This home is featured in “A Nantucket Home Designed for Family Gatherings” by Stacy Kunstel, New England Home Magazine, March-April 2017, and on the website http://www.nehomemag.com/nantucket-home-designed-family-gatherings/ The homeowners of this Nantucket cape worked with architect Tom Catalano to complete a major renovation and expansion with the goal of comfortably accommodating visiting children and grandchildren. Originally a one-story stable, this charming home is now doubled in size with a second story.

After losing half the front lawn to the renovation, the owners hired me to create a vision for the entry space in harmony with the home, the homeowner’s lifestyle and nature. We settled on replacing the lawn with a kitchen garden to nurture the owner’s passion for flower gardens each time she walks through the gate or looks through the kitchen window.

One of the obstacles I faced was how to plant the four quadrants of the kitchen garden based on the sun exposure of each section. Each quadrant received different amounts of sun during the day, so each space necessitated different plant material. However, a cohesive design was necessary to unify the space.  

One solution was to create an all-white garden to help unify the design. An additional solution I applied was edging each bed in small boxwoods so each appeared similar. Finally, in the center of each quadrant we placed a tall focal point, although each one was different.

The resulting entryway kitchen garden is a welcoming and unified space. Brimming with color and variety, the plants beckon visitors to take in their beauty and sensory delights as they make their way to the front door. Once inside, the garden becomes a harmonizing extension of the home it graces.