Newburyport Kitchen Tour 2013

(So, I had started writing up this post, then managed to lose all the text and I just don't have time to re-create it. Oy. )

So, here are photo montages of my trip up to the Newburyport Kitchen tour on Saturday, with proceeds benefiting the Newburyport Elementary schools. Of all the house tours I've been on over the years, the one's in N-port are always the best and never disappoint. The town offers such a wide variety of architectural styles and environments - from woodsy camp like locations along the Merrimack River to in-town city dwellings nestled cheek by jowl. I am biased because I lived there for a few years, but it's really the best city in New England as far as I'm concerned.

This is the first house we visited and it was truly my favorite. The gorgeous river setting in an out of the way location was calm and tranquil and the color palette and furnishings were that and more. The current owners purchased the abandoned bungalow house in 2004 and renovated in 2012. Design and Construction by True Company (whose house is also on the tour) with cabinets by R. J. Kitchens. Note to the homeowners - take your clothes, leave everything else behind and I'll be happy!

This next house is a new construction Federal style reproduction on High Street. I lived in a Federal era house on High Street just a few blocks away and was dying to get a closer look here. The builder was Mark DiPiero. Above is the exterior detail, below the interiors. How cute is the carriage house style garage out back? The interiors featured period appropriate architectural detailing with a light and bright kitchen. The counters are all carrera marble, the backsplash glass tile and the island features a curved seating counter with a contrasting black base.

The next house is one half of a mirror side-by-side two-family that was originally a carriage house, built in 1890, to a long-gone mansion. The house is pretty small, but Joppa Designs, Inc. did a wonderful job of maximizing the space. It was pretty crowded when I was there, so I couldn't get really good photos of the kitchen, other than some detail shots. The counters are Persia Avorio, the breakfast bar countertop is a custom cherry, the sink is Blanco Silgranit. The best feature is the coffered ceiling with the coffer painted a lovely mid-toned pearlescent blue in Ben Moore's Brushed Radiance paint. A glamorous detail that also added a spacious feel to the small space. The mudroom leading out to the deck was painted in BM Hale Navy with white accents.

This next house features several innovative green technologies such as geothermal heat, air and hot water. The roof is solar panel ready and is integrated with Powerhouse shingle technology. The original portion of this charming house dates to 1756 and has had several additions. The old section of the house maintains many original elements such as gorgeous original pine floors. The main feature of the new kitchen is the enormous - and I do mean enormous - center island that is 5-1/2' wide by maybe 10' long. It took 5 very strong men to wheel it in and place it on the cabinetry below. My last two kitchens were smaller than that island! The granite, from Gerrity Stone in Woburn, is Colonial Cream.

This next house dates to the 1790's and was the servants quarters for another local house. The owners, Adam and Lauren True,  are the design build firm The True Company who did the first house I visited at the top of this post. The first floor of the house is the home based office on the left and a family room/kitchen on the right, with a back hall connecting the two spaces in addition to the front hall. Thibaut's Trellis wallpaper is in the front hall and looks fantastic from the walkway enterting the house. The kitchen counter is Supreme White Quartzite and the green pendants are from Ballard Designs. There is a cute little eating nook on the far side of kitchen, the pendant is West Elm.

The next home is known as the Toppans Dodge House. The original saltbox dates to 1670 was a basic two up/two down structure. The carriage house and barn, which were separate are now joined and are the family room and garage, respectively. The house was expanded out the back to accomodate a larger kitchen and dining area. The exterior of the house is fantastic, but like any home that grew and evolved over centuries, the interiors are a bit more jumbled as rooms grow and change to accommodate modern living. However, there is a lot of original detailing that is fabulous such as the barn doors on the rustic family room which was once a carriage house.

The final property I saw was this gorgeous restoration of a Georgian house built in 1777. The front hall and stairs is truly amazing. The faux marble painted floor in a tumbling block pattern is to die for. The historically accurate wallpaper befits the grandness of the entry. The front to back staircase meets under an arch and continues up to the second floor. The side front parlors have matching custom rugs and wallpaper, which are historically accurate. Behind the rear facing stairs to the right is the original kitchen complete with walk-in fireplace, baking oven and a built-in cupboard. Behind the original kitchen was an added summer kitchen that is now the new kitchen, complete with chef quality appliances and cabinetry finished to match the original built-in cupboard in the old kitchen. Beyond the new kitchen is a tv room with views of a spacious back yard.

Here are some additional details around this house. I can't really explain why, but I love how close this house is to it's neighbor, and the beautiful brick facades with original period details.

 Swoon...

Here are some additional photos by photographer Lauren Poussard.

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

If you would like help designing your dream house, please don't hesitate to contact me!