Photography by Alise O'Brien
Melissa and Drew Carter’s 1907 Parkview home kitchen needed two things: more light and more space. The homeowners turned to Mainline Group Architecture’s Allen Roehrig to help them achieve both. By adding textural elements that spark visual interest and a palette that works in touches of gray and black, the homeowners turned a traditonal kitchen design into one that stretches just beyond the limits of an all-white aesthetic. “I wanted variety,” Melissa says, “and to make the kitchen warmer, to move beyond an all-white kitchen.”
Reconfiguring the Room
“The kitchen was outdated,” Melissa says. “And it was cramped,” Roehrig adds. An old staircase cut the space in half, creating a utilitarian area behind it that held a pantry. “It was a kitchen designed for the needs of a homeowner from 100 years ago,” says Roehrig. He combined the two areas by eliminating the staircase and added a steel beam to support the second- and third-floor walls, as well as a secondary false beam to establish symmetry.
Color Code
Melissa teamed up with Dave Scheu of McMillan Cabinetmakers to create elegant and efficient storage space. The white lower cabinets were painted in Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace, and Melissa specified that the other kitchen cabinets feature saturated hues such as Sherwin-Williams’ Tricorn Black and Farrow & Ball’s Plummett. “I need a bit of black in every room,” Melissa says. “I think it’s stabilizing and striking.” The island houses two refrigerator drawers.
Floor Facts
The floors throughout the historic home are oak, and a wood floor was always the plan for the kitchen, Melissa says: “I wanted it to be continuous, and it felt softer and more comfortable to stand on when cooking.”
Countertop Culture
The countertops are Calacatta Arabescato marble, with the exception of the island’s top, which is polished oak. “There was some concern in terms of how much wood, with the floor and such a large island,” Roehrig says. “We debated back and forth whether or not to go with a different stone, but we found that wood was better at keeping the balance of natural materials.”
Faucets & Fixtures
Melissa elected to mix brass and nickel fixtures from Waterstone as a way to bring in both variety and warmth. She even added brass knobs to her Wolf range and placed the statement-making red knobs into storage.
Sitting in Style
Melissa chose to repurpose stools that her mother had once used in her own kitchen but relegated to the basement. “My mother was excited to get rid of them,” Melissa says with a laugh. “They’re actually incredibly comfortable.”
