How to Create a Soulful but Up-to-Date Kitchen

DON’T LET the exposed brick fool you. Until recently, this vibrant kitchen in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, was dingy, dull and stripped of original details—the victim of a hit-and-run renovation that removed every bit of character from the circa-1900 row house, says architect-designer Sarah Jacoby. The upshot? In 2022, when the new owners, an education administrator and a New York City ferry captain, enlisted Jacoby to restore some soul to the space, the bland box became the perfect blank slate on which to let their imaginations go wild.

Step one? Reintroducing structure and a sense of craftsmanship via a swath of handmade Shaker-style cabinetry from deVOL, a U.K. firm beloved for their traditional benchmade joinery. Hand-painted in vivid Scullery Yellow, the cupboards strike the ideal balance between historic and “of the now,” said Jacoby. Spare Carrara marble counters and a fresh coat of crisp white paint on the walls brighten the once-dim galley, while in the cozy dining nook, graphic wallpaper and patterned pillows contribute a layered, collected look. “It’s just a much more welcoming place to be now,” said the owners.