When it came time to update the kitchen of her 1960s Colonial-style home, designer Molly Singer embraced the design advice she’s been dishing out for decades: finishes became punchier, paint colors and patterns veered more playful than placid. The whole project became a testament to what happens when you let a designer do their thing.
Read on for a full breakdown of the 10 ways Molly tuned this space into a charming, collected farmhouse-style kitchen of her wildest, most colorful dreams.
Go for Nickel-Gap Paneling
So that the new kitchen would be in keeping with the rest of her 1965 home, Molly skipped the standard drywall and opted for a tongue-and-groove wood treatment whose name comes from the nickel-wide spacing between boards. Covering both the walls and the 12-foot-high ceiling, the creamy paneling offers contrast to the red oak beams, corbels, and flooring, all stained with a custom 50/50 blend of Bona’s Cocoa and Natural.
Get the Look:
Paneling Paint Color: Pointing by Farrow & Ball
Choose Character-Rich Cabinetry
Painted a fresh shade of duck egg blue, the kitchen’s drawers and cabinets feature thoughtful details, including mix-and-match unlacquered brass hardware, furniture-style toe kicks, and—atop the two glass-fronted step-back upper cabinets—classic crown molding. Dark honed Adamantium quartzite countertops help ground the otherwise airy color palette.
Get the Look:
Cabinetry Paint Color: Skywalker by Backdrop
RELATED: Marble vs. Quartz Countertops: Which is Better?
Install a Multitasking Island
Thanks to endcap shelving, the 6-1/2-foot-long island can house Molly’s many cookbooks. On the other end, a three-foot stretch of zebrawood butcher block is intentionally raised half an inch higher than the quartzite island top to create two separate prep spaces. The two backless rattan stools are easily tucked underneath when not in use.
RELATED: Our Favorite Kitchen Island Ideas for Kitchens Large and Small
Bring in Natural Touches
A trio of shapely jute rugs dots the light-filled space and adds a happily humble layer. The contrasting finishes of the round wood-toned dining table and the black-stained Windsor chairs give a contemporary touch to the otherwise classic kitchen.
Stick with a Statement Stove
A 55-inch-long vent hood, crafted from the same red oak as the adjoining beams, crowns the stainless steel gas range. Along the top and the bottom, decorative bands of wood tambour paneling bring more visual texture. The stove’s extended quartzite backsplash, outfitted with an unlacquered brass pot filler, protects the wood walls, while a handy three-inch-deep built-in shelf serves as the perfect perch for Molly’s go-to spices.
Layer Your Lighting
Molly, who is not a fan of “boring” overhead recessed lighting, opted for an array of light fixtures including task pendant lights hung over the island (the metal shades were painted to match the cabinetry), and a pair of sweet shaded sconces to illuminate the back counter.
Don’t Forget the Farmhouse Sink
Molly encourages clients, especially those who have children or love to entertain, to install two sinks (and two dishwashers!) to give their kitchens max efficiency. In her own kitchen, both apron-front sinks, paired with unlacquered brass bridge faucets, are under large windows that overlook the pastoral property’s landmarks: a 100-plus-year-old spring house and an even older oak tree.
Pick Pretty Patterns
“If you have the opportunity to put fabric in a kitchen, take it,”says Molly. Here, she followed her own advice by embracing a graphic Art Deco-inspired motif on the sconce shades and the on-trend café curtains. Happy plaid seat cushions offer another soft moment.
Get the Look:
Café Curtain and Sconce Shade Fabric: Mézières by Antoinette Poisson
Plaid Seat Cushion Fabric: Banon Plaid by Brunschwig & Fils
RELATED: Trend Alert! Café Curtains are Back! Here’s How to Use Them.
Choose Smart Storage
Custom built-ins hide the clutter of what Molly calls the “children’s pantry,” where kid-friendly foods are stashed. While the left side has fully functioning drawers and cabinets, the right side is purely decorative, as it conceals a load-bearing wall she couldn’t build into. The middle portion features double plate racks and a pair of crosshatch mesh-fronted cabinets that hold her copper cookware. Above it all, Spode’s Woodland plates add farmhouse flair.
Prep a Party Pantry
French pocket doors open to reveal this well-appointed pass-through, which connects the kitchen with the dining room and the den. The space functions like a hardworking party-prep zone, thanks to a wet bar and an undermount hammered-brass sink. The pairing of the dark inky blue cabinetry paint color and the blue-green ceiling wallpaper creates a transition between the light and bright kitchen color way and the den’s moodier palette.
Get the Look:
Cabinetry Paint Color: Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball
Shop the Look
Unlacquered Brass Knob
Swan Neck Sconce
Scalloped Jute Rug
Gingham Wallpaper
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
