When Elaine Labrecque and Gary Vilchick finished building their home in 2000, their kitchen fit the look of the time: cherry cabinets, dark granite countertops, and a small island and peninsula for extra workspace. But 20 years later, the couple grew tired of the dated atmosphere.
“The darkness started to wear on me,” says Gary, who admits that the pandemic only added to the malaise. “I wanted to brighten it up, to have it feel friendly and open and welcoming.”
For the remodel, they brought on Sage Conti, principal of Sage Conti Designs, to problem-solve the layout and deliver a more modern, sophisticated aesthetic. “They needed the kitchen to be high functioning but also energetic and fun,” she says of her approach.
For the construction, they went with Platt Builders. “The fact that Platt makes all their cabinets inhouse was a huge part of our decision,” notes Gary.
“Our face frames are extra thick at one inch versus the industry norm of three-quarters,” explains Platt’s Jody Adamonis, the project manager, “and we assemble in large sections to avoid unnecessary seams. The resulting cabinets have more heft and feel more high-quality,” he relays.
With Conti’s help, the design of every drawer and pullout has a purpose. Custom lifts prop up the stand mixer and blender as needed. Built-in stools—a signature Platt design—stow neatly back into the cabinetry when not in use.
Conti worked with Platt to move a wall 18 inches and close off a second pantry entry to make room for an island with seating for four. While the perimeter cabinets are Benjamin Moore’s “Simply White,” the island is a rich “Farrel Hague” blue by Farrow & Ball. A new picture window over the sink stretches down to the counter, capturing as much garden and light as possible.
Elaine, an artist who paints with pastels in her home studio, made one request at the project’s outset: “She said to me, ‘Please don’t give us a boring white kitchen,’ ” recalls Conti. Inspired by the home’s multilayered gardens and proximity to a nature preserve, the interior designer wanted to keep the look rooted in nature with organic forms.
One of the kitchen’s biggest nods to nature is its spectacular glass mosaic backsplash on the range wall. “We were inspired by a display at the Boston Design Center,” recalls Elaine, who took samples from tile fabricator New Ravena and dreamed up her own motif with flowers, birds, and butterflies. “I drew everything to scale and, after some back and forth, the mosaic arrived and was applied in squares,” says the homeowner.
Each square contains slivers of glass, making the wall a shimmery piece of art. “It really is the kitchen’s centerpiece,” notes Gary. “Anyone who comes in is just blown away by the beauty of the design and the colors. It never gets tiring to see.”
Yet another artistic moment is the light fixture over the island, a custom design by California-based artisan John Pomp. Each pendant is hand blown and includes woven silk. They give off a shimmery glow that glistens off the marble.
For their countertops, Conti and her clients settled on Calacatta Italian marble, and a luxurious two-inch-thick slab of the veined stone tops the island. “That piece is incredibly heavy,” notes Conti. “We had to reinforce the floor to hold the weight.”
When Gary discovered a small piece of marble remained, he had a fabricator cut three holes in it for dog bowls. Now, their 12-year-old American labrador, Beadacious Beau, aka Beaudy, has his own built-in feeding station. Executed by Platt carpenters, it is nestled into the island’s base.
Conti also delivered a built-in bar at the owners’ request. Its custom cabinets sport the same blue as the island; however, inlaid brass on the door panels and brass hardware crafted by a local artisan give the destination extra glamour. A backsplash of delicate fans (a combo of glass and brass) and hammered copper sink lend more layers of polish.
For the pantry, now accessed by one door instead of two, Conti recommended a full color drench in Farrow & Ball’s “Oval Room Blue #85.”
“Sage said, trust me, it will feel like a jewel box, and it does, and I love it,” says Elaine, who admits to liking a little sparkle and shine. A fireclay apron-front sink, scalloped mother-of-pearl backsplash, and quartz countertops all add varying degrees of shimmer. The pantry’s functionality is dedicated primarily to Elaine’s baking prowess (she makes a mean carrot cake, among other delicacies).
“Throughout the project, Sage asked us how a certain choice made us feel, whether it felt fun and energetic or serene and calm. And that thought process really helped us through a lot of our decisions,” notes Elaine. Now, their newly remodeled kitchen, a showpiece celebrating art and nature, makes them feel good every day.