Kendra White of Pheasant Hill Designs takes the home from dark and dated to light, bright and happy.
by Cathy Martin | photographs by Dustin and Susie Peck
“Lived-in” is how the Piper Glen mother of three described her family’s home of nearly 20 years before a recent first-floor renovation. “It was a comfortable home and inviting,” she says, but showed some wear and tear after raising a family.
“We wanted something just elegant, letting the natural light in — something very light and airy.”
After searching online for a designer, the homeowners brought in Kendra Tardif White of Pheasant Hill Designs to reimagine the kitchen, along with a powder room and an upstairs bedroom suite for their teen daughter. But once the kitchen was complete, the homeowners realized the entire downstairs of the ’90s-era home needed updating.
A dining area adjacent to the kitchen overlooks the hearth room, where the family spends most of their time. The dark, ’90s-era kitchen was transformed into a light, bright space for cooking and entertaining. The brushed brass light fixtures are from Hudson Valley Lighting. A scullery is concealed behind double doors that look like cabinets. Also hidden from view: A mixer stand with a pull-out shelf is built into the island.
“It was one of those eye-opening moments,” the homeowner says. “The kitchen had been so elevated that we really needed to reimagine the other rooms to make it all match — to make a better flow.” They ended up gutting the entire first floor.
“We took everything down to the studs,” says White, founder and lead designer of Pheasant Hill. “The house has great bones,” she continues, but the dark-and-dated aesthetic was affecting the family’s ability to fully enjoy spending time there.
AN ELEGANT AND FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN
“We really wanted to elevate the space,” the homeowner says. “I love to cook. I wanted a kitchen that was functional and elegant.”
Dark cabinets with brown granite countertops were replaced with custom white cabinets topped with beige Perla Venata quartzite. Brushed brass details on the custom hood and wall tiles add a bit of glamour, while burlwood counter stools balance the bling with a warm, natural element.
White turned a dark, rarely used living room into a bright, comfortable space with a game table and a sectional sofa for lounging or watching TV.
A statement-making marble backsplash extends beyond the workspace for a dramatic effect. “We decided there was no really good break point to stop the backsplash, so we carried it all the way to the door casing,” says White.
The couple also enjoys entertaining. To make the space more conducive to guests, a wet bar was created in a former pantry, with a wine cooler and deep drawers for liquor storage with custom reeded fronts. A scullery, concealed behind double doors that look like cabinets, was carved out of an oversized laundry room. The space serves as both a pantry and a prep space when hosting guests.
A SPACE TO RELAX
One of the biggest transformations took place in the hearth room, a cozy space adjacent to the kitchen that’s bathed in sunlight.
“This is really where they spend their time as a family,” says White. Here, the designer brought in soft blues and greens that appealed to both the husband and wife. Custom sofas, chairs and ottomans provide ample seating for the family of five.
The fireplace is a focal point in the small room, but the original surround presented a design challenge.
Keeping the original dentil molding, designer Kendra White painted all the walls and ceilings white to brighten the rooms. In the powder room, a wall-mounted pedestal sink gives the small space an open feel.
“Previously it was a dark, emerald-green marble, with a very traditional mantel, which caused the TV to be mounted extremely high,” says White. “Because the room is not that big, it wasn’t really comfortable for TV viewing.” By redesigning the fireplace surround and eliminating the mantel, the TV could be lowered to a more comfortable height.
Since the room is surrounded by windows, motorized woven shades that can be closed with the touch of a button were installed. Block-printed drapery panels from Galbraith & Paul soften the space.
ROOM FOR A CROWD
Rarely used rooms are now spaces the family looks forward to hanging out in. After the homeowners mentioned the formal living room was too “depressing” to sit in, White set about to fix that.
“When you walk in the front door, that’s the first room that you see, but they never used it because it was so dark,” says White. A muted color scheme and adjacent sunroom had turned the room into a dungeon. And while the room was large enough, it didn’t function well for the homeowners, who sought space to accommodate extended family as their adult children start families of their own.
The designer added sconces and art lighting to brighten the room, refaced the fireplace, and gave the original built-ins a facelift, adding grasscloth wallpaper behind the shelves. A sectional sofa creates a space for relaxing and watching TV, while a custom game table and bar cart provides a dedicated space for an impromptu game of chess. Blush accent pillows and draperies in a botanical print add a feminine touch.
In the dining room, Visual Comfort lamps and floral draperies also pull in pink tones. The Thibaut fabric was the jumping-off point for the room’s design.
“Once that was picked, we put everything else together,” says White, including the custom animal print rug and Gustavian-style dining chairs for a Swedish aesthetic.
The renovation was so successful that the homeowners have since tapped White to tackle additional design projects, including an exterior renovation.
“Kendra and her team just brought our home to a different level of elegance and function.” SP
