The first thing you notice about Anne and John Stella's kitchen is how bright and airy it is. Several curtainless windows let in an abundance of natural light, and the brightness is further emphasized by the Hampton-style white cabinetry, white subway tile backsplashes and white marble countertops.
“I was not interested in remodeling a kitchen,” Anne explains. The couple had already done three remodels on their last house of 20 years. “We were so fortunate when we bought the house last May that the kitchen was done. It was a huge decision for us buying the house.”
The Colonial Hills house, built in 1930, underwent a complete renovation about 13 years ago, and then the kitchen was updated again cosmetically a couple of years before the Stellas moved in. Anne has a notebook with before and after photos that the former owners made when they renovated the house. The only changes they've made since have been to paint, add a small kitchen nook area, and they opened up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to maximize the dining area's centralized location to all the living areas.
“Architect Tim Hayes always said if you walk through a room, you're going to use it,” she says. “And so we do—we use the dining room all the time.”
The kitchen features a Viking stainless steel range and hood and Sub-Zero fridge. Although most of the counters are white marble, the large center island is also stainless steel.
“If I had done it myself, I would have thought the island was way too big, but it works so well for entertaining and in terms of the flow with the stove, sink and fridge,” Anne explains. “The stainless steel top is a saving grace because you can put hot stuff right on it.”
When asked if she uses the kitchen frequently, Anne confesses that she doesn't cook as much now as she did when her kids still lived at home.
“I've always cooked,” she says. “I had four kids, so I cooked five nights out of the week. My kids are all in college, but when they're home, I cook.”
