Designer Max Sinsteden has rebuilt the heart of his family’s century-old Rhode Island chauffeur’s cottage without surrendering its original small‑space charm. The 125‑square‑foot kitchen now reads as a fresh blue‑and‑white coastal retreat that functions for serious cooking and summer entertaining for Sinsteden, his husband Jordan Rundell and their son, Everett.
Rather than gutting the room, Sinsteden kept the cottage’s beadboard walls and the original footprint, inserting soft white painted cabinetry that reads more like furniture than fitted kitchen. He added footed base cabinets and used the toe‑kick as “stealth” storage: slim drawers under the cabinetry hold serving pieces and free up critical shelf space. Above, open shelves bracketed in brass were cut from Ikea butcher block—the same material used for the counters—so everyday dishware is within easy reach while the look stays warm and collected.
The new flooring is a bespoke Marmoleum pattern in blue and cream, a direct nod to Victorian Minton tiles. The designer chose Marmoleum as a chicer, more sustainable alternative to traditional linoleum; its durable surface suits the cottage’s salt‑touched summers and frequent foot traffic during gatherings. Sinsteden extended the check motif elsewhere in the house, where a custom Marmoleum pattern reinforces the gingham skirt concealing bar appliances and beverages.
Lighting and hardware were selected to be both practical and decorative. Retractable accordion sconces provide task lighting without cluttering the tiny room, while an unlacquered brass hardware and a brass‑banded stainless‑steel vent hood—crafted for the family by Kent Steel—add warmth and a furniture‑like quality that softens the kitchen’s industrial elements. The large range is Rundell’s domain for cooking up locally sourced seafood; nearby copper canisters and antique crocks corral utensils and lend a lived‑in patina.
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A petite, enamel‑topped 19th‑century worktable—likely once used in a dairy—serves as the island. It’s small enough to keep sightlines open but large enough to brim with summer produce from five nearby farmstands. A built‑in pantry painted a brilliant blue provides a visual anchor; decorative feet echo the cabinetry, and unlacquered brass pulls complete the furniture look.
Organization was a central brief. A utilitarian pegboard—an homage to Julia Child’s kitchen and the workshop pegboards of Sinsteden’s father and grandfather—displays pots and pans. Decorative painters outlined each hanging piece so every pan has a designated silhouette, making cleanup and packing away intuitive. Many of the antiques that populate the kitchen are travel souvenirs from France and England, while newer copper pieces were made locally in East Greenwich by craftsman Jim Hamann.
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The cottage is designed for impromptu entertaining: an antique étagère stocked with wood caddies of cutlery and a curated array of blue‑and‑white serving ware lets the family set a table in minutes. A nearby small parlor, often used for game nights, is wrapped in vintage baskets—an aesthetic nod to Sinsteden’s mentor Charlotte Moss and his mother—adding texture and a relaxed, collected quality to the seaside escape. The result is a kitchen that reads contemporary and coastal without resorting to cliché, balancing heritage details with modern durability and function.
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