Comfortable yet clean lined, this sit-down-to-dinner spot looks as if it might have been inherited from some mid-19th-century forebears—though the house around it is just nine years old. Its beadboard walls, painted wood floor, cooking hearth, and open shelves stacked with colorful mixing bowls are hallmarks of farmhouses built over 100 years ago. In those earlier homes, the entire first floor was one open, multipurpose area for cooking, eating, and living, not unlike today's open-plan spaces. The secret to putting the look together? "Find simple new pieces to mix with some that have a little age on them, and paint built-ins and woodwork traditional white to disguise their newness," says architect Gil Schafer, whose Amenia, New York, house is shown on these pages. Here are elements you can assemble for a similar look.
Contribute to This Story Below