A cramped 1880s kitchen doubles in size to become a light-filled hub for family gatherings.

Story by Ann Butenas | Photography by Matt Kocourek

When Billie Deatherage, CKD, of Custom Wood Products first met with the Thomas family in April 2024, she expected to help them update a couple of bathrooms. What unfolded over the following months became something much more transformative, resulting in a complete reimagining of their 19th-century Blue Springs farmhouse.

“The house was originally a small 1880s farmhouse which had been added on to and remodeled multiple times,” Deatherage explained. These decades of piecemeal additions had created what she called “a chopped up, awkward floorplan” with the kitchen trapped in a small room at the home’s center. But where others might have seen limitations, Deatherage spotted opportunity.

The designer’s vision extended well beyond cabinet updates. She saw chances to annex underutilized spaces, relocate doorways, and create what the family truly needed: a kitchen that could accommodate their large family gatherings and frequent entertaining. The plan doubled the kitchen’s footprint by absorbing a small bedroom, closet, and the home’s former “plant room,” a segregated living area that served mainly as a pass-through corridor.

“We could see parts of the original house which had been encased inside the room addition,” Deatherage recalled of the demolition phase. The construction crew uncovered an intact exterior wall complete with window, door, and original lap siding, along with the old roofline that had simply been built over and entombed within newer construction. These glimpses into the home’s past informed the designer’s respect for the home’s history while pushing forward with modern usability.

The transformation centered on a stunning island topped with Galapagos quartzite. The natural stone’s soft blues, grays, and beiges with gentle movement became the project’s design anchor. “This slab became the inspiration for the color palette for the entire project,” Deatherage said. She pulled those colors through the space with woven grasscloth wallcovering on the raised ceiling and complementary tones in the perimeter countertops, using DalTile Golden Gate quartz with warm natural stone veining.

Deatherage designed the island with table-like legs at the corners, creating a furniture feel that welcomes gathering while concealing numerous drawers, roll-out shelves, and a microwave drawer. It serves triple duty as prep space, buffet, and dining area, all essential elements for homeowners who regularly host large groups.

Deatherage and Lindsey Gibson of Custom Wood Products collaborated, specifying walnut “Sage” cabinetry in a classic recessed panel style, bringing coziness without skewing traditional. Full overlay doors maintain clean lines, while the extensive drawer and roll-out shelf systems accommodate the family’s substantial collection of kitchenware. Pantry closets tuck away small appliances and bulk items, keeping counters clear. Soft champagne bronze hardware ties to the warm tones in both the quartzite and walnut.

Perhaps the kitchen’s most dramatic feature is the raised ceiling, which was made possible by generous attic space above. Deatherage finished it with blue-gray grasscloth and accentuated the crown molding in Sherwin-Williams “Cityscape,” a dark gray that adds sophisticated definition. The architectural feature visually expands the room while enhancing charm, which respects the home’s age.

“A new front-facing window was added which floods the kitchen with morning daylight,” Deatherage noted. That eastern exposure transformed the formerly dark, confined space into one bathed in natural light with views to the front property.

To integrate the kitchen with the rest of the home, Deatherage recommended replacing all flooring rather than updating room by room. She specified 6-inch wire-brushed European oak planks in Coastal Line Cambria throughout, unifying spaces that had previously featured hardwood, ceramic tile, and carpet in different areas.

The appliance package combines both function and restraint. A 48-inch KitchenAid built-in refrigerator replaced outdated columns. A chimney-style hood serves as a focal point while providing proper ventilation. The microwave drawer tucked into the island keeps technology accessible but not visually dominant.

Fireplaces in both the kitchen and new dining room received updates with stone veneer and rough-hewn timber mantles. Deatherage retrofitted both with new ventless gas log systems, creating cozy gathering spots on opposite ends of the open space. Framed TVs above each mantle allow the family to catch the game from either room without sacrificing the traditional aesthetic.

What began as a bathroom refresh evolved into a whole-house transformation that paid tribute to the farmhouse’s bones while giving it new life. The former plant room now functions as a proper dining room, open to the kitchen and finally incorporated into everyday living. The floor of the adjacent bedroom, annexed to enlarge the kitchen, was lowered 14 inches to match the kitchen level. As a result, the entire home gained cohesion.

“The kitchen is now visible from the foyer and dining room and is centrally located,” Deatherage said of the finished space. Where walls once divided, sightlines now connect. Where rooms sat unused, family now gathers. A farmhouse that had lost its way through repeated renovations ultimately discovered its purpose.