Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
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34 SPRING 2018 As it stood, the kitchen was tiny, with only a small doorway leading into the adjacent large family room that the previous owner had added. Finn's plans called for the insertion of a 10-foot ceiling beam that allowed them to entirely open up the doorway between the two rooms. A breakfast bar built into that opening provides views across the family room and out the windows fac- ing the woods. Finn offered McCarthy several different options for the kitchen layout, and they considered which one felt most fitting. "Because we were removing that big wall, there were a number of possibilities for how the kitchen could be laid out," Finn remembers. "It wasn't a slam dunk." Often, she says, "I show someone three options and it ends up being a hybrid of those three—taking elements of 1, 2, and 3, and coming up with 4. The client will say, 'I like this about this, but can't we do that?'" It was this consultative process that not only helped define how the kitchen should work but also made it clear that McCarthy wanted to prioritize grilling and en- tertaining on the back deck. Accordingly, Finn consider- ably enlarged the small deck off the family room. "When she was talking about the deck, it was very important for her to have it big enough for a gang of people," says Finn. "That isn't something I knew right from the get-go, and it wouldn't be the first thing I would think of." Since the project also involved adding a master suite to the first floor, the remainder of the traditional four- room Cape Cod layout had to be reconfigured as well. The room that had been the dining room became the master bedroom-bath suite, and what had been the for- mal living room became the dining room. This change put the dining room right off the kitchen and taking down another wall opened these rooms up to each other, so that the dining room, kitchen, and family room all could flow together. The layout also included a new powder room, which proved somewhat of a challenge to fit elegantly into the relatively small floorplan. McCarthy furnished the newly reconfigured space, while Finn designed the paint colors and cabinetry in a style she calls "classic, up-to-date, but not modern." On the walls downstairs she used Revere Pewter, a creamy hue that brings both lightness and warmth to the rooms. "It never doesn't look nice," she notes. "It's not stark white; it's just a really pleasant color." With its newly open floor plan, updated windows and doors, rebuilt deck, and fresh and thoughtful color scheme, an old house got a new lease on life. McCarthy was ecstatic at the result, eager to welcome guests and visitors and enjoy her new master bedroom. "I was really happy how [Finn] could take my con- versation and put it on paper and turn it into a house kitchens nshoremag.com/nshorehome/ that I've been thrilled with," says McCarthy. "I've had so many parties and entertained big groups. It turned out great." As a designer, Finn was equally pleased. She felt that McCarthy took the perfect approach: knowing what she wanted while being willing to follow a professional's lead to realize that vision. "It was a fabulous project in every way," recalls Finn. For contact information, see Resources on page 130. Finn's plans called for the insertion of a 10-foot ceiling beam that opened a passage between the two rooms.