The best things in life are worth waiting for, and for Miles Smith and his wife Amy, it was a home that they had fallen in love with long before it would become their own. “Miles said years ago that if there was any house that he could buy, it would be the McCabe estate,” tells Amy. “We loved taking walks to look at homes, and would specifically walk by this house because it sat on a beautiful hillside corner lot that was also convenient to downtown.” While driving by one day, they spotted a “For Sale” sign and negotiations began. It would take 8 months of renovations before Miles and Amy would actually move in.
The vintage-modern kitchen is perfectly proportioned on a grand scale. This uncluttered white canvas is a classic example of less is more. “I knew kitchen-wise what I wanted,” says Amy. “I am very low key in taking care of things, so I wanted something that would be easy to keep up.”
The substantial island is made of white granite. She originally wanted it to be marble, but learned that marble would be too porous, making it difficult to maintain. White, mission style cabinets were backed with beadboard to tie in with the ceiling.
The chandelier is a remake of an antique, and is one of the owner’s favorite household possessions. “It ties everything together in an unexpected way,” she points out. “It’s understated, and like everything else in the kitchen, looks like it belongs.”
Butcher block counters are inset, yet raised and help to break up the white palette. Industrial stainless appliances have a backsplash of white subway tile for simplicity. Amy finds little time in her kitchen for cooking, but always welcomes friends over to help break in the kitchen.
On this particular evening, her dinner guests arrived early. As Amy was pointing out the functional design details, one of her friends was preparing Mexican dishes on the burner and another friend poured frozen margaritas. It was difficult to tell whose kitchen it was.