It Took Years to Erase a Kitchen So Bad, It Wasn't Even Shown on the Real Estate Listing
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When Chandler and Jeremy Quarles saw the online listing for their Brentwood, Tennessee, home, the kitchen was conspicuously absent. During a tour, they quickly learned why. “The kitchen was like a time capsule—compact galley style layout, original dark stained oak cabinetry, bright yellow formica countertops, and even the original oven that survived decades of family dinners,” says Chandler, the lead designer of their Nashville-based studio Peach & Pine Interiors. It had remained virtually untouched since the house was built in 1965, but the duo knew the kitchen had immense potential to “be light-filled, functional, and charming,” says Chandler.
The couple planned and saved for nearly three years before renovating the kitchen, along with several other rooms on the main floor. To open up the space, they removed a wall that divided the former dining room and kitchen. This allowed them to place a 10-foot, solid walnut island in the center of the room, and then line the perimeter with ample cabinetry built by Broken Compass Woodworking. The focal point became the range alcove, where a dark soapstone backsplash and walnut shelving add a moody yet sophisticated touch.
Near the kitchen, the original laundry room felt cramped and awkwardly placed, as it was in direct line of sight from the front door. So they transformed it into a butler’s pantry that’s “a hub for all things beverages, making entertaining so much more fun,” Chandler says. “It has a door that leads onto the back porch, and it is the perfect place for guests to come inside and fill their glass or grab a drink from the mini fridge.”
Since the existing breakfast room that was connected to the kitchen already had big windows with views of the tree-filled backyard, all it needed was a facelift. They added wainscoting painted in Antique Pewter by Benjamin Moore and paired it with an understated Morris & Co. wallpaper, a serious upgrade from the orange, mustard, and olive plaid wallpaper they discovered under layers of paint in the kitchen. Fresh lighting from Visual Comfort completes the look.
A soft, neutral color palette fuels a sense of calm throughout every area—from the kitchen cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s Natural Cream to the Barcelo Cream marble counters. “My inspiration comes from classic, historic architecture from the American South combined with a love for English interiors,” Chandler says. “It is designed for the present and inspired by the past.”
In the mix of new and old pieces that achieve her vision, the antique kitchen cabinet stands out. “It is an Irish pine kitchen cabinet from the late 1800s, and we affectionately call it the ‘chicken cabinet,’” the designer explains. “The [previous] owners would have used the bottom sections to house their chickens when they brought them in from the cold at night. Now we use it to store all the beautiful, decorative pieces that I keep collecting.”
Not only is the kitchen now a major selling point, but, more importantly, it’s a place where their family can actually enjoy spending time every day.
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