undertones in the backsplash and between the refrigerator and freezer cabinets makes a statement without calling too much attention to itself. “The handmade undulated tile creates a wonderful surface for reflectivity,” says the designer. “The natural light filtering in lands beautifully on the face of the tile.” Its undertones complement the island’s color and glaze finish, the metallic finish of the hood, and the existing stone wall in the nearby hallway. Working in the spirit of the dictum “Less is more,” Studebaker placed open wood shelves between the refrigerator and freezer cabinets. The shelves are hung at a height that provides clearance for a TV to rise from the middle cabinet’s interior. “The owners requested a TV but preferred that it be hidden,” Studebaker says. “With the push of a button, the TV rises from its hiding place in the cabinet. The cabinet is fully functional but with shallow drawers.”
With a look that feels classic yet up-to-date, the kitchen is a blend of livability and luxury. “We wanted to create a space that would function for the family’s daily needs and at the same time feel very light and open,” Studebaker says.
Standout Feature: Barstools are drawn up to the Danby marble–topped island. “My team and I lean toward Danby because it’s denser, which keeps it from staining as quickly as an Italian marble,” Studebaker explains.
