Clients who had recently purchased a dilapidated old house on the Eastern Shore turned to Barnes Vanze Architects to design a new home on the site within the original footprint. They wanted a cottage-style dwelling that would take advantage of picturesque lakeside views, and they wished it to be designed around the kitchen, which—as is often the case—is the focal point of their family life.

The owners preferred a traditional aesthetic, so architects Anthony Barnes and Melanie Giordano at Barnes Vanze were tasked with recreating a vintage style throughout the house. In the kitchen, Giordano collaborated with Richard Freitag of Stuart Kitchens to design a space that would be traditional yet informal and inviting. They used farmhouse details to convey a cottage aesthetic, including bi-colored limestone checkerboard flooring, custom painted cabinetry with traditional inset doors, glazed porcelain pendants and a farmhouse sink with a Rohl faucet.A low wall supported by pilasters separates the kitchen from the adjoining stairwell—another common cottage feature. A sage green-painted island topped with Calacatta marble delineates the work triangle from the rest of the kitchen. On the peripheral cabinetry, Lagos Azul Caesarstone countertops combine the functionality of a quartz surface with the old-style appearance of soapstone.