Before & After: A Small Boston Kitchen Goes BigDwell

Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella
Elizabeth Passarella is the author of the essay collection Good Apple and a contributing editor at Southern Living. A former editor at Real Simple and Vogue, she has spent more than 20 years writing about food, travel, home design, and parenting in outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Parents, Martha Stewart Weddings, Coastal Living, Airbnb, and The Kitchn. Elizabeth grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and now lives with her husband and three children in New York City.
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updated May 2, 2019
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

At first we couldn’t quite get behind the zig-zaggy, dropped ceiling in this space. But once we realized its purpose (and saw the cramped, dark room before) we were on board. This is not a huge kitchen, and the owners made it feel open and expansive. Go take a look.

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See the before? So confusing! What’s with the floating wall and the hulking refrigerator blocking the entrance? The owners (he designed the space) clearly needed to remove some walls and cabinets and open up the room. The problem: the kitchen, living room, and dining room are all in one space. That’s why the original kitchen was closed off- to give the apartment a little definition.

So the owners created the idea of the “canopy,” as they call it. It not only hides some mechanical equipment; it defines the kitchen area. And the way it comes down behind the sink, creating a mini wall, separates it a bit from the living room. It’s actually kind of smart. And we love the dark color.

Another thing we love is that two of the cabinets under the island are on casters, so the owners can roll them out and make a breakfast bar area or keep them put for extra storage. And the backlit spice row is beautiful (we love a library ladder), even if they claim they don’t really use the spices…

• See the entire slideshow: D House Kitchen Renovation, at Dwell

Related: Before & After: Dark & Dull to Light & Delicious

(Images: Kate McElwee/Dwell)

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