Design Challenge: Seaside Splendor

• Relieve Clients of their Cramped, Dark Kitchen Space and Outdated Appliances
• Create Seamless Outdoor/Indoor Transition…from Oceanfront into Homefront

Perched above rolling Atlantic waves, this shingled retreat is a charming melange of rooms.  However, it was in dire need of a rehab to replace cramped, dark kitchen/serving areas that contained aging appliances and two very narrow casement windows that offered only glimpses of the magnificent view down to the terraced lawn, pool, and the ocean beyond.

The retired CEO and his artist wife wanted a contemporary space filled with ocean reflections:  a superb design that would create a seamless outdoor/indoor transition.  In addition, the quality of the materials had to be not only current in style to match their aesthetic goal, but also practical and durable, as the couple has a large, active family who visit often.

To that end, a wall separating a storage area and the kitchen, plus the existing windows, were removed.  Four larger vertical casement windows were added to provide an expansive 180 degree view of the grounds and the cliffs, which drop to an unobstructed ocean vista.  Skylights were cut into the ceiling, not only for the practical purpose of bringing in more light, but also to provide additional night time drama from the bright star-filled sky which, at that remote location, is undiminished by the glare of city lights.

A new full-height, top-lit fused glass backsplash features ocean sunset colors flowing in undulating patterns down the length of the perimeter cabinets.  Anyone standing along the prep/cooking wall literally has the sensation of looking out over a calm sea to a horizon layered with all of nature’s golden glow.

A circular bar at the end of the sink wall features a breathtaking fused glass backsplash in the shape of a sparkling sea foam-topped cresting wave. Facing it, one can almost feel the refreshing salt spray and hear the cry of the gulls as they swoop above the waves.  Just opposite the circular bar, adjacent to the entrance to the impressive dining room, the kitchen is completed by convenient glass front pantry cabinets housing all of the couple’s vital serving pieces, barware, and glassware.

The lower and perimeter countertops are fashioned of Krakatoa granite, and the raised peninsula is crowned in 1” thick glass with a pale ocean green tint and a slightly rippled bottom surface designed to give the illusion of looking down into a tidal pool.

Each cabinet of the taupe metallic high gloss custom flat panel wood cabinetry was designed with a purpose:  flatware and pots/pan storage, recycling, canned good storage, etc.   A paneled Sub-Zero BI36 refrigerator/freezer and 700BR base refrigerator plus a suite of Wolf appliances including a 36” gas cooktop over a 36” L-Series oven, a  30” wall oven with a warming drawer below, and a microwave provide superior functionality for the casual cook, the top-flight professional chef, or anyone with in-between culinary skills. A foot-and- environmentally-friendly cork floor anchors the room.

The overall effect:  a stunning, functional kitchen providing ample “seaside splendor!”