Plantation Kitchen

"This Kitchen remodel challenge was incorporating the client’s contemporary styling with the existing large scale thatch ceiling treatment, Mahogany interior millwork and Brazilian Cherry flooring throughout the house that gave the home a decidedly ‘tropical’ feel. The kitchen needed to achieve the client’s European aesthetic, integrate with the surrounding elements, and be more functional than the existing kitchen.

Most tall appliances were located on the ‘core wall’. To bridge the transition from contemporary to ‘tropical’, Rosewood veneer was used and custom cabinet hardware was designed to suggest a modern Asian furniture aesthetic. Appliances were concealed and touch latch hardware was used wherever possible to maintain a clean look. A pair of Sub-Zero 700TCI Refrigerator/Freezer units that fully integrated helped to achieve the ‘armoire’ look.

The island countertop is flush overhang stainless steel with integrated sink bowls. The wenge dining table is cantilevered off the back of the island with a hidden steel frame to maximize leg room and to give it a floating appearance.

A major design challenge was the 39” TV. Several solutions were considered - hiding the TV behind sliding doors, moving it, downsizing it, however the husband’s business is sports media, so the end result was to recess it flush into the Rosewood paneling and just let it be. To offset the lost upper cabinet storage, the countertops base cabinets were made deeper, and sliding glass appliance garages were installed that house all small appliances.

The designer selected the mix of materials and textures so the end result was contemporary, yet warm. Heavily textured Matte Lacquer cabinetry corresponds with the texture in the cabinet hardware pieces. The result is a kitchen that strikes the functional balance that the client was looking for and the aesthetic balance that the house needed."