This 1880 Exeter home came to KRB as a full renovation, with the kitchen taken down to the studs and the flooring pulled through the dining room and breakfast nook to flatten what a century and a half had nudged out of true. Demolition near the pressed tin ceiling was slow and deliberate, so the original character overhead stayed intact.
Columns of brick tile flank the range, and above it a hand-painted blue accent tile is framed by pale, glossy four-inch white tile. Woodharbor cabinetry in dusty blue-gray pairs with honed black soapstone, a coal black Blanco farmhouse sink, and black hardware, while walnut floating shelves hold mugs, a teapot, and a stack of cookbooks within easy reach. A spice rack and modular pull-out organizers keep the everyday tools tucked away, so the working side of the kitchen stays quiet.
The homeowners, a young family, bought the house and waited to move in until the last detail was finished. The design answers to the home’s age and to their own taste in equal measure, and it reads as though it has always belonged here. Now it is ready for them to cook, spill, and gather for the next hundred years.
For another take on a farmhouse-inspired kitchen, check out Portsmouth Farmhouse.
