This 1852 Italianate residence in the Boston suburb of Jamaica Plain had seen better days before architect Jacob Lilley came on board. “The home had been chopped up into apartments and was in complete disrepair,” recalls Lilley. A major focus of the gut-renovation was a spacious kitchen where the clients could entertain. A cleanup zone occupies the area by the windows, while the cooking zone features a large range and access to a second sink. This second sink sits within a massive twelve-foot island with bar seating at each end. “The layout provides a triangle of interaction,” explains Lilley. “Whoever is cooking can look both right and left to converse with guests. It makes the space feel more vibrant.” And speaking of vibrant, the blue cabinetry is an homage to the client’s love of bright, saturated tones.
Whoever is cooking can look both right and left to converse with guests. It makes the space feel more vibrant.
The blue is balanced with white cabinetry, while copper, leather, and wood accents lend warmth to the substantial space. "We found some beautiful wood framing in the house during demolition that couldn’t be reused, but we tried to mimic that spirit by installing ceiling beams," says the architect. "We also designed a glass transom that brings the scale of the room down and reflects the history of the home."