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Making the decision to buy a home is never easy; it’s hard to know what life will look like five or ten years down the line. But on the bright side, buying a home is exciting. The responsibility can be invigorating.

After: By knocking out a wall and building a new island, the kitchen flows more cohesively into the living room and dining room. The

The pantry lines the wall to the right.

An arched opening was added to connect the kitchen and breakfast nook, and gain sightlines to the yard. Seamus refinished the fireplace mantle and added square zellige Zia tile in ‘Nana’s Lipstick’ to the surround. Gubi Semi Pendants hang over the island, and the sink has a Devol Ionian Bridge Tap.

The kitchen features its original built-in clock; a Michael Graves Alessi kettle stands on the range.

"The marble was chosen to complement the tones of the timber floors,

Quartz countertops and two-by-eight-inch subway tile with tan grout (on the backsplash) complement the tone of the birch cabinetry and ash shelves in the kitchen.

It was important, says Kaplan, to define the kitchen area with the “heavy horizontal lid” that runs along the top of the windows. The custom stove hood echoes the lines of the original wainscot.

The biggest savings here were found in labour: Liz and Matt got hands on with almost everything, and called in favors for the electric work.

The architects used natural materials and colors in the kitchen to make the space feel serene, expansive, and connected to the outdoors.

While Nigel and Jane originally were considering blue kitchen cabinets, they instead opted for a big blue Aga range. “I’m so glad we did. It makes the range much more of a feature,” says Jane.