Remodeling A Tudor Revival Kitchen

That was the challenge put to Studio Dearborn designer Sarah Robertson by the longtime owners of this 1929 Tudor Revival in Larchmont, New York. “They wanted a kitchen that brought in the home’s period details, but in a way that felt cleaner, not heavy and traditional,” she says. After: Expanding the footprint and adding new, larger windows opened up a space now washed in warm whites. Touches of oak and brass echo the Tudor Revival style and add rich contrast, but in a way that feels clean and fresh. The curves of the crown molding echo the arch-top doorways.Decorative Finishes: Katharine Dufault, State of the Art Home; Pendants: Design Within Reach; Faucets: Brizo To pull off an airy revamp, they bumped out the sink wall of the existing kitchen by about 7 feet and relocated a powder room, more than doubling the footprint. This allowed Robertson to configure the layout just the way she likes: an island with a prep sink and seating in the center; the main sink under new, wider windows with the range perpendicular to it; and the refrigerator just a few steps away. With space to spare, she added a table with four chairs at the other end. New oak flooring meshes with the rest of the house; more oak wraps the island and trims out the range hood. While researching online, Robertson came across original arch-top doors from a Tudor estate in England and asked her cabinetmaker to re-create them, then match the home’s existing casings. Sleek brass pulls and faucets update the classic period finish and punctuate flat-panel cabinets painted a warm white and topped with veined quartzite. Some 21st-century touches update the space, including a hidden charging station and mid-century tile and light fixtures. Call it Tudor­—with a twist. The expanded kitchen now holds a generous-size island with room for a couple of stools, as well as a table that seats four away from the meal-prep action. A trio of new windows over the sink channel natural light into the space, as does a windowed door off the range wall that leads to the pantry. Paint: Light Pewter (walls) and White Opulence (cabinets), Benjamin Moore; Sinks: Kohler; Island stools: ABC Carpet & Home; Table pendant lamp: Hudson Valley Lighting; Table: Withers & Grain; Chairs: Restoration Hardware; Windows: Lepage Millwork Shown left: A drawer with built-in charging ports keeps cords out of sight. Below it, a file drawer organizes household records, says Robertson, creating “a mini office right within reach.” White macauba quartzite with teal veining tops the quartersawn oak island, offering marble-like beauty with the durability of granite. Shown right: “With low drawers placed directly across from the dishwasher, you can unload straight into them-—ideal for heavy dishes,” Robertson says. Wood pegs fit into pegboard-style drawer bottoms for flexible storage that safely cradles nested dishes in place. Hardware: Schoolhouse Shown left: A hutch-like built-in to the left of the refrigerator holds bar supplies and a wine fridge. The white backsplash tile has a subtle mid-century geometric pattern; running it up the backs of the glass-front cabinets creates continuity and helps tie the whole space together. Tile: Ann Sacks; Wine fridge: Uline; Fridge: Sub-Zero; Brass cabinet pulls: Schoolhouse Shown right: As you enter off the center hall, arch-top double doors open up to offer a sight line all the way through the kitchen to the windowed pantry door. Shown left: A custom drawer front with an inset for a paper-towel holder keeps this necessity close at hand but off the counter; space behind it holds dish towels. The pullout below has an easy-to-clean stainless-steel insert to keep trash and recycling bins tidy. Shown right: The island holds a steam oven opposite the built-in fridge. The windowed arch-top door along the range wall leads to a new pantry. Range and steam oven: Wolf; Custom range hood: Studio Dearborn; Vent hood liner: Best New oak floors are finished to blend with those in the rest of the house. Oak trim on the vent hood warms up a sea of white, and echoes the oak island. Door hardware: Charleston Hardware Co.

Floor Plans

Before

At 140 square feet, the lackluster cook space felt closed off and gloomy, with little natural light.

After

Moving the sink wall out by 7 feet and annexing a powder room area opened up the now 320-square-foot kitchen, allowing for an island and a table for four.