The Best Possible Life

There are many factors in life we do not choose. Our families, sometimes our health, or the passing of time. These are just a few of the things that are out of our control. It’s important not to get lost in this idea. We may not always be as in control of our lives as we would like to be, or even like to think we are. What’s important is that you take what you have and you make the best of it. To make the best possible life for yourself. 

That’s what these homeowners in Manchester-by-the-Sea have done, with a vengeance. With inspiration from Susan Sargent, they were able to put together a world of color to brighten up any day in their version of the best possible life. It’s not the same for everyone. This home enlists a vibrant color saturation to achieve it.

This home was built in classic New England style. Each room was closed off, resulting in a maze of rooms that can be hard to make sense of. It was the polar opposite of the beautiful flowing kitchen you see today. This home renovation has been a process. One of tearing down walls and creating space where there was seemingly none. To add a little more physical space to the kitchen, they tore down an old screened in porch and made it part of the home. The rest of the space was created with good design and lots of natural light.

The island top is hickory and was hand carved by Dean Richards. The unique markings of the wood adds a lot of the warmth and character to the space. The rounded edges help to maximize the limited space.

With no wall cabinets, they were able to line the walls with windows. The way the light flows through this room is nothing short of breath taking. The fridge is placed against the only interior wall, where they were able to stack two tall pantry cabinets to make up for the lack of wall cabinets elsewhere. This is a great example of what you can accomplish with good design.

Each piece of the kitchen renovation was carefully crafted with the fine workmanship of Caruso Building & Design and Dean Richards Custom Woodworking. The renovation was designed by Remko Breuker and the kitchen design & layout by Leah Bonarrigo at Grand Banks. Building the best possible life takes time, patience, and good design. Sometimes a small shift is all it takes whether it’s a different perspective or repurposing an old porch. In the end, all we can do is make the best of what we have. So be like Beyoncé, and make lemons into lemonade.

Cabinetry:

Medallion Cabinetry gold maple frame, Sage painted finish, full overlay flat panel

Countertops

Engineered Quartz, White Porcelain