Designing for Smaller Kitchens more Versatile with Monogram

Tired of traditional luxury brands and eager to try something new, Nantucket designer finds options, innovation, and luxurious details with Monogram. New construction is hard to come by on the charming island of Nantucket, where a commitment to historic preservation is alive and well. So when Melanie Gowen, a Nantucket-based designer and real estate agent, was offered the opportunity to…

Northern Light

When Amy Matthews first visited the St. Croix River Valley farmstead, she was overcome with the feeling: this is home. “The property itself was just stunning, because of how it’s nestled in this valley,” says Matthews. “It’s really magical.” Located about 30 minutes outside her hometown of Minneapolis, it was still close to family and friends, yet remote enough to…

Short on time, big on impact

Mark Williams has designed many show house rooms in his long and distinguished career but never has he said yes to designing a show house kitchen.  “It’s the most complicated and the most risky to complete by opening day,” says Mark, of Atlanta-based Mark Williams Design. “If you don’t finish a bedroom, you can fluff the pillows differently and make…

Worth the Wait

Patience is a virtue that is not always easy to conjure when you’re ready to remodel a kitchen. Especially when you’re an interior designer…as Jill Kalman has learned. When the designer and her family moved into their Westport, Conn., home in 2002, it had just been remodeled by the previous owner two years earlier. “Even though it wasn’t our style,…

From Historic Ballroom to Modern Kitchen

A renovation that will make a difference ‘for generations to come’ Ask any architect and they’ll tell you even a simple kitchen renovation can present obstacles. Tackling the project in a centuries-old historic landmark? Well that takes the challenges to a whole new level. “Being in a historic house definitely limited our renovation options,” says Andrea Erda, referring to the…

The Peak of Design

Interior designer partners with Monogram to make her family’s dream-home a reality Laura Umansky had long dreamed of moving back to Aspen, a charming Colorado town known for exceptional skiing, breathtaking landscapes and relaxed vibes. When the pandemic forced the world to slow down, the Houston-based interior designer took the opportunity to consider her future — and it just made…

A Historic Kitchen Renovation: Part 1

Creating a 21st-century kitchen in a centuries-old home Andrea Erda grew up romping around Historic Westover. The bucolic Virginia estate dates back to the 18th century, and it’s been in Erda’s family since 1921. “It is an extraordinary space,” she says. “It’s also an enormous responsibility, but we felt a familial obligation to take on this albatross.” In 2012, Erda…