Brittany Alberts’s lament is a familiar one: “If budget hadn’t been a consideration, we would have loved to expand the footprint of our kitchen. And we would have loved to put in new cabinets and appliances. Instead, we had to stick with—and enhance what—was already in place.”
Photography by Kate S. Jordan (@katesjordan), courtesy of Brittany Albert (@britt_albert).
The narrow kitchen in question—an L-shaped galley probably last updated in the 1990s (scroll to the end for a Before shot)—was built as an addition to an 1880 farmhouse in Litchfield County, Connecticut, that Brittany and her husband, Sanders Witkow, a lawyer, bought as a retreat from their base in Brooklyn.
The kitchen is situated just off the living room, which has its original hearth and beehive oven, and is likely where the kitchen was originally situated. For peg rail inspiration, go to our posts Instant Order and 16 Design Ideas to Steal from the Shakers
Brittany simply painted the cabinets and kept the existing dishwasher and other appliances. But she splurged by replacing the sink with a Shaws fireclay basin and deVol bridge faucet: read about the one she chose in our post Found: The Perfected Aged Brass Kitchen Faucet.
I was tempted to take out the upper cabinets and have open shelving Brittany tells us but we were wary of hidden costs when you rip out something you don t knowing what you ll find behind it Instead she painted the upper bank Benjamin Moore White Dove
to bounce more light around Not wanting a chilly all white kitchen she used Farrow and Ball s Elephant’s Breath on the lower cabinets I chose this light taupe for bit of contrast and interest and because it works so nicely with the palette in the rest of the house
Another easy upgrade Brittany replaced the existing cabinet hardware with A57 Plain Knobs from Optimum Brasses in the UK I couldn t find any sources here that had that same...
...nice patina and handmade quality It was a very easy process and they didn t take long to come Unlacquered brass she notes brings warm light to the room
The existing range and microwave stayed in place.
So did the lovely but damaged wooden floor: a natural fiber mat, the Ralph Lauren Carena Weave Solid Jute Rug from Overstock, covers a problem area and “brings in some really nice texture.”
The work table is next to the fridge (not shown), which is tucked into an existing cabinet.
The stylist at home: Brittany’s restrained touch is a reminder that a tight space calls for simplicity.
There’s a pantry in the hall right off the kitchen: it leads to the dining area in a large converted barn.
The pantry doors are also painted Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath.
The kitchen was painted a pale gray and had a red granite counter, cabinet knobs in a satin silver finish, and recessed ceiling lights.
Before