THEFAMILYGATHERING PLACE
The McCaffreys completely redid the kitchen, which was serviceable but out-of-date. They retained most of its original configuration, but movedawall in order to put in abay of windows, sotheycould enjoythe lush vista all around them. The muntin windows in the kitchen’ s new seating area adhere closely to the style of the older windows in the house.“ When we first walked in, there was a wall obstructing the view, including a chimney running from the basement to the third floor,” says Rita.“ To dismantle it, the workman startedonthe roof, and brick by brick, he made his way down through the center of the chimney, all the way to the basement, dropping the bricks into abucket at the bottom.” Whatthe McCaffreys likemostabout theirkitchen is its open feel.“ It is aplaceto congregate; we spendperhaps 90 percent of our time here, especially for family gatherings,” she says.“ In the winter youcan watch the kids skating on the pond,” an image thatbrings to mind a Currier and Ives painting. The kitchen cabinets are maple and handstained to create a feeling of warmth. Carol St. John helped the couple choose the granite, which picks up the gold of the woodwork and the silver of the appliances. The floor is quarter-sawn oak, which replicates the type seen in many homes of this period.
26 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE FALL 2016