Inside designer Stephanie Freeman’s kitchen, her favorite room in the house.

The kitchen’s remodel was done by Abrams Properties and McEvoy Construction

When Stephanie Freeman (stephaniefreemandesign.com) and her husband relocated from San Francisco, they began the typically arduous task of finding a new home in a new city. There was one 1923 colonial that Freeman found particularly charming, but sadly, it wasn’t for sale.

The island pendants are by Urban Electric and the custom dining chandelier is by O’Lampia.

And then, in a moment of kismet, her real estate agent called and said the developer would be willing to sell. The house was in the early stages of a gut remodel, which may have deterred many a prospective buyer, but Freeman jumped at the chance to select every single detail of the interior. “It was a dream come true. We essentially had a new home in a historic shell,” she says. The kitchen was already framed as an addition. They kept the overall footprint, but re-arranged the appliances, redesigned the windows and added new framing for a dry bar. Forgoing a traditional dining room, she placed the dining table in the adjacent central space.

The runner is vintage Turkish Jijim by Landry & Arcari and the stone is honed Eureka Danby marble by Marble and Granite in Westwood

Aesthetically, she wanted the kitchen to feel warm and textured, but distinctly modern. She sought to infuse a west-coast casual minimalism without making the space feel discordant with the home’s classic architecture. One way in which Freeman kept the delicate balance of styles was to chose light fixtures that leaned more traditional.

The oak shelves and beam wrap were done by Nine Points Woodworking.

The crisp lines of the plaster hood, the absence of crown molding and the thin beveled profile of the cabinets lend an airy feel to the space. To add warmth, she focused on textures using Venetian plaster paint, honed marble, rustic oak accents and unlacquered brass. Finally, she knew she wanted a “wow” moment at the dry bar, and the custom wallpaper mural by Flavor Paper (flavorpaper.com) was the perfect contrast with this otherwise neutral space. “I love that it’s an edgier take on a traditional floral motif,” Freeman says.

The custom mylar mural in the dry bar is by Flav

The family entertains a lot and the bright space has become a hub for friends and family to gather. “It’s my favorite room in the house,” says Freeman.