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• Relieve Clients of their Cramped, Dark Kitchen Space and Outdated Appliances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!”

TIPS: How to create a timeless kitchen

A TIMELESS KITCHEN, is a statement that means so many different things, to so many different people. To me it means the last kitchen that I will ever have to put into the home that I live in now. In order to achieve that, the following is very necessary to be realized or to consider.

When a client comes to Northshore Kitchens Plus for their kitchen project, they will be asked many questions before we start suggesting design ideas or recommending products.

I have a Design Questionnaire that I will request the clients to fill out, that gets them thinking about their kitchen project. It helps me to understand what their goals are and how to best achieve them. i.e., how long do you expect to be in this home, how many years? The answer to this question will be very important to me so, “I’m able to be a good coach for them”.

1) Work with a Professional Design Team that listens to your wishes.

You must be able to feel comfortable during the process of making selections for your  “DREAM KITCHEN”.  The lead designer will try to accommodate your requests and make suggestions that will allow you to achieve your goals or change your direction if you are going down the wrong path.

2) Cabinet construction is probably the most important factor to consider.

After being in the building materials, construction and Kitchen & Bathroom design business for over 35 years, I recommend it to be built the way that I would want it built for myself. My motto is “A Kitchen For Life, For A Customer For Life”. Cabinets that are constructed with 3/4″ plywood boxes, 3/4″ solid maple wood dovetail drawer boxes and lifetime guaranteed soft close drawer guides and soft close door closers will insure long life to your cabinets. Stay away from trendy looks that will label your kitchen to a specific time frame years from now. Choosing colors & details that  don’t break the bank but give your kitchen the “WOW FACTOR” and appeal to 90% of people who enter your home, is important for long term consideration, i.e.; future home buyers or sellers. This will insure that your investment pays dividends now with enjoyment and later on with the greatest return on your investment. After all the “Kitchen is the Heart of the home” but “it shouldn’t be the heart ache of the home”.

3) Countertop material selection is extremely important & should fit well with you and your families’ life style.

Use and care maintenance explanation is something that you will want to be aware of as well as the appeal to future home buyers. There are many choices to consider. Granite, Marble, Soapstone, Slate, Concrete, Onyx, Travertine, Linea Couture- Custom Hand made stone creations, Quartz- Engineered stone, Glass, Metal, i.e. Copper, zinc, Stainless Steel, Exotic Wood- i.e., Bamboo, Mahogany, Teak, Laminates- plastic, Sinterlite Clay/Sand,  Tile, Green Materials i.e., Recycled Glass, Concrete & Metal, etc.  Although, there are all of these choices and more, you’ll need to choose one that will be considered timeless & appeal to your palette as well.

4) Choosing the right appliances that will hold up equally as well as the quality and life expectancy of your kitchen cabinets is also very important.

The number one reason that most homeowners decide to remodel a kitchen is due to failed appliances. Often, custom cabinetry panels are provided for the fronts of refrigerators and dishwashers and when they fail, more often than not the panels that were created to fit them, can’t be used because of changes in dimensions in the new products. Also, wall ovens and cooktops do not have the same dimensions of the older units. I always recommend an investment in the true built- in quality appliances that I know I can remove the old one and will be able to put in another one back in the same opening and be back in business immediately if that situation arises, therefore, eliminating the need to remodel again.

5) I will only specify quality fixtures, i.e. sinks- Stainless Steel with the proper ratios of iron, chromium and nickel that assure me that they will have the greatest corrosion resistance.

Even slight variations in chemical compositions result in wide variation in quality. The gauge of the steel is extremely important. I will only use 18 gauge or heavier 16 Gauge sinks which will be the best possible guard against dings and dents. The same goes for other metals, i.e. Copper. Faucets and water filtration units should be solid brass quality and less likely to corrode with the high hard water content and chlorine used to treat water in water treatment plants.

Northshore Kitchens Plus has earned it’s reputation throughout the Northshore and the United States by providing quality service, installation and products that insure you will have many happy years in your DREAM KITCHEN.

This year, 2012 will mark Northshore Kitchens Plus 30 Years in business and I hope that this information will help you make choices that will serve you well for the rest of your life in your current home.

Ken Dempsey