Spaces: Chef D’œuvre

Photograph by Michael J. Lee

The Problem

Beset with crowded counters and poorly placed cabinets, this Cambridge kitchen needed a simpler workflow without knocking down any walls.

The Solution

To open up the room’s linear layout, designer Annie Hall nixed a long, peninsular counter in favor of a freestanding square island. By placing a sink in the middle of it, she created what’s known as the “kitchen work triangle,” which connects the sink, the range, and the refrigerator. Swapping hanging cabinets for under-counter drawers also allowed Hall to add a wall of vivid teal subway tile. The finishing touch in the bright, airy space? A bubble chandelier. “It’s a happy kitchen,” she says.

Design/Contracting by Annie Hall Interiors; contracting by S + H Construction