MARI WOODS: THE AQUA GREEN KITCHEN

When people hear "nautical theme" in New England, they usually expect navy blue and anchors. For this project in Rye, NH, Mari Woods decided to steer in a completely different direction. The centerpiece is a set of aqua green cabinets—a color choice that feels like a bold, calculated risk until you see how it perfectly reflects the shifting tones of the Seacoast. It’s a design that respects the home’s location while pushing the boundaries of traditional interior design photography in NH.

The kitchen is centered around an oversized island that was built for actual life—messy food prep, family gatherings, and morning coffee. As I moved through the space for this architectural photography portfolio piece, I focused on how the brass hardware acted as the connective tissue for the whole room. The gold tones of the pulls and the lighting fixtures provide a warm counter-measure to the cool cabinets, pulling the nautical influence into something that feels timeless rather than trendy.

From a photographer's perspective, the challenge was capturing the "depth" of that aqua green. Green is notoriously difficult to render accurately under mixed lighting, but we needed the texture of the paint to feel as high-end as the Mari Woods cabinetry itself. I spent extra time dialing in the lighting to make sure the brass didn't just "glow," but actually felt like an intentional architectural choice.

This is what I mean by narrative architectural photography. It’s not just about a wide-angle shot of a pretty room; it’s about capturing the specific intentions that make a house feel like a home. Whether it’s the way the light hits the custom island or how the brass accents tie into the nautical roots of Rye, the goal is to show a space that has a pulse. By the time we finished, the "aqua green risk" didn't feel like a risk at all—it felt like the only choice that made sense for this home.