Sara Banner, director of operations and marketing at Vestige Home, finally has the kitchen of her dreams, one that was years in the making. The home, which is located just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was built in the 1950s and Banner moved in seven years ago. 

“It was in pretty rough shape,” she recalls. “It had been sitting on the market for quite a while due to its condition, but the generous interior spaces, layout, and .5 acre with pool had us overlooking the obvious drawbacks of the property.”

Before updates could be made to the living spaces, necessities like a new roof, windows, flooring, and more were updated for safety and sustainability. Finally, after a few years in the home, Banner was ready to start making cosmetic upgrades, starting with the living room and kitchen, both remodeled with help from Vestige Home CEO and Principal Designer Nicole Cole. 

The Initial Refresh

The initial refresh included painting the existing cabinetry, updating the hardware, and removing a soffit and upper cabinets; however, it lacked needed functionality and storage. The plan would be to connect the space with the recently renewed family room so they felt “cohesive yet distinct and keep some of the original features of the home like the interior cut stone walls,” Cole says. Additionally, BOXI by Semihandmade cabinetry, “soft marble countertops that played off the colors in the stone and backsplash” and other muted materials were added for balance.

More is More

The footprint didn’t change but the new kitchen has a layout with more cabinetry, airy open shelving, and tons of drawers. “We focused on adding drawers – and smaller drawers-within-drawers – wherever possible. From cooking utensils to baking essentials, everything has a place in the new kitchen,” Cole says. There’s even a coffee station and pantry storage. 

The design team at BOXI was also critical to completing the renovation in just four months. “We worked with the BOXI team to confirm the product selections, double check measurements, and ensure that all the toe kicks and filler pieces were accounted for,” she says. BOXI’s Peppercorn Edge cabinets bridge a transitional style that works perfectly with the home’s architectural charms. Oil-rubbed bronze hardware “pairs well with the slim cabinet edge profile and the warmth of the bronze keeps it from feeling stark,” Banner adds. 

Two-Tone Moment

For the secondary bank of cabinets, Banner hoped to reference the family room credenza and complement the dark BOXI cabinets, ultimately choosing Semihandmade’s SSS DIY Quarterline fronts painted in Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore. “The bases for the cabinets are IKEA and I love this product for the flexibility it offers,” says the designer. “We included hidden drawers, a trash can pull-out, and tons of upper storage.  I brush painted the fronts so that they have a handmade feeling to them and offer plenty of flexibility if they needed to be repainted or touched-up in the future.”

In the Details

Brown marble replaced dated laminated, while hand-casted brass brackets from Etsy were swapped for industrial black brackets on the open shelves. For the backsplash, vertical beige tile, a nod to the v-groove white oak paneling, offers varying hues and a matte finish. Black appliances blend with the cabinetry, while an Amber Lewis for Loloi runner finishes the look. 

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