BB&R Design Build

It's a beautiful spring day and demolition has started! The Upton project made headway by gutting the interiors of the kitchen, dining, one of the livingrooms and the drawing room. It’s a good start and we can't wait what it will look like at the end.

Spring kitchens are getting softer, warmer, and much less afraid of pattern.

The first thing this kitchen gives you is light, but the materials are what make it feel settled. The Modena Marble Mosaic backsplash has that quiet movement we are seeing more of in 2026 home aesthetics: earthy, patterned, and still calm enough to live with every day. The thing about a spring palette is that it does not have to mean pale or plain. The Sauturne grout keeps the tile soft, while the cashew stain on maple brings warmth through the island and hood. Paired with creamy cabinetry, polished hardware, and those woven stools, the whole room feels fresh without feeling like it is trying too hard.

It's a dreamlike state of gradual transformation. From rough construction to the most minute details that no one would really think twice about. You wouldn't know unless you really looked.

Wait… did we actually want open concept, or did we just want better flow?

That’s the question we wish more families asked before falling in love with an open-concept inspiration photo.

Because in real life, this room has to handle dinner prep, homework, TV noise, conversations, toys, and other hectic moments. Think about how you go about your routine.

Here, the space still feels connected, but it is not one giant undefined room. The fireplace wall creates an anchor, the furniture gives the living area a clear purpose, and the dining table still feels close without sitting on top of the conversation zone.

That is the sweet spot: open enough to feel together, defined enough to actually live well.

Save this if you’re planning a first-floor renovation.