Bartlett’s selection of fabrics and furniture exudes a comfortable lived-in look. This is especially true of the breakfast area, which is tucked into a large bay window in the adjacent morning room that offers expansive views of the Mackes’ gardens. Between the upholstered banquette (which is not built in), pillows, cushions on the dining chairs, and the window treatment, the designer estimates he used upwards of 20 different fabrics. The dining table is a merger of two cultures: The pieced-marble top is from Italy, and the base was made in the United States. Because there is so much recessed lighting in the kitchen, Bartlett chose a chandelier with candles over the table, which is where the Mackes take most of their meals. Even the window bears the designer’s touch. “The windows are clad on the outside,” says Bartlett, “but we ordered them unfinished inside so they could be hand-distressed, stained, and glazed to fit the interior.” Molding in the area was hand-fabricated in wood and then gessoed to get that rustic country look. “I designed it and the kitchen to be eclectic-looking,” says Bartlett, “like something that had come together over a period of years, not done all at once.”
The views from the kitchen look out onto the gardens, a grill area, and a covered porch. The porch offers a delightful outdoor dining spot and seating area that is easily accessed from the morning room.
All of the thought and care that has gone into the design has paid off. The kitchen is one of Kathy’s favorite spots in the house. “I love the bay window and window seats,” she says. “In fact, that whole area just works beautifully.”
