Katie and Dan Sullivan’s four teenagers had thoughts about their home’s decor: They all said it looked frumpy. And they were right. “I grew up in my father’s 1800s childhood home with my grandmother’s furniture; I gravitate toward older things,” Katie says. “It was frumpy.”
The couple bought the 1927 Dutch Colonial farmhouse in Dover in 2001 before starting a family. Nearly 20 years in — their offspring now full-size humans — the home felt not just dated, but tight, too. To make it more comfortable for a family of six, they decided to build an addition on the back of the home and open up the rooms in the front.
With building plans in hand, Katie and Dan hired designer Meghan Shadrick to create warm, timeless interiors that elegantly blended old with new. Shadrick started by finessing the layout. “Architects and builders tend to overdo it when homeowners say ‘open floor plan,’” Shadrick says. “It’s important not to stray too far from a home’s roots or you lose the character.”
With all the walls gone, the front door opened directly into the kitchen — so the entryway needed a reset. The designer added the tiniest bit of wall to create a discrete foyer. “You need to find the balance,” she says. “Here we put the cased opening to the kitchen back in.”
Determined not to repeat their mistake of choosing too-on-trend materials for the kitchen — their yellow glazed cabinets and speckled brown granite countertops felt atrocious now — the Sullivans went with white Shaker-style cabinetry and classic Vermont Danby marble countertops. Blue-black stain on the island base appeases Katie’s wish for a touch of blue.
To avoid a potential bowling alley effect in the kitchen — the space doubled in length by absorbing the dining room — Shadrick implemented a material change for the island, integrating a furniture-like, butcher-block-topped work station at one end. The range’s rustic hood mantel also helps by drawing the eye up. The chunky piece highlights the terra-cotta tile backsplash from Tabarka Studio. “The range is off to the side; the mantel ensures it doesn’t look like an afterthought,” Shadrick says. The mantel’s “old British charm warms and helps settle the space.”
The kitchen flows into the new dining room, where the family can squeeze 13 — they often host their kids’ teammates — around the smooth walnut trestle table made by Huston & Co., of Kennebunkport, Maine. “The bench increases seating and tucks out of the way when not in use, keeping the path to the sliders clear,” Shadrick says. Plus, the Beata Heuman marbleized velvet upholstery is subtly stylish, durable, and forgiving.
The adjacent space is separated into two distinct seating areas. In the sun-dappled coffee nook, a pair of old swivel chairs reupholstered in a cozy bouclé sit atop a shaggy rug. “The chairs are the one thing we kept of all my prior bad decisions,” Katie says with a laugh. She settles here every morning and in the evening it’s a favorite spot for Dan to read. Opposite, a sturdy sectional upholstered in blue corduroy is nestled in a corner. The kids hang out here, the television usually tuned to sports. Dan has a good view from the swivel chairs, too.
French doors lead to the formal living room and Katie’s study. Like the coffee nook, the study (painted Benjamin Moore’s Van Deusen Blue) overlooks the wooded backyard. “I always wanted a room full of books like the library in the house I grew up in,” Katie says. It’s her favorite place to be, and the kids do homework there in the evening.
Shadrick’s mission for the large, rarely used living room? Make it feel cozy. Katie, who described the formal room as “the shrimp cocktail room only used for the holidays,” pinpointed it as the space that should embrace the whole family.
“The windows on the back of the house make the newly open spaces look fresh and light,” Shadrick says, “but it was important to leave some spaces a little darker” in keeping with the home’s origins. The designer wrapped the room in grass cloth to warm it. By contrast, she says, “Light- to medium-toned paint can fall flat and feel dull.” Tailored but cushy blue velvet sofas befit the more formal space and a walnut coffee table, by local furniture maker Saltwoods, provides an expansive surface for snacks. On weekends, the family gathers here to watch sports and enjoy the fire.
“It’s a luxury to live in a home that is so functional, versatile, and comfortable,” Katie says. “We plan to stay forever.”
Resources
Interior Designer: Meghan Shadrick Interiors, meghanshadrick.com
Architect: Homefolks Design, 508-451-4531
Contractor: G.C. Finigan Construction Co., gcfinigan.com
Kitchen Cabinetry: Scandia Kitchens, scandiakitchens.com
Built-ins: Built-ins by Eddie, instagram.com/builtinsbyeddie
Photographs
Tractor stools from Rejuvenation feel appropriate to the home’s provenance and the Arteriors Home pulley pendant lights blend old and new.Jared Kuzia
The mirrored interior of The Urban Electric Co. pendant light reflects a fun pattern on the velvet bench.Jared Kuzia
Shadrick restored the distinct entry hall after early plans eliminated it.Jared Kuzia
In the study, light filters through Schumacher linen drapes with a paisley pattern.Jared Kuzia
Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to [email protected].