Beach/House, Fall 2024

18 | Provincetown Independent | BEACH / HOUSE | Fall 2024
Kitchen
Conundrum
Small changes with big results
for when a space doesn’t suit your style
By Hannah Oakland
When I was in the market to buy a house on the Outer
Cape a little over a year ago, I knew I’d have to compromise.
Along the way, I saw more than my fair
share of awful kitchens, most of them design time capsules
with outdated tile and flimsy cabinets. When I finally found
the house I wanted, one thing I thought was an asset — a
newly renovated kitchen — turned out to be the opposite.
I tried to be grateful for the updated kitchen in my 1988
colonial, even though I recognized that it didn’t fit me stylewise.
I figured I could live with it and save some renovation
costs, and guests would even say, “You’re so lucky to have
this kitchen!” But a few weeks after I moved in, it started to
get to me. The room was too closed- in and dark.
Daydreams filled my head — of a breakfast bar for the
kids, an open floor plan that matched how I like to get together
with friends, and sunlight at all hours of the day.
Being an avid DIYer, I grabbed a hammer to see what I
was working with. I began by removing all the upper cabinets.
I have an aversion to them: they impose a heaviness I
don’t think many kitchens can absorb. I prefer open shelving
instead. To me, if the kitchen is supposed to be the heart
of the home, it ought to be airy and rhythmic, with an equal
focus on functionality and flow.
The goal of this kitchen renovation was simple: add more light. (Photo by Hannah Oakland)
AFTER
BEFORE
Previously, the full kitchen wall kept guests and cook apart. (Photo
courtesy TK)
Now, a header provides the support needed to open the space up to the dining area. (Photo by Hannah Oakland)
Once I removed the drywall to reveal only
the framing, there was no turning back. The
light that streamed in was as transformative as
I’d hoped. I hit a snag, though, when I learned
that the wall behind the stove was loadbearing.
Installing a loadbearing beam is not a basic DIY
project. It can be costly and time- consuming.
So, I reinforced the existing construction with a
header (a beam over an opening that carries the
structural weight) and jack studs, which sit below
the header for added support on each side. This
created a picture- frame opening to a breakfast
nook adjacent to the dining area. It provided the
openness I wanted without my having to invest
too much money or work.
Thanks to a surplus of pantry space along the
far wall, I was able to use one simple poplar shelf
sourced from Northern Wild Design in Eastham
to hold my tableware and be a design accent at
the same time. I supported the shelf with floating
brackets plus two ornate brass ones to tie into the
sink hardware. Then I replaced the dated speckled
pink laminate countertop with a large- format
white quartz slab marbled with a warm brown
from Granite World in Harwich — they also did the
installation.
The stark white lower cabinets had a sterile
vibe, so I rolled them with a Behr cabinet paint,
Aged Beige, and added antique brass pulls, which
give the cabinets a rustic farmhouse feel. Then I
stacked five- inch white ceramic tiles with a reflective,
slightly wavy surface in a grid pattern that adds
much more interest than generic flat white ones.
By making natural light the focus of this kitchen
makeover and letting that goal guide a few wellchosen
changes, I was able to avoid the expense of
a gut renovation and still create a more inviting and
functional living space for my family and for guests.
I really am lucky to have this kitchen.
Open shelving makes for a lighter, more casual feel. (Photo by Hannah Oakland)
The dining area gets a simple update from furniture with clean modern lines. (Photo by
Hannah Oakland)