Date:  August 1, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |  

Following a water leak, a Rogers couple calls on Kitchen Distributors to completely reimagine the heart of their home

As antiques collectors, these homeowners built their 2008 house with French influences that highlighted this passion as well as the trends of the time. In particular, the kitchen featured furniture-style, weathered cabinetry with arched panels and a brick backsplash behind the range. Sixteen years later, they looked down to notice the wood floors were beginning to warp from a leak in their icemaker. “We didn’t want any appliances going back onto a wood floor, so we started to think about trading that for tile or stone,” the homeowner says. “And then my husband said, Why don’t we rethink the entire kitchen?” she recalls.

A trip to Metro Appliances & More fatefully led them to a business card for Maryalice Hutton, a designer with Kitchen Distributors. The couple called for help to replace the cabinetry but ended up hiring her to oversee the entire project. “Maryalice had to educate me on the process. My only experience was TV shows where cabinets are installed in one day,” the owner says with a laugh.

While Maryalice notes the footprint remained the same, the style changed completely. “My client had the inspiration of a beautiful blue kitchen, so we went back and forth on the color,” Maryalice says. However, in looking at the images more closely, they realized it was the X motif on the cabinetry­—not the palette—that drew her to that particular kitchen. They incorporated the pattern on the glass fronts as well as the sides of the island, bringing visual interest to the monochromatic space. The new cabinetry also provided room for the owner to display her collections of antique and vintage dishes. “There is storage everywhere because I don’t like to waste space,” Maryalice says, pointing out the island drawers and the extension of the cabinetry to the ceiling. Previously, a reproduction cow bust hung over the range. The homeowners loved this piece but opted for a real French antique version in the renovation. “Every decision I made, Maryalice was sitting by my side,” the homeowner says. “She thought of everything I couldn’t—or wouldn’t,” she adds. “I think the style reflects both of them,” Maryalice says.

While many of the changes were cosmetic, one in the floor plan stands out. Rather than going back with a traditional island and barstools, the owner had a new concept in mind. “I wanted a café for two—like a Chick-fil-a booth—in my house,” she says, adding that she wanted to face her husband when sharing meals and also be able to watch the adjoining living room’s television. “I think it’s a reflection of the way we live; plus, everyone wants to sit in a booth at a restaurant,” the owner says. “When you have a chance to refresh a space from the ground up, you have a chance to reshape it as you like and make it a look like,” she adds.

“The whole project elevated my style and helped me trade clutter for classic.”
—homeowner

Party of Two
The custom-built dining booth is upholstered in a buttery leather with nailhead trim. Each bench has a built-in storage drawer, another practical feature of the streamlined, neutral-hued design.

On Ice
Initially planning for lantern pendants over the island, the homeowner spotted this contemporary round chandelier at Lighting Emporium. “The glass looks like icicles to me, and the design pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit,” she notes.

Golden Touch
Maryalice encouraged mixing metals when it came to the faucet selection. Alongside the stainless steel appliances, they brought in a brushed gold on the pull-down faucet, soap dispenser, and disposal switch. “Iceberg” quartzite, which plays off the chandelier’s prisms, covers the countertops and extends up the backsplash.

Seeing a Pattern
A lover of vintage and antique dishware, the homeowner wanted display cabinetry where she could change out pieces seasonally. The X motif on the glass-fronts plays into the pattern seen throughout the room. Maryalice sourced the traditional gold hardware based on an inspirational image.

Design Resources
Contractor/Installer Kitchen Distributors, Inc. Kitchen design Maryalice Hutton, Kitchen Distributors, Inc. Appliances Metro Appliances & More Cabinetry and Millwork Kitchen Distributors, Inc. Countertops New Century Countertops Fixtures Ferguson Flooring and Tile Flooring America Lighting Lighting Emporium Upholstery Joe Ellis Upholstery