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For their 100-year-old gambrel house in Lowell, owners Rebecca and Neel Jhaveri didn’t want a standard white kitchen. They envisioned something with character, something that made cooking together a pleasure instead of a challenge. “With a five-year-old and a baby, we cook multiple times a day,” notes Rebecca of the room’s high use.

Their existing kitchen was cramped, with workspaces backing up to one another. A peninsula configuration only made the room feel more closed in. Storage was insufficient. In short, it was time for a change.

The Jhaveris reached out to Kelley Elizabeth Antonuccio, principal of Kelley Elizabeth Interiors, to lead the renovation, which included the nearby powder room. Besides full-service interior design, Antonuccio brings to the table years of training in kitchens and baths, with a particular focus on cabinetry. In collaboration with Imperial Builders, the designer set out to utilize every square inch of available space.

Stealing real estate from a three-season mudroom and leveling out the mudroom’s drop floor created a more expansive, rectangular blank slate. Now, a proper seated island with leather West Elm stools punctuates the space. (“The island cabinets are 18 inches versus a more standard 24,” notes the designer, “but it does the job.”) Some window rearranging helped make room for the new Monogram gas range and custom vent hood with brass inlay.

Style-wise, a hand-painted cement tile backsplash by Walker Zanger sets the tone. “I found a picture of what I wanted, and Kelley found an almost perfect match,” says Rebecca, adding that the price point for this luxury tile was a budgetary splurge. “We didn’t care,” asserts the homeowner. “We are in the kitchen every day and didn’t want to end up looking at something else, wishing we had gone with our first choice.”

Antonuccio agrees that the tile was worth it: “Now, when you walk through the front door, the first thing you see is this gorgeous backsplash.”

The cabinets are custom by Kelley Elizabeth Interiors, and the “Moody Blue” finish was pulled from the backsplash’s kaleidoscope pattern. “Rebecca and Neel are not afraid of color,” says Antonuccio. “They didn’t want the design to feel super modern or new. They wanted something that felt relevant for today but also for many years to come.”

Cherry on the upper cabinets and vent hood breaks up the navy with its rich brown tone. “It adds some sophistication,” says Antonuccio. “Even though it’s a casual eat-in kitchen, we wanted some formal qualities to match the age of the house,” she adds. Behind the glassed uppers is a dishware set found by the couple at a pottery shop in Amalfi during their honeymoon.

A leathered honed-jet-mist granite countertop handles the abuse of constant cooking on the perimeter cabinets. An apron sink—crafted from the same granite—maintains a streamlined look by avoiding the interruption of a different material. Meanwhile, Carrera marble on the island adds a little brightness, keeping the room from feeling too heavy.

Honey bronze fixtures and hardware add jewelry-like pops throughout. Gilded lotus pendants by Jamie Young echo the same gold tone. “They are fun but have a vintage vibe; the idea was maybe they had always been there,” says Antonuccio.

Style aside, the Jhaveris are grateful for their renovated kitchen’s enhanced functionality. “We now have a 36-inch range that can fit four full-size pans,” says Rebecca. “And we use our double ovens, which we never thought possible, at least once a week.” Antonuccio even delivered a dedicated appliance hutch with retractable doors for coffee accoutrements, microwave, air fryer, and smoothie blender. And next to the fridge is a shallow nine-inch pantry.

Antonuccio’s transformational magic continued into the nearby powder room. Here, a wallpaper by York—a ginkgo-gold metallic print on black—stands up to the kitchen’s equally bold backsplash mosaic. The pistachio-green vanity tempers the bold walls.

“We painted the ceiling, ceiling trim, and baseboard black so it all looks seamless,” says the interior designer. “If you put white against something dark in such a small room, it stops the eye,” she contends.

Now, Rebecca and Neel have everything they desire: a kitchen where they enjoy spending time prepping, cooking, and lingering and a stylish powder room that impresses guests.

“Kelley was able to take every note we gave her piecemeal and turn our thoughts into a comprehensive design,” says Rebecca of the design-client process. “It ended up looking exactly like we envisioned—probably even better.”

kelleyelizabethinteriors.com