The owners of a home situated at the convergence of Harris Creek and Dun’s Cove on Maryland’s Eastern Shore hired Jennifer Gilmer for a kitchen overhaul. “The wife is a serious cook who enjoys hosting and was limited in her cramped and outdated kitchen,” reports Gilmer, who worked on the project with colleague Nancy McCarren. In addition to improving functionality and updating the outmoded aesthetic, playing up watery vistas was a priority.

The design duo partially razed walls separating the kitchen from both the dining and sitting rooms to allow for a series of connected spaces. Unnecessary bulkheads were removed for an airier feel and a neighboring closet was appropriated as a walk-in pantry. The new layout centers on two islands; the main one, embellished with carved, furniture-style legs, handles food prep and cleanup while the other, bordering the dining and sitting rooms, caters to entertaining.

The main island centers on a large bay that embraces an inviting breakfast nook (above). It features floor-to-ceiling windows from which expansive water vistas unfold beyond a landscaped rear yard.

Kitchen Design: Jennifer Gilmer, CKD; Nancy McCarren, AIA, LEED AP, Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Chevy Chase and Easton, Maryland, and Ashburn, Virginia. Contractor: Shaw Contracting, Hurlock, Maryland.