This 143-Square-Foot Kitchen’s Makeover Kept the Same Layout But Now Seats 6
Fact: Cottage kitchens, while known for being cozy, aren’t necessarily always cavernous in size.
In Kevin Brost and Ian Hampton’s (@walkerspointitalianate) Door County cottage kitchen that’s 11 feet by 13 feet, there isn’t enough room for the fridge. It’s in the mudroom just a few steps away, though, and “getting a few extra steps in is a good thing at a vacation home where you’re treating yourself,” Kevin says.
There is, however, room for six people — as many as the cottage sleeps. Kevin and Ian started with a kitchen that hadn’t been updated in decades, and their goal was to modernize it while making it a functional vacation spot for friends and family.
The kitchen got a complete reno.
Kevin and Ian hired a contractor to bring the kitchen into the 21st century while still keeping things cozy — and to do so, saving room by relocating the fridge was the best course of action. The stove and sink are still in the same spot, but there’s now a bar-height table and a bench with drawer storage to seat several people in the new kitchen.
Their architect, Joy Sheilds, actually helped source the slab of wood for the ash table from her own yard in Door County. “We squared off three sides but left one edge live,” the couple explains on Instagram.
The new bench (and lower cabinets) are, fittingly, painted Benjamin Moore’s Cottage Red, and the beadboard walls are Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White.
The drawer pulls are turned wood, and there are also brass hardware details from Rejuvenation and Armac Martin. “One under-sung virtue of unlacquered brass is that you can successfully mix pieces from different makers because everything will patina in its own way with time anyway,” Kevin and Ian note on Instagram.
The stone floors were budget-friendly.
Kevin and Ian always knew they wanted to remove the upper cabinets to make the kitchen feel a bit airier, and they also always knew they’d replace the linoleum floors. “Our generous GC handled both superbly, down to leveling the floors!” Kevin says.
The couple found the new stone floor for an extreme discount at a local stone yard. During the remodel process, they found asbestos in the floor. “That added a bit of extra cost, but it’s great knowing the issue has been resolved,” Kevin says, and he is grateful for all of the tradespeople he worked with throughout the process — and he learned a lot along the way, too.
“A full renovation is a gift because it puts control over where things go firmly in your grasp,” he says. “The challenging bit is limiting yourself to options that make sense and work together!”
As for some other smaller details, the apple artworks are antiques from several places, and the overhead flush-mount light is from Amber Interiors. “Vintage and antique decor keep things from feeling fancy; you’re on time off — enjoy it!” Kevin says. “We absolutely love the finished kitchen.”
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