Warming Up a Winter Retreat

A canal-front getaway gets a warm up

Not long after purchasing their Anna Maria Island getaway, the owners of this Holmes Beach project gave me a call because they felt the kitchen was in the need of some attention.

The Before: dated, nondescript, and cold

I worked with these clients previously. Actually, I have worked with them frequently: On separate occasions, we remodeled a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a wet bar in their previous home; we also remodeled the kitchen in their parents’ home. You get to know a person after 4 or 5 projects, so discovering what she wanted out of this new remodeling project was much simpler. The kitchen was dated, nondescript, and cold.

Since this was going to be a retreat not only for the owners, but also a vacation getaway for family and friends, the goal was to warm it up, give it some character, and bring it into the present. Everything in the previous projects were done in a heavy, traditional look (it went with that particular home). My client still liked that look, but we agreed that a canal-front home needed to be a little brighter and more transitional – but still with a firm foot in the traditional.

We anchored our palette with a warm cherry cabinet from UltraCraft in an Amber finish. The Dennison doorstyle has a contemporary design, and adding the cherry finish really warms it up. The other traditional aspect was a granite countertop – there really was no other option as far as the homeowner was concerned (what can I say? She likes granite).

Proper lighting and stainless steel appliances play against the warm cherry cabinets

The cherry cabinets and granite counters gave us the traditional part of our Transitional feel – now we had to weave in the contemporary components. Stainless steel was the desired finish for the free-standing appliances and a mixed media backsplash of glass and stone was the perfect backdrop for the more traditional granite surface. Taking elements of two different styles and blending them together can really produce a nice result when it’s done correctly.

Mixed media back splash of glass and stone with under cabinet lighting

The lack of natural lighting was tackled with a two-pronged attack: we kept the horizontal surfaces very light (and very neutral) by selecting a granite in Kashmir Gold and a porcelain tile that picked up the subtle earthy tones evident in the granite; we also strategically planned the lighting design to provide both functionality (with under cabinet works lights) and ambiance (with display lights behind upper glass doors). After dinner, the display lights can be lit to provide an appealing backdrop for after-dinner conversation from the adjacent dining area.

These repeat clients couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. I’m just sorry we don’t have any other rooms that are ripe for additional projects. Then again - when I left, they were starting to talk about an outdoor kitchen…