Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/35164
A Room Some designers love starting with a blank slate—new construction or a stark room— while others relish in making the most out of a diffi cult existing space. In the home she shares with husband Steve, Laurel Brown found a happy mix of both. “We gutted and remodeled about 60 percent of [the home],” she says. Leaning on the skills she developed while work- ing at an architecture fi rm before starting Brownhouse Designs nine years ago, she re-imagined the fl oor plan while staying true to its English Tudor exterior and the rolling Fitchburg countryside it sits upon. But no room refl ects the couple's person- alities as much as the expansive kitchen. “We pretty much live in the kitchen,” Brown says of the space that was once three small rooms with little natural light. “My husband and I sit in the two chairs [by the fi replace] and talk and when we do infor- mal entertaining we’re all in here. I think there are months where I don’t see the rest of the house,” she adds, laughing. To refl ect her timeless aesthetic, Brown installed walls of windows that look onto wooded hills and added English charm with painted cabinetry, a stone fi replace and limestone fl ooring. To add a richness she is known for creating, Brown worked in warm colors and textures along with detailed moldings, refl ected near the fi re- place and on the cabinetry. “Th is kitchen is nine years old,” Brown says, “and I still love it as much today as when it was completed.” Brown warms her spaces with bright fabrics and comfortable furniture. exclamation point to a kitchen,” she says. “You can’t overlook it.” wit h Laurel Brown’s country manor kitchen aView cooktop, Brown created her own mosaic backsplash. “I always think of the backsplash as an Above her state-of-the-art “I [love] large scale, gothic- looking fi replaces,” Brown says of the room’s massive wood-burning fi replace. “In winter we have a fi re in there almost every night.” A butcher-block island anchors the cooking space, allowing Brown to spread out when she cooks, while still interacting with family and friends gathered around the granite-topped bar. architectural details,” Brown says. To give a room volume, or “loft,” she never misses a chance to look beyond standard moldings by add- ing distinct millwork and fi nishes to the square footage above. “I’m most passionate about 46 BRAVA Magazine June 2011