When Chandler and Jeremy Quarles saw the online listing for their Brentwood, Tennessee, home, the kitchen was conspicuously absent. During a tour, they quickly learned why. “The kitchen was like a time capsule—compact galley style layout, original dark stained oak cabinetry, bright yellow formica countertops, and even the original oven that survived decades of family dinners,” says Chandler, the lead designer of their Nashville-based studio Peach & Pine Interiors. It had remained virtually untouched since the house was built in 1965, but the duo knew the kitchen had immense potential to “be light-filled, functional, and charming,” says Chandler.
The couple planned and saved for nearly three years before renovating the kitchen, along with several other rooms on the main floor. To open up the space, they removed a wall that divided the former dining room and kitchen. This allowed them to place a 10-foot, solid walnut island in the center of the room, and then line the perimeter with ample cabinetry built by Broken Compass Woodworking. The focal point became the range alcove, where a dark soapstone backsplash and walnut shelving add a moody yet sophisticated touch.
The Barcelo Cream marble used for the counters is “a bit harder, more user friendly than many marble species,” says Chandler. “It has been easy to use and maintain!” Wall paint: Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore. Pendants: DeVol Kitchens. Cabinetry hardware: Massey via Rejuvenation. Faucet: DeVol Kitchens. Curtains: custom, on Pottery Barn curtain rod. Wall art: antique.
Near the kitchen, the original laundry room felt cramped and awkwardly placed, as it was in direct line of sight from the front door. So they transformed it into a butler’s pantry that’s “a hub for all things beverages, making entertaining so much more fun,” Chandler says. “It has a door that leads onto the back porch, and it is the perfect place for guests to come inside and fill their glass or grab a drink from the mini fridge.”
The new butler’s pantry in what was once a cramped laundry room.
Chickens would have once occupied the bottom of this Irish pine cabinet from the late 1800s.
All new cabinetry lines the wall opposite the breakfast nook, including a paneled refrigerator.
The range alcove features a dark soapstone backsplash and walnut shelving.
The 1910s English oak drop leaf table was sourced from Patina + Co in Nashville. The chairs, an heirloom set from Chandler’s grandparents, were recovered in Kravet fabric.
In the mix of new and old pieces that achieve her vision, the antique kitchen cabinet stands out. “It is an Irish pine kitchen cabinet from the late 1800s, and we affectionately call it the ‘chicken cabinet,’” the designer explains. “The [previous] owners would have used the bottom sections to house their chickens when they brought them in from the cold at night. Now we use it to store all the beautiful, decorative pieces that I keep collecting.”
Not only is the kitchen now a major selling point, but, more importantly, it’s a place where their family can actually enjoy spending time every day.
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