Modern Mood: A renovation merged the kitchen and porch to create a larger, more modern space. This wall, with its original Gothic-style window, was once crammed with upper and lower cabinets and a long counter. Now it emanates calm minimalism while retaining its historical feel and adding seating, thanks to a built-in banquette.
Brad and Jola Newman fell in love with the circa-1872 home’s large rooms, tall ceilings, and picturesque setting—but not the dated, ’90s farmhouse-style kitchen.
Beam It Up: Previously a screened-in porch, this dining space in the now-enlarged kitchen is the perfect place for the Newmans’s two daughters and their friends to hang out, or to gather the family for a meal. A long banquette extends the full width of the room providing plenty of space to spread out. Marcel Breuer-designed Cesca chairs add mid-century flair, and industrial motorized shades from J Geiger complement the room’s central feature—the architectural steel beam that traverses the space.
Old is New: An antique 1940s brass and bronze Austrian chandelier and a new “Symon” wall sconce from Urban Electric Co. pop with the plaster walls, finished in a custom-color application by Aubrey Brackett Fine Finishes.
Mix It Up: A combination of metals in the kitchen, including brass and stainless steel, complement the warm, soft tones and textures of the wood cabinets and floors, string pendant lights by Nickey Kehoe, and quartzite countertops. An Italian ILVE range paired with a brass-wrapped plaster hood complete the modern yet muted tones of this now spacious, welcoming kitchen.
Upper Crust: In place of traditional upper cabinets, Jill Howard designed a decorative floating wall storage unit with sliding doors to hide or reveal its contents. Similarly, a stainless steel “appliance garage” built by Hostetler Custom Cabinetry secrets away clutter such as a toaster and microwave.
For everything else, the nearby pantry’s floor-to-ceiling cabinetry provides ample storage space.
A few steps from there, the guest bathroom adds a splash of color with handmade Moroccan tile from Mosaic House.
Creature Comforts: The warm hue of Benjamin Moore “Autumn Cover” with glaze applied by Aubrey Brackett in the arch above the bed adds dimension to this simple, serene space. Howard revamped the walk-in closet to store any clutter, adding floating bedside tables in oak and bark paper and cantilevered wall lights from Artemide. A hand-knotted Moroccan area rug beneath the wrought-iron bed frame offers a touch of pattern.
Neutral Territory: A mix of textures, scale, and tone in the tile make this long, lean en-suite bathroom an elegant retreat.
A hint of color from the original stained glass window is picked up in the brass wall sconces by Aerin. The white oak vanity with a stepped-front detail floats in the opposing arch from the adjoining bedroom.
Contemporary modernism meets romantic Gothic and Italianate architectural details
