Today’s busy family home must be sleek, have flow and serve as a master class in organization. Example: This Westport home, a new construction designed by Deane, Inc. and built by Jim Blansfield. Contemporary with natural elements, such as wood floors, white walls and a center fireplace of variegrated grays, the space is flooded with natural light, supported by inset and hanging lighting.
Bowing to today’s living, the kitchen and family room are unified. “The open-space plan was important because they entertain a great deal and have three kids,” says Marsha Fried, the certified master kitchen and bath designer who worked on the project.
While the kitchen has an urban loft feel, it touts suburban/country with exposed rustic beams. “They wanted the contemporized barn feeling integrated into the kitchen space to pull in the reclaimed beams on the ceiling. We used the horizontal boards on the back of the island, which echoed the boards on the ceiling between the beams,” Fried says.
Two large aluminum lights illuminate the workspace/eating bar (homework and dinner prepwork—perfect!), while also matching the impressive and hardworking Wolf gas range and hood, and refrigerator. “My favorite part of the room is the hood/range as viewed from the other side of the island, so you get the full impact of how the elements are integrated. Most important is how well the space is functioning for the client. It’s not just a pretty kitchen,” she says.
The kitchen counters are quartz and limestone
Left: The hood, designed by Deane, is custom-fabricated stainless with weathered bronze grommets.
Right: Hooks and cabinets keep the mudroom tidy.
The central fireplace, faux painted to look like limestone, with inset flat-screen provides options for downtime.