Lured east for a dream job at a college in Western Massachusetts, this homeowner and her husband were intent on bringing some California sunniness with them. “They wanted a bold, bright, colorful home,” says Hannah Ray of Workroom Design Studio. “They’re happy, outgoing people with big smiles and friendly personalities.”
Starting with the husband’s fond memories of a brilliant blue kitchen in a former home, Hannah and her design partner, Sally Staub, worked with the couple to find just the right shade of blue for the cabinetry. After much negotiation and sampling, they landed on a lively mid-tone hue, then paired it with seriously saturated yellow shelves pulled from the lollipop-like wallpaper. “They were very keen to keep the saturation of that yellow and not tone it down,” Sally says.
When it came to the layout, the main objective was pulling the stove out of the corner. The range is now on its very own wall. Although said wall is not particularly lengthy, there are counters on either side of the range and a striking backsplash that climbs to the ceiling behind it. In order to make such a design decision happen and still preserve enough square footage for the must-have banquette, the designers closed up the window next to the sink so the fridge could live there. There was no loss of light, however, as they significantly enlarged the window over the sink.
To maintain the impact of the peppy blue-and-yellow color combination, Sally and Hannah went with black countertops that pop against the cabinetry along the perimeter. “It took some time to hunt down soapstone with enough green to speak to cabinetry,” Hannah says. “This green veining sings.”
The family loves their new space, which flows into a cozy, deep blue library. “We had a completely white kitchen in our old house,” the homeowner says. “We were definitely ready for color!”