K IT C H EN S
a in e r e s id e n ts jo k e a b o u t th e ir s ta te ’s tw o
s e a s o n s : n in e m o n th s o f w in te r fo llo w e d b y
th r e e m o n th s o f p o o r s le d d in g . V irg in ia
tr a n s p la n ts B e tsy a n d A n d re w P e rr o n a n d
th e i r fo u r c h ild r e n e m b ra c e d th e n o r th e r n
life b y b e c o m in g a v id s k ie rs a n d s k a te rs . T h e s h o r t d a y s a lso m e a n
a lo t o f in d o o r tim e , w h ic h p r o m p te d th e P e r r o n s to th in k a b o u t
h o w th e y c o u ld a d d m o re s p a c e a n d lig h t to th e ir c ra m p e d k itc h e n
a n d fa m ily ro o m .
T o g e t m o re e lb o w ro o m a n d lig h t, th e n o r th a n d e a s t w a lls o f
th e k itc h e n w e re p u s h e d o u t a n d n e w w in d o w s w e re a d d e d . T h e
c o u p le e x p a n d e d th e fa m ily ro o m b y a n n e x in g p a r t o f a h a llw a y . A
s m a ll a d d itio n o n th e d riv e w a y s id e o f th e C o lo n ia l-s ty le h o u s e is
n o w a c lu tte r - b u s tin g m u d ro o m . “ W e u s e d to h a v e to w a lk rig h t
in to th e k itc h e n fro m th e g a ra g e ,” B e tsy sa y s. C o lu m n s a n d a h a lf-
w a ll d e fin e th e b o u n d a rie s o f th e k itc h e n a n d fa m ily ro o m , w h ile
k e e p in g th e o p e n feel.
T h e P e rr o n s e s p e c ia lly e n jo y th e e x tr a s p a c e th e y h a v e to m a k e
c o o k ie s a n d g in g e rb re a d h o u s e s a t C h ris tm a s tim e . A n d B e tsy a n d
th e k id s lik e h a v in g m o re w in d o w s a n d le d g e s to fe s to o n w ith
w r e a th s , g a rla n d s , a n d o th e r m e r r y d e c o r a tio n s . “A n d y sa y s I h a v e
e n o u g h o r n a m e n ts to d e c o r a te th e W h ite H o u s e ,” B e tsy say s.
SMART PLAN
Betsy Perron,
left
,
didn’t want an
overhead vent to
block views in the
kitchen, so the
island cooktop has a
downdraft vent. Red
paint on the island
and dark granite
counters give the
white cottage
kitchen a punch
of contrast. The
Perron children—
below from left,
Grace, Jake, Emma,
and Connor—build
gingerbread houses.
50
DECEMBER 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
