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Darby Scott and Dave Kloss dated in high school only to go their separate ways and start families of their own. Years later, her sister encouraged them to reconnect after they both lost their spouses tragically. Offering each other support from NYC (where Scott made a name for herself in fashion and luxury goods) and the North Shore respectively, they forged a friendship that developed into marriage.

Scott moved into Kloss’s Andover colonial, creating a blended family of six with her two young sons and Kloss’s two teen sons. Out of respect for Kloss’s late wife, the couple took any alterations to the family home slowly. An initial renovation carved out two newly necessary bedrooms on the third floor.

After years of finding a rhythm to their new family life, the couple knew that the kitchen was a problem area. “It was tiny, and our four boys—all over six feet tall now—love to cook. There were so many pinch points; it just wasn’t built for a family of six,” describes Scott.

The couple embarked on a comprehensive renovation of the first floor and exterior with Howell Custom Building Group. The goal was to infuse the home with as much modern functionality as possible without sacrificing its New England character. The homeowners wanted a more gracious entry, plenty of sunlight, better flow, and, of course, a sizable kitchen for cooking, lingering, and entertaining.

“We stole space from an existing rear corner office and added on to the back of the house by four feet to create the newly expansive kitchen,” says Howell’s senior project manager Josh West. “Structurally, the addition was quite challenging because it required the installation of a crisscrossing steel beam to carry the load of such a wide span.”

Now, large awning windows topped by transoms bring in natural light while framing views of the back garden. Shaker-style cabinetry stretches along three walls, surrounding a central island with seating for six. A “hospitality station,” as the family calls it, with a double set of refrigerator drawers, accommodates morning coffee and evening happy hours. For formal dinners, it transforms into a bar and dessert station.

As an entrepreneur who grew her eponymous luxury goods brand from the ground up,  Scott has a natural eye for color and design. “I knew exactly what I wanted,” she relays. “I wanted lots of cabinets for storage while keeping an overall feel of Shaker austerity, of serenity. I like color but also wanted neutrality accented by rich fabrics,” she continues.

Benjamin Moore’s “Revere Pewter” on the perimeter cabinets and walls and an olive green “Randolph Gray” for the island cabinetry add historic richness to the kitchen’s palette. Dark “Carbo” quartz composite countertops by LX Hausys mimic the look of soapstone (Scott remembers her parents’ old soapstone farm sink fondly) without the upkeep.

“A lot of the photos Darby showed me were from New England antique houses, like the one she grew up in Harvard,” notes interior designer Melissa Hammond, principal of Hammond Design, who worked closely with her client on layout decisions and maintaining cohesiveness room to room. “We used all colors from Benjamin Moore’s historic line,” she adds, “and Darby brought some wonderful antiques from her New York City apartment.”

But modernity makes itself known via contemporary faucets, cabinet hardware, and appliances. The wide-plank oak floors add character but with a more polished finish. Similarly, aged acid-washed zinc on the custom vent hood speaks to the past while its clean-lined profile is decidedly of the present.

Throughout the interior, modern and tradition dance delightfully together in a sophisticated, pared-down way. Antique furniture pieces and wool rugs harmonize with abstract paintings and sculptures and contemporary club chairs with funky patterns.

“Everywhere you look,” continues Hammond, “there is something surprising and delightful to see.”

To the owners, their new entry is a game-changer. “Before, when you walked in, there was this tiny coat closet that you couldn’t even access with the front door open,” recalls Scott. A new bump-out makes the space feel open and welcoming, complete with a Dutch door that allows for breezes and packages to pass through easily. 

In the former dining room, Scott’s new office is now bright and stylish. Sliding pocket doors create privacy when needed. She manages darbyscott.com mostly from home with her golden retriever, Coco, by her side.

With the renovation complete, the Andover colonial accommodates both work and home life. Its cohesive style speaks to the now, but cherished memories from the past are ever-present.

Although the couple’s boys are older, the kitchen bustles whenever they are home, and the living spaces brim with extended family during the holidays. “For us, food and cooking are all about love and joy and laughter. It’s what we love to do,” says Scott.