9 Simple Kitchen Upgrades

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Photographs by Laura Moss, Styling by Stephanie Hanes

Kitchen Chronicles

Owner Madelyn Smith knew she'd found "the one" the first time she stepped inside the McLean, Va., home where she lives with husband, Dominic. It was almost perfect. The newly built kitchen — with white cabinetry, a walnut-topped island, marble countertops and top-of-the-line appliances — was gorgeous, but it had no pep or personality. Madelyn wanted to keep the room's good bones but add her own flare, so she asked Washington, D.C., interior designer Marika Meyer to help her turn a blank canvas into a stylish spot for a high-energy family of five.