Steal This Look: A Hudson Valley DIY Kitchen by a Stealth Design Star

Designer Deborah Ehrlich favors deconstruction over renovation and reduction over decoration. Her 1722 Hudson Valley farmhouse is proof: Ehrlich opened up the floor plan, exposed beams and plaster walls, sanded the floor, relocated the kitchen to a room originally used to store wood, and then, she says, “just left it.” The relocated kitchen is now part of a clapboard addition to the stone house, and is kitted out with handbuilt plywood countertops, a vintage utility sink, and a modified Viking oven. To re-create the look of Ehrlich’s kitchen, read on.

Above: Ehrlich’s commissioned utilitarian table in the kitchen. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich. Above: A Viking wall oven with custom wood oven pull is set into a plywood counter with a gas cooktop above. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich. Above: Ehrlich’s flatware, inherited from family, is stored out in the open. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich. Above: A vintage utility sink adds to the workshop feel of the kitchen. Photograph by Justine Hand from House Call: At Home in the Hudson Valley with Designer Deborah Ehrlich.

Appliances

Above: The Viking Professional 30-Inch Single Electric Wall Oven model to the Viking oven that Ehrlich modified with a wooden pull and inset into a handmade plywood counter. It’s $4,499 at Hallocks. Above: The Viking Professional 30.7 Inch Gas Cooktop is a newer model than Ehrlich’s cooktop. It’s $2,939 at AJ Madison.

Faucets & Fixtures

Above: The Chicago Faucets Wall-Mounted Kitchen Sink Faucet is $194.17 at the Chicago Faucet Shoppe. Above: The Kohler Bannon 24-Inch Wall Mount Service Sink has the feel of a vintage utility sink like the one in Ehrlich’s kitchen (Deborah’s was a gift from a friend); $1,883.20 at Kohler. For more, see 10 Easy Pieces: Utility Sinks.

Furniture

Above: Ehrlich has a Saarinen Tulip Armless Chair, available new for $3,108 at Design Within Reach.

Accessories

Above: You can source a similar simple schoolhouse chalkboard from restaurant supply stores. This one, the Aarco Oak 36-Inch Black Chalk Board, is $139.99 at Webstaurant Store. Above: From Barn Light, the Copper Esso Cord Pendant Light starts at $252. Above: The Provendi Soap Holder is €27.41 for the holder and single soap at Provendi. Above: The simple Ikea Välvårdad Dish Drying Rack is $9.99. Above: J. R. Watkins Dish Soap in Grapefruit is Ehrlich’s choice; it’s tough to find but can be sourced online. Above: For a simple striped dish towel, the Ikea Rinnig Dish Towel is $4.99 for a pack of four. Above: One of Ehrlich’s Maple Cutting Boards hangs on the wall behind the sink. It’s made locally from maple; $205 for the 17.5-inch size at Abask. Above: The Sabre Paris Pop Unis 5-Piece Place Setting in Khaki is currently on sale for $129 at Yvonne Estelle’s. For more, see 10 Easy Pieces: Bistro-Style Stainless Flatware and also Table Trend Alert: Sabre’s Skinny French Flatware and Its High/Low Lookalikes. Above: The Mason Cash Original White Traditional Stoneware Pudding Basins are available for $35.57 for the 17-cm size. Above: The Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte in Basil is $430 for the 5.5 quart size at Williams Sonoma. Above: A Bredemeijer Cosy Manto Teapot is $314 at W Concept. New, its copper base is shiny, but in time it will develop a rustic patina. Above: On the dining table are Ehrlich’s own Simple Crystal Glassware, designed in her Hudson studio and handblown in Sweden; starting at $70 at Kneen & Co. Above: The Ted Meuhling E. R. Butler Biedermeier Candlesticks in Satin Silver are available through Kneen & Co. starting at $330 each.

For more farmhouse interiors, see our posts:

• Steal This Look: The Ultimate Farmhouse Kitchen
• Steal This Look: A Modern Farmhouse Dining Room in France
• Steal This Look: A Modern Farmhouse Kitchen, California Wine Country Edition

N.B.: This story originally appeared on August 22, 2017 and has been updated with new links and pricing.