Words by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Jody Beck.
While the neutral-toned white kitchen can look polished and on-trend, this professional couple opted for a warmer colour palette, with natural vertical-grain cherry paired with soft ivory and aqua accents, for their custom-built home. Together with Interior Designers, Samantha Weeks and Cara Zeznik from Samantha Weeks Design Group, builder Pacific Concept Developments, and Harbour City Kitchens, the couple went bold with natural cherry wood to create a contemporary look with a warm and inviting coastal theme.
To allow the cherry wood to take centre stage in the kitchen, Weeks kept the cabinet fronts simple with a hardworking Ivory Quartz on the countertops. Weeks adds that “to make this home unique and reflect the coastal theme, we layered in subtle wave and bubble details in the lighting, tiles, and plumbing fixtures. Reflective finishes such as glass tile and chrome lighting and hardware add a modern hit and maintain the home’s light, airy feel.”
Harbour City Kitchens added white painted glass to a select few of the cabinet fronts to keep the cherry from feeling too heavy. “To customize the kitchen for the homeowners we added details like the open shelving unit beside the fridge, the open corner shelving near the sink, and the functional charging station in the island for laptops and other devices,” says Nikki Bhalla, designer from Harbour City Kitchens.
Top of the line appliances, including a 36″ gas range, and wine fridge in the island, finished with a custom millwork panel, make this culinary kitchen ideal for entertaining. Impact and heat resistant, Quartzforms Diamante countertops in ivory are from BG Granite Countertops and Design.
“For a coherent, unified look we repeated the coastal design scheme throughout the entire 3159-square-foot house, using cherry for kitchen millwork, custom vanities, interior doors, handrails, mantels, and ceiling details,” says Weeks. Custom cherry wood fireplace mantels and aqua glass tile in the living room and master bedroom create design cohesion in the open plan. The walls are adorned in ‘Quiet Hideaway’ Dulux paint while the glass tile is Olympia Tile Cristallo glass in aqua.
Glass and cherry pair beautifully on the stair railing while the Beaulieu Regale European white oak hardwood flooring from Island Floor Centre reiterates the west coast contemporary vibe.
The master bedroom’s cherry wood ceiling brings a cozy cottage vibe to the principal room.
The natural lustre and flowing vertical grain of the cherry hardwood on the dual-sink, floating vanities and bathroom storage create a warm welcome in the spa-like bathroom. Durable and resistant to warping, cherry wood is a smart choice for high humidity rooms. A thoughtful blend of custom features and natural materials mingle with masterful craftsmanship to create a west coast contemporary home for a family that was looking for something unique and timeless.
