Just-Right
Family Kitchens

We actually uncovered more of the rock and made that a big part of the landscape." The angled bump-out neatly skirts the outcropping, and the Dobrow's added a new bluestone patio to echo the rocky texture.

About 10 1/2 feet wide on each side, the bay area of the addition is just large enough for conversation and quiet activity. A television is hidden in the cabinetry at the end of the island.

Besides adding more space, the project gave Paula a long-awaited chance to imprint her style on the story-and-a-half home she and Richard bought 13 years ago. Her vision was straightforward: open space, clean and simple lines, and an emphasis on natural woods character-rich handmade accents.

Hand-painted tiles Paula had saved since a family summer in Tuscany, Italy, cued the earthly palette. She spotted the two-toned cabinetry look at a restaurant, and worked with a cabinetmaker to duplicate the look with a custom-tinted dye. (See "Idea File" on page ? for more on the technique.) Maine artist Debra Lindgren made backsplash and floor border tiles color-keyed to the Tuscany scenes.

The kitchen plan knits together the old space and new, with custom-designed white ash cabinetry and a long island that runs through the space from front to back. The food prep and cleanup areas are on one side of the island; on the other, a dining banquette and desk

At the end of the island, the ceiling starts its pyramidal rise from a height of 7 1/2 feet to a skylight at 12 feet above the sitting area. In a nod to the home's traditional style, Falck had custom mullions made for the stock casement windows.