New Country Kitchen

When Magaly Blanco and her family decided to move permanently to their weekend home in Homestead, Florida, there was a problem. While the 1917 English country cottage was suitable for weekend escapes, the home's kitchen was too small to accommodate a large family year round. To remedy the problem, the Blancos decided to build a new kitchen that kept with the country cottage feeling of the original house.

• To make the new addition blend with the rest of the home, Blanco chose old bricks for the floor and aged the cedar ceiling beams by scraping off the plaster to reveal the wood grain underneath.
• The greens and golds in a stained-glass door panel influenced the color palette in the kitchen. A deep green wallpaper covers the walls and green, gold and red are found in the window coverings and accessories. Yellow pine cabinets reinforce the country look.
• Accessories include flow blue pottery, rooster-themed serving pieces and antique brass scales.
• The large center island provides plenty of space for food preparation and also hides a microwave and trash compactor underneath.