Ode to a Farmhouse

A farmhouse of white clapboard and black shutters

Had porches with scrolled rails and spindle posts

And in the shade of eaves or leaves of trees

Adirondack chairs reclined in the grass

Where we sipped hot coffee or chilled rosé

While lazy dogs lay sprawled at slippered feet

Lilacs or hyacinths scented the air

In those rooms where jam-jar vases were placed

On holidays, we roasted or braised game

With aromatic herbs and vegetables

We gathered around the long farm table

Set with chipped china and well-worn linens

Fireplaces played as stage sets for portraits

The mantels displayed tarnished silver frames

The knotty pine floors were mostly concealed

With threadbare, flat-weave, Persian kilim rugs

Upholstered furniture wore slipcovers

To guard against dog hair and muddy paws

A battered Louis Vuitton trunk rested

Next to a down comforter–topped mattress

On which English literature was stacked

Including Ms. Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own

A Clean Slate

After making decisions about cabinet finish and countertop material, we had to choose doors or drawers. Because we opted for open shelving, we reasoned anything that could go inside a cabinet with a door could also sit on a shelf. Therefore, drawers were more important for us.

In keeping with the simplicity of the cabinets, we chose stainless steel hardware for its functionality. The faucet is of the same metal for the same reason.

Yet we did not want stainless steel appliances that would feel too modern or even industrial. My chef husband works in a commercial kitchen all day and prefers a warmer atmosphere at home.

The appliances needed to disappear among the cabinets or contrast with them. Because the one wall is lined with cabinets, and the dishwasher is in the middle, white seemed appropriate. But we ordered a black range and hood at the end of the line for drama (which would not arrive for several months).

As far as the backsplash went, we wanted to take full advantage of the high ceilings and extend it all the way up. Again, we chose white tiles for a clean, mostly monotone background.

Everything but the kitchen sink had been chosen. As the subway tiles were white porcelain, that is what we picked. We require a large basin for cleaning and preparing produce, and had seen farmhouse sinks in many designs we liked. The cast-iron, porcelain-coated one with an apron front fit the bill.

Stay tuned for the piece de resistance!