When Lydia White and Ian Fleming sent friend and architect Elyse Agnello the listing for a funky, shell-shaped home in Upstate New York, Agnello deemed it “awesomely appropriate” for the couple. Lydia and Ian lived in Brooklyn but were exploring the possibility of becoming homeowners outside the city and, they say, “fell in love with the property immediately.”

The home, originally completed in 1996 by architect Seymour Rutkin as his own residence, is set atop a hill in a small town in the Catskills. Its iconic, dome-shaped design stood out to Agnello, who founded the Chicago-based design firm DAAM with architect Alex Shelly. “The large white shell and signature orange porcelain–on–aluminum panels of the south-facing facade are set in a natural backdrop such that the home appears simultaneously playful and majestic,” explains Agnello.

Before: Entryway

Lydia, a designer focused on climate and community, and Ian, a product management leader in life sciences, purchased the house in the summer of 2015. About a year later, they began discussions with DAAM about renovating the kitchen. “Our earliest conversations focused on how to celebrate Shell House’s form and sustainable features while modernizing both its aesthetics and building systems,” recalls Agnello. The idea was to create a more comfortable, contemporary living environment.

After: Entryway

Before: Kitchen

The existing kitchen was nearing 25 years of use, and even though it had been custom-designed for the house, it wasn’t ideal for the new homeowners. The flow didn’t allow for multiple people cooking at once—in part because of its size, and in part because of the location of the fridge and the inclusion of a narrow hallway and laundry room as part of the layout. What’s more, there were some clearance issues: due to the curved wall, sometimes you’d hit your head against the porthole windows if you were in front of the sink—not quite ideal.

After: Kitchen

Lydia and Ian knew they wanted more storage and counter space for socializing—and not just for themselves. In 2018, they’d started Shell House Arts, a biannual artist residency. “Cooking and coming together around food has been important for us as hosts, but it’s also an important element to the artist residency and building community,” they explain.

To meet these requests, DAAM focused on raising head height clearances, adding utility to the layout by triangulating new cooking equipment, creating more storage throughout, resolving some issues related to air flow, and also creating a new foyer-like space at the entry.

The concrete shell of the house “impacted every aspect of the design,” notes Agnello, from the functional decisions, to the shape of the kitchen island and countertops, to the heights of the tall cabinets. By meticulously diagramming the locations of kitchen equipment and countertop depth, they ensured there was enough headroom at every appliance and fluidity in the layout.

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In place of the washer and dryer, the architects built a tall, multifunctional cabinet to house the refrigerator, pantry, and storage system. “These elements assist in framing the kitchen space within the open plan of Shell House,” explains Agnello.

The walnut cabinetry, with its deep brown tone and visible grain, was selected to contrast with the off-white surface of the shell structure, and the soft whites of the quartz countertops visually connect horizontal surfaces to the curved walls. Touches of blue at the kick plate of the cabinetry and the floor tiles work as a complementary accent to the exterior’s orange panels.

The form of the home influenced several other details from the orb-shaped light fixtures (complete with orange cords) to the penny tile backsplash to the half-moon drawer pulls. Even the Clé floor tiles were selected because of their curving, graphic pattern. At the entry area, circular windows in the new door—crafted of the same deep walnut—“playfully pay homage to the geometry of Rutkin’s original design,” says Agnello.

In the end, the kitchen renovation feels both distinctly new but also so perfectly executed that it seems almost inevitable—both studied and whimsical, as it appears on the facade.

Before: Living and Dining Area

After: Living and Dining Area

More Before & After:

A Bungalow on the English Coast Becomes an Eclectic Retreat

A Storybook Cottage in L.A. Hits a Much-Needed Growth Spurt

Project Credits:

Architects: DAAM / @daamprojects, Seymour Rutkin
Contractor: Whritner Builders
Millwork Fabrication: Engels Cabinetshop
Tile: clé tile
Photography: Lydia White
Homeowners: Lydia White and Ian Fleming