Open floor plans are not limited to contemporary styling, as evidenced by the warm country look homeowner Peri Wolfman has created in her New York City loft. The floor plan, which combines kitchen, dining room and living room, suits Peri and her husband's lifestyle perfectly, providing lots of space for entertaining and no walls to isolate the cook. Calming country details -- warm pine and whitewashed furnishings, casual canvas furniture covered with soft Marseilles spreads, and antique architectural elements such as old doors and windows -- bring comfort with their age and history and make the space feel far removed from the frenetic pace of the city. A large divider, made from parts of an old country-store floor cabinet, separates the kitchen from the dining area without closing it off -- an important consideration for a cook who loves to socialize while cooking (figure A). With drawer pulls made of old silverware and a whitewashed finish, the large cabinet exemplifies charming country style and also offers practical storage and serving space (figure B). Wainscoting on the kitchen walls and built-in refrigerator gives the space a classic country feel. A double layer of copper window screening is used in the pantry and cupboard doors, giving the cupboards a moire effect and allowing one to see into them. In the dining room a large Irish pine table with a thick top and heavy legs is surrounded by Windsor chairs. Purchased years ago to provide temporary dining room seating, the simple and practical Windsor chairs have become a permanent fixture (figure C). At the entrance to the loft, a leafy hand-painted scene imaginatively camouflages the metal loft door (figure D).
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