The wife of this Washington, DC couple grew up on this rural Wisconsin farm. They came to me with an architect's plan to renovate an existing barn into a second home where they could spend time with her aging parents.

The architect established the creative direction with a playful multi-color cabinet palette woven throughout the home. My role was to develop the cabinetry in a way that honored that vision.

The original kitchen layout needed refinement to allow the appliance doors to open as intended. And the paneled appliances posed unexpected implications to the routed cabinet handles that were planned. Switching to conventional pulls preserved the architect's vision while avoiding an unnecessary compromise.

With the layout and details resolved, I planned the color of every door and drawer like a Piet Mondrian painting. Individually, each cabinet was a small decision. Together, they became a composition.

This project is a reminder that good collaboration isn't about taking over someone else's work. It's about picking up where they left off, solving the practical challenges that emerge, and making the whole stronger than either of us could have created alone.

ARCHITECT:  Matthew Corell, DBMC Design

CONTRACTOR:  Scott Thompson, Black Oak Woodworks

PHOTOGRAPHY:  Tricia Shay Photography