Drama Unfolds: A Tonal Kitchen Makes Way For Bolder Interior Design Gestures

In 2014, Michaela Burns of Michaela Burns Interiors moved into a home reminiscent of the iconic Georgian Colonial depicted in the film Home Alone. Despite its charm, prior years of insufficient care spelled an end to Burns’ hopes of whipping the house into shape through incremental upgrades. However, it wasn’t until 2020 that she finally found time to discuss plans about moving forward with a new build.

Burns worked closely with her architect throughout the process to ensure their designs connected fluidly. She also saw an opportunity to work with her friends at studio Designström, who helped visualize the adjacent spaces of kitchen, pantry, and coffee bar. “The kitchen was going to be very neutral,” says Burns. “I knew that the other two [adjoining] areas were going to be opportunities for me to play out other themes.” So she largely kept color out of the kitchen—reinforcing the tempered palette with choices such as white oak cabinetry around the perimeter and wall tile to the ceiling. Cambria’s Delgatie design, with its white-on-white marbling, incorporates perfectly. Burns even used the quartz surface to panel the front of the range creating a design element that is also scratch and stain resistant.

A gray Cambria design would come into play in the more color-saturated pantry, where variations on green take the lead role. “I had to do the walls and the bookcase on the left-hand side a different color because I couldn’t get assurance from the cabinet maker that he was going to be able to do an exact match,” says Burns. This purposeful design decision results in an amazing color-blocking effect that is fully realized with coordinating wall and window covering. The complementary soft gray Cambria Templeton pantry countertop adds an industrial feel that works well with the depth of color in the space and the unlacquered brass accents.

When it came to the dining room, Burns was less focused on streamlining. “I wanted the dining room to be interesting in its natural state,” says Burns. Thus, the room boasts impactful gestures including bold custom flooring, wood slat walls and ceiling, and a statement chandelier over a custom stone table.

In the foyer, the design is a bit more spare though enlivened by more fun flooring and a juxtaposition of curves and angles in the architecture. “I could have painted the walls a color to add an extra element,” Burns says. “But I also knew, because this is my own house, that I needed room to grow. Even since we moved in two years ago, I’ve changed one of the wallpapers and added a lot of artwork.”

Was it additional pressure knowing she would not only be living with the results but also presenting them as a representation of her work? “I'd be lying if I said it wasn't,” she admits. “But the pressure, more than anything, is on myself. I want to be happy with the end product.”

When asked for any piece of advice to homeowners hoping to achieve results they'll love living in, she suggests, “Do everything you can to spend money where it’s going to be the most impactful. I’d say flooring and countertops are two of those things that I just wouldn’t skimp on—even more so than cabinetry.”

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.