A Quiet Fit for an Old Soul

Mid-Cape’s Pamela Speciale crafts a kitchen that honors history and embraces function.

In homes that date back centuries, every change must carry respect for the past. For one Cape Cod family living in an eighteenth-century antique, the kitchen was the most pressing update: the heart of the house needed to serve a modern lifestyle without disturbing the patina of history. Enter Pamela Speciale, a Kitchen and Bath Designer at Mid-Cape Home Center, who has been shaping spaces for clients for over a decade.

“I love what I do,” Speciale says. “Designing kitchens is about understanding how people truly live in their homes. Every family is different, and every house tells its own story.”

The home’s long, galley-style kitchen had evolved through additions and renovations, resulting in awkward proportions and structural challenges. Contractors shored up the wobbly frame while Speciale balanced heritage and modern living as she tackled the layout, light, and function. Her plan created better flow from the central patio door to the adjoining dining and living rooms, while incorporating new wide pumpkin-pine floors that whisper of the home’s eighteenth-century origins.

The owners favored a traditional aesthetic with a fresh twist. Soft blue cabinetry, clean door profiles, and unexpected wallpaper accents kept the space rooted in heritage but far from “dusty colonial.” As Speciale explains, “It hints at traditional, but in a fresh way. You want to be in there—it feels welcoming and alive.”

Speciale’s toolkit included Medallion Cabinetry, a line she calls “one of my favorites.” The brand’s semi-custom flexibility was crucial for fitting cabinetry seamlessly into the antique framework. ...