Natural Wood is the Star of This Earthy Kitchen Makeover

Laurel Harrish and her husband, Jeremy Jordan, bought their Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, home in 2015 because they loved the big kitchen. But as their daughters and careers grew (Laurel is a photographer; Jeremy is a college dean), they needed more space for cooking, hosting — and doing homework. The couple worked with Sean Lewis of Airy Kitchens to remove the wall between the dining room and kitchen and strip the space of its ’90s aesthetic. They replaced the white cabinets with natural wood and added pops of gold and green. “It feels fresh now,” says Laurel. “And the flow works whether we have 50 people in here or just us four.”

The Design Details

Retro Lighting

Laurel splurged on the Rejuvenation globe pendants. “They remind me of being a kid in the ’70s,” she says. The brass matches the hardware on the island. The perfect shade of green to complement these golden accents: Desert Sage by Dunn-Edwards.

Dual Counters

There’s room for everyone in the kitchen, Laurel says. She and Jeremy prep dinner at the island; Quinn, 14, and Ruby, 11, often sit at the counter on the Poly & Bark vegan-leather stools. The countertops are white quartz.

Rustic Wood

The beam is weight-bearing and had to stay, so Sean suggested covering it in reclaimed barnwood from an architectural salvage company in Philadelphia. “It complements the oak cabinets,” says Laurel.

Drinks Station

Laurel replaced a built-in desk with an area for drinks. “We never used the office, but we host lots of guests, so the bar is super handy,” she says. Black matte pulls from Corston and a Delta faucet give the space a modern farmhouse feel.

Cement Tiles

"We needed something bold and graphic," Laurel says of the backsplash area. To break up all the wood in the space, Sean suggested these Midwestern-style cement tiles from Clé.