Our friend Michelle McKenna has worked as an advertising executive, healing arts practitioner, and florist; she drew on her eclectic experiences when it came time to renovate her 1840s Georgian house (with the help of architect Rahesh Ram of Nau Architecture). She spent extra time on the kitchen, sourcing one-off salvaged hardware, top-of-the-line appliances, and custom counters and cabinets. As she says, “We’re always here, so shouldn’t it be the nicest room in the house?” We’ve sleuthed all the components of her kitchen (and for those that are vintage, something similar) to re-create the look.
Above: The Shaker cabinets, cooktop island, and cherry counters were designed and constructed by brothers Ben and Tim Goodingham. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home. Above: Pale blue walls, Chinoiserie wallpaper, Swedish chairs, and retro accents come together at the breakfast table in the kitchen. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home.
Materials
Above: Three-by-six-inch ceramic subway tile is available from Subway Ceramics. Above: Michelle had the custom kitchen cabinets painted in Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue; $115 per gallon. Above: Michelle first spotted the chinoiserie pattern seen in the kitchen on a greeting card and found it was from British company Fromental. Contact Fromental for Chinoiserie Wallpaper pricing, information, and the different colors available (seen here is Blue Light).
Above: The Lilla Åland Solid Birch Chair, designed by Carl Malmsten, is Michelle’s dining chair of choice. The chair is available through Stolab in Sweden. Above: The Louis Poulsen Artichoke Lamp in Copper, designed by Poul Henningsen in 1958, starts at $9,737 for the smaller chandelier at Design Within Reach.
Accessories & Hardware
Above: Michelle sourced the brass handles in her kitchen from her “salvage guy,” Edward Haes. For something similar, House of Antique Hardware’s Center Solid Brass Handles are finished by hand for $16.09 each. Above: A stack of pastel Mr Right Cups by ceramicist Lenneke Wispelwey. The cups are £25 ($30) at Smug. Above: The Oji Masanori Futagami Brass Stationary Tray is $56 for the medium size at Nalata Nalata. Michelle uses the tray in the kitchen to corral scrub brushes and dish soap by the sink. Above: Also by Lenneke Wispelwey, the Mr Right Carafe is £129 ($157) at Smug. Above: Source a vintage telephone like this Pink Rotary Phone on Etsy. For more on Michelle’s house, see:
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