A Home With Great Bones

Historic Cape Cod preservation - small galley kitchen in an ancient Provincetown home, Cape Cod, MA. In keeping with the look of cabinets created in a by gone era this kitchen has features crafted into the design concept to fit the atmosphere of a Provincetown historic home. The tall unit is actually a Sub Zero refrigerator encased in cabinet material so that it resembled an old ice box style. The cabinets have a distressed (dented and worn) custom paint to make the kitchen look lovingly used. The beaded paneling doors and slab drawer style resembles that of old world cabinets that were built back in the day. The cabinet frames go down to the floor which was often done many years ago. The floating shelves were designed to hold 150 lbs. with hidden brackets. The dishwasher was concealed behind a cabinet door.

Some of you may know that Provincetown has many compact homes that usually don't lend themselves to having space for a large kitchen. Smaller spaces can be a challenge to work with. This concept that I developed with the homeowners kept the character of this marvelous ancient Cape Cod home and offers a workable space for the owners who love to cook.

Many people tear down old structures in the area, only to build a modern home that changes the look and feel of what many people find attractive on Cape Cod. I was very happy to have the opportunity to work with the owners to create a design that feels like it belongs in this home that has stood the test of time with it's old bones.

"Growing up on the Cape, my dad and I would often remodel old homes with plenty of character. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the strong rustic sawn timbers that supported these structures. Seeing that this home was lovingly remodeled without placing all the timbers into a landfill gave me hope that other homeowners might see the beauty in preservation and modernize without completely destroying the efforts of past craftsmen. This may be something to ponder..." - B. Tuttle Award Winning Designer

Details and Kitchen Style

Often a few added details can really influence the overall atmosphere in a space. Simply adding a few corbels to support a countertop overhang make a huge difference in style.

The thick wainscot end adds additional charm, finished by some nice baseboard molding to the floor.

As you contemplate your new kitchen space you must consider the overall look you want. Even the hardware pulls can alter the mood reflected by the space. We strive to help you understand what elements might enhance your kitchen and give you the the kitchen of your dreams. Sometimes we suggest things that would not have crossed your mind and other times we give you exactly what you ask for. Either way, we will always be open to your input and will work with you through the process of obtaining a kitchen that you thoroughly enjoy working in.

Custom cabinets offer virtually endless possibilities as they can be built to order for your specific needs. Every piece is constructed by talented furniture makers here in the great USA.

Wood species shown: Maple Stain: Zinc

Photo Credit: Brighton

Custom door full overlay. Wood species shown: Maple Painted Specious Grey and Zinc Stain

Photo Credit: Brighton

Transitional Design Kitchen

The open concept, full overlay doors, stainless appliances and sink lends to a transitional atmosphere in this kitchen. The ceiling detail adds a unique touch to the space.

Zinc is a popular rich toned stain shown off in the perimeter cabinets while the island is painted in Spacious Grey.

The back and sides of the island were encased in wainscot paneling giving character to the seating space and supporting the countertop

The stainless chimney range hood is a nice feature for modern times.

Two Engineered Surfaces

We offer specialty surfaces for a very modern look. In this kitchen Rauvisio Engineered Surfaces were used to achieve a special atmosphere. The tall units are laminated to look like stainless and the other cabinets are laminated with a wood look.

We offer framed and full access cabinets and can create any atmosphere you desire. If you love contemporary spaces, we can design and build to meet your desires.

We offer natural woods, soft matte materials, metal, paints, glass, and glossy surfaces. The looks that can be obtained are virtually endless.

Optional Metal Drawer (instead of dovetail wood drawer) With Dividers

Walnut Grain Match Kitchen

This contemporary kitchen was designed with natural walnut horizontal grain match. Some woods have fairly straight wood grains that can be matched. This is a special service that we offer as an option. Walnut has dark hardwood and light sapwood which can lend itself to creating a striking look.

We often design modern atmospheres utilizing natural wood veneers, engineered wood veneers, or other interesting surfaces.

In this kitchen sleek straight lines were employed to bring about a contemporary feeling.

Wood species shown: Walnut Grain: Horizontal Match

Shaker style door inset into cabinet frame with optional slab drawer heads. Wood species shown: Maple Painted White

Upper Glass Doors In Kitchen

Notice the doors in the wall cabinets have a glass section in each tall door. We can build the cabinets so that doors stacked on top of each other is not required. It appears there are two doors, but we can build a single door with glass in the upper section. We are often asked to design kitchens with glass above and this is one solution that those homeowner's enjoy. Building cabinets this way is very cost affective over having to stack cabinets or build two doors on top of each other.

Many homeowners place lights inside this space and have the cabinet interior finished to match the exterior.

The back and sides of the island were encased in a stained bead board paneling at the homeowner's request. Other clients may have opted for a matching paint or wainscot panels, but we almost always will follow what the purchaser's desire.

The toe kick space is covered by furniture base board with toe space cut-outs. This gives the kitchen an old world feel that many clients ask for.

Simple Craftsman Style Kitchen

This kitchen was designed to be a simple craftsman style. Cherry wood and shaker inset doors with slab drawer heads was used to resemble timeless furniture.

Using cherry with a clear furniture coat (no stain) allows the natural wood variations to be more visible as the lighter and darker shades are more pronounced. In a few years the cherry wood will age and mellow out leaving the differences in heartwood and sapwood colors less pronounced. If stain is applied to the cherry a more even tone is obtained, but this homeowner loves wood and it's unique natural characteristics.

When natural cherry cabinets are first delivered, there may be light and dark streaks in the wood. It will mellow in time with the differences becoming less dramatic as this photo shows.

Wood species shown: Cherry Stain: Natural