With their children grown, Nancy and Cavan Dunn decided that they needed—and very much desired—a change of scenery. Their solution was to remake their lives by moving from downtown Newburyport to the oceanfront on Plum Island.
Their new old dream house features beachfront windows that frame dramatic mural-like scenes.
They envisioned a lifestyle where they could entertain family and friends, so naturally they put a lot of thought and priority into redesigning their kitchen when they commissioned Bo and Taylor Perkins of Bo Perkins Design to renovate the house.
The room, which faces the sand and seagrass in the back of the property, needed substantial work to make it work for them. “Nancy and Cavan wanted a clean, open, light-filled feel with all the luxuries while keeping it casual,” says Bo.
Taylor adds that “in terms of the home’s overall design, we were conscious of not simply creating a seasonal beach house aesthetic given it is their year-round home.”
The kitchen’s layout was improved by removing the peninsula that divided it from the dining area, relocating the sink from the peninsula to beneath the window and adding the island with a bar sink.
The natural materials and products—marble from Vermont, walnut pendants from Pennsylvania, cabinets from Maine and faucets from England—were inspired by the surrounding landscape, “helping the home feel authentic and rooted in its environment,” Taylor says.
Finishing touches – in brass, hammered brass, bronze and walnut—add warmth and timeless elegance. “It’s a sophisticated layered aesthetic for an elevated but relaxed feel,” Bo says.
The cabinetry, by Jewett Farms + Co., is cerused rift-sawn white oak whose tone and texture were inspired by the driftwood on the beachfront.
“Before, the cabinetry didn’t go to the ceiling,” says Paula Accioly, showroom manager and head of design at Jewett Farms, which has offices in Boston, New York City and York, Maine. “Talk about doubling the size of the kitchen without changing the footprint.”
The variety of the cabinetry offers functional as well as visual appeal: The refrigerator and dishwasher are cabinet-clad, adding to the clean, cohesive aesthetic; the textured glass and floating shelves provide opportunities to showcase treasured pieces; and the pantry, which houses a coffee station and a microwave, is camouflaged as a hutch. In addition, there are an integrated cutting board and a vegetable drawer.
Bo points out that the reeded-glass cabinets and island drawer fronts mimic the reeds of the seagrass that blankets the property.
“The oil-rubbed bronze hardware offers contrast,” she adds. “And the Danby marble with its warm sepia and gold tones added the combination of warmth and lightness we were looking for.”
The bar, which houses a refrigerator drawer, storage and a prep surface, and the island are the stars of the new space.
They are defined by their soothing paint color: Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball that gives the two key elements a special presence in the space rather than making them mere extensions of the cabinetry.
“It provided the depth and warmth we were looking for,” Bo says. “It is an aged blue that’s not too sweet. The warmth of the brass of the kitchen’s hardware and faucets juxtaposed with the blue is a dynamic combination.”
Taylor adds that the bar’s walnut, brass and antique mirror “all provide the depth, patina and sophistication we were looking for in this entertainment piece.”
What’s more, the furniture-like design of the bar and island, whose legs gracefully lift it off the floor like a ballerina add to the open feel. The Dunns couldn’t be happier with their new kitchen. Cavan, who loves to cook, selected the Wolf range, which is topped by a simple wood hood with oak trim. A vintage rug completes the room.
“It was a great collaboration between Bo Perkins Design and Jewett Farms,” Nancy Dunn says. “They stayed true to our vision and improved on it. The kitchen works really well for our lifestyle, and it makes entertaining easy.”