The island enjoys sun from the new, triple window bump-out. “With two elementary school daughters, they needed a large island,” Swanson says. “Polly Pocket and arts and crafts are always spread across it.” | Photgoraphs by Jared Kuzia

An Expansive Kitchen Remodel Creates a Bright and Welcoming Space North of Boston

Marni Elyse KatzFebruary 16, 2026

As soon as Karen Swanson walked into the kitchen of her clients’ home, she knew exactly what it needed—natural light—and how to get it. The kitchen, located between the formal dining room and family room, was too small and much too dark, given there was just a single, underwhelming window over the sink. “If the wall to the dining room came down, I imagined how much light could spill in,” Swanson, who is the founder of the kitchen and bath design firm New England Design Works, says. Light-Filled Expansion The clients, a young family of four with a dog, were immediately on board. That said, the fix wasn’t quite so straightfor

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An Expansive Kitchen Remodel Creates a Bright and Welcoming Space North of Boston

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