It was going to be a flip.
“It was a tiny little garrison near my in-laws,” recalls interior designer Kelley Elizabeth Antonuccio, principal of Kelley Elizabeth Interiors, of the place her family now calls home.
But with two young kids, ages two and five, Kelley and her husband, Dan, decided that the benefits of being near family outweighed the potential profit off a quick sale. They instead switched gears and embarked on a comprehensive renovation: adding square footage, upgrading materials, and making the small, dated structure their own.
Kelley’s interior design and cabinetry expertise led the refresh: “As a cabinet designer, I handled the kitchen, bathrooms, and much of the interior architecture,” she explains. Dan, who works in finance by day, crafted all the millwork in his off hours as a passion project. Imperial Builders, helmed by Dan’s father and brother, Bob and Mike Antonuccio, rounded out the family affair.
Two additions—a garage topped by a primary bedroom suite on one side and a home office on the other—nearly doubled the livable square footage. Other enhancements, like a new front porch with custom iron railings, all new Marvin windows, and a rear brick terrace with fire pit, layered charm onto the previously unremarkable property.
A full gut left the existing interior as a blank skate for Kelley. Her resulting design is chic yet approachable, polished yet kid friendly. Keeping the bones traditional and appropriate to the suburban setting, she played with color, texture, pattern, and art in sometimes subtle, sometimes overt ways. She even sampled different cabinet styles and fabrics, using the project as a test showroom of sorts while staying true to her preferred aesthetic.
In the kitchen, the cabinetry is all new: the base cabinets are cherry with a stained espresso finish; the upper and tall cabinets are painted white for a dose of brightness. A true black Pietra Cardosa soapstone on the perimeter cabinets and white Rhino marble on the island similarly contrast light and dark. Ann Sacks matte black subway tile arranged vertically is “interesting but not in your face,” Kelley explains of the backsplash choice.
Just off the kitchen is a sitting area with two Four Hands club chairs and a Made Goods coffee table. It is multifunctional, accommodating a quick perch for coffee during the day or a glass of wine in the evening.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do; it feels unexpected and is a nice stopping point before the family room,” Kelley explains of the destination. Artwork by Cape artist Milisa Valliere, purchased at a coffee shop in Brewster, pops against Benjamin Moore’s “Hamilton Blue,” a moody hue that delineates the space.
Meanwhile, the adjoining living room is all about the kids—the millwork is refined but the furnishings are comfy. Instead of a sectional, Kelley paired a sofa with a comfy ottoman. “You can pull in the ottoman and make any part of the sofa feel like a chaise lounge,” she explains. Leather chairs with a saddle brown finish and metal legs are cozy “without going full recliner,” notes the designer. Benjamin Moore’s “Smokey Taupe” on the walls feels earthy and serene.
From her kids’ bedrooms to the primary suite, where black walls make the large bedroom feel cozy and navy drenches a walk-in dressing room, Kelley consistently created pause-worthy moments without sacrificing approachability.
But her favorite spot of all is the new home office, reachable by French doors on either side of the dining room fireplace. Here, Kelley and Dan opted for a step-down sunken arrangement, allowing for a vaulted ceiling, which they lined in beadboard. All the millwork is color-drenched in Benjamin Moore’s “Amazon Soil” and, for the walls, Kelley sourced a grasscloth wall covering to match.
Custom cabinets keep all the designer’s samples and tools of the trade organized behind closed doors. “As a cabinet dealer, I wanted to showcase different styles, so I went with a more contemporary frameless look with brass inlay below and a one-inch-thick framed inset cabinet with Shaker-style door above,” she explains. The contemporary Arteriors light fixture juxtaposes the heavy millwork.
Before setting out on her own and launching Kelley Elizabeth Interiors in 2021, Kelley commuted to a showroom on the South Shore. Now, she’s her own boss and has an inspiring place to meet with clients. “It has three walls of light and feels bright and warm,” she notes.
The office is chic yet personal (a painting by contemporary artist Michael Rich, bought on their anniversary trip to Nantucket, hangs over the seating area). It’s the couple’s happy place. “At the end of the day, the kids can watch a show in the living room and Dan and I will sit on the sofa and just relax. I spend more time in here than any other room,” admits Kelley. “I just never get tired of it.”