For more than a decade since they purchased a traditional-style home in Chestertown, Maryland, the owners hadn’t used it as often as they’d hoped. “The house never quite felt like them,” shares designer Stephanie Gamble, who guided them through an interior renovation of its three stories.

The main level felt particularly tired, with wide, heavy ceiling beams weighing it down and the open space interrupted by a partial kitchen wall and peninsula. A built-in bench in an existing dining niche took up valuable real estate, and the ceiling light was positioned off-center.

Gamble removed the troublesome built-in as she refashioned the 4,000-square-foot abode, creating more room for a large dining area where the family shares most meals. She also centered the lighting, added gauzy drapery and chose elegant but durable furnishings. “The clients wanted to be able to enjoy eating crabs here, so the upholstery needed to stand up to Old Bay-covered fingers,” she notes. Sturdy Lee Industries chairs with faux-leather seats and jacquard-linen chairback fabric by Mark Alexander answered the call. Taking center stage is a heavy-duty, crab-shucking-friendly table by Century.

The space opens to a thoroughly revamped kitchen and living area in a palette of greige and denim blues. Now, the clients visit as often as they can with their two adult children and extended family, Gamble says. “Knowing that we helped them feel at home and enjoy being together here is the most meaningful part of the transformation.”