A New Kitchen's Vintage Style

The smart use of reclaimed wood and striking white-plank walls makes this brand-new Alabama lake house look like it's been in the family for generations.

slideshow Take a tour of this Southern lake house

"The house is brand-new, but it doesn't look like it," says Paige Schnell of Tracery Interiors, who spent four years tracking down salvaged materials like reclaimed oak beams and flooring for her client's second home on Lake Martin in central Alabama. The kitchen has only a few cabinets (a large pantry provides plenty of storage); instead, open shelves display vintage French and English stoneware (at left). Though more modern than the rest of the space, the two four-foot-square islands with stained-walnut legs and Carrera marble countertops work with the overall look. One is for prep, with a microwave and warming drawers on one side and flatware and napkin drawers on the other. The second is for setting out a buffet or for casual meals.

Smart Kitchen & Pantry Ideas

Plank Walls

Schnell horizontally installed six-inch-wide pine planks with a 1/4-inch groove between the boards. The walls and cabinets are painted Benjamin Moore China White. benjaminmoore.com.

Reclaimed-Wood Floors

The white-oak floors, salvaged from a barn in Vermont, were finished with layers of stain and paint to emphasize their age. Most of the oak beams were also salvaged from barns and warehouses.

Pot Filler

The Rohl faucet was mounted extra-high above the stove to fit stockpots for soup and shrimp boils. "We measured the pots to make sure they would work," Schnell says. From $870; rohlhome.com.

Drawer Pulls

Schnell used two styles of satin-nickel pulls from Restoration Hardware: "Hanson" in the kitchen and "Duluth" in the pantry. From $8 each; restorationhardware.com.

Integrated Appliances

The pantry cabinet fronts hide two Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers (from $650 each; fisherpaykel.com) and two Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers ($3,560 each).