For the kitchen,
the challenge was how to make the addition look historic. Inspiration came from the carriage house at Shelburne Farms, in Vermont.
ebonized woodwork, they started by constructing a coffered ceiling of bamboo wallpaper glued to plywood and framed by chamfered battens. The wainscot, composed of t&g paneling and glazed to look like red bamboo, was overlaid with ebonized lattice; square panels of bronze and gold silk were centered in each repeat. A picture moulding and plate rail were installed, then fabric was hung on the walls and velvet on the frieze. An English Brussels carpet with an 1880s pattern was fitted wall-to-wall. At this point, the antiques collection finally was removed from storage.
Transferware and silver-plated casket plaques ornament the frieze. Furniture and hanging curio cabinets, Anglo– Japanese in design but accompanied by Chinoiserie and Persian pieces, convey the impression of an owner who was
well-traveled in the 1880s. At the far end of the room, an inglenook is in the spirit of Victorian Turkish corners.
The original footprint of the house was quite small, 24' x 27', and in the 1970s a
20' x 25' wing was built at the rear. This served as a family room and rehearsal hall until Pherber, who was then a caterer, decided to move the kitchen into it. “I needed space for large-scale baking and wanted commercial-grade equipment,” she adds. “The design challenge was how to make a modern addition somehow appear historic. Our inspiration came from a lavish Vanderbilt carriage house in Vermont.” The walls and cathedral ceiling have been veneered with tongue-and-groove paneling; king-posts and joists were sheathed with chamfered poplar and dyed to an antique finish. The couple were able to include a lounge and dining area.