Article by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Jody Beck.
When these avid boaters wanted to do a home renovation they turned to David Sheridan from Splinters Millworks to create a contemporary, nautical-inspired kitchen with traditionally styled cabinets. Interior Designer, Lorin Turnerfrom Zebra Group assisted with keeping the layout functional and airy while maintaining an overall contemporary look. After compromising in a less-than-efficient kitchen for many years, the couple knew what they wanted and were drawn to Sheridan’s eye for quality and detail after seeing his work in a friend’s kitchen in Oak Bay. “We were impressed by the quality of David’s woodwork, his attention to details like soft close cupboards and corner cabinet storage hardware — we knew we wanted the same lasting quality and detail.”
Like most modern homeowners, the kitchen had developed into the hub of the home and as baby boomers with grown children, the couple was becoming more involved in cooking and entertaining. But with three separate doorways leading to the kitchen and an inefficient layout with minimal wall space for appliances, the couple wanted to give their kitchen a much-anticipated overhaul. Armed with some online images of kitchen ideas and a clear vision of their own, they contacted Sheridan to create an airy west coast contemporary aesthetic with traditional shaker style cabinetry.
At the top of the homeowner’s wishlist was an increase in the size of their cooktop, a space for two dishwashers, a concealed television, a dining area, a generous sized island with seating, storage for device charging and an instant hot water/filtered water tap.
Fir already adorned the home’s beams, fireplace mantel and staircase, so it aesthetically made sense to repeat fir to maintain a cohesive look. “It is so nice to work with fir; it doesn’t seem to be a popular choice in recent years, but it has a gorgeous west coast look and ages beautifully. It is a refreshing change to show wood naturally instead of covering it with a painted finish. And for balance, the white fridge wall keeps it from feeling too heavy with wood,” says Ros Sheridan.
The couple credit Turner for bringing her interior design expertise on space-planning, light placement, material choices and paint colours. “My most significant suggestion, that improved the flow and cohesion in the design, was to eliminate the existing walk-in pantry that was contributing to an inefficient layout and awkward separation of the fridge from the rest of the kitchen,” adds Turner.
Sheridan constructed a natural light-filled breakfast nook with built-in window bench to overlook the beautiful treed yard. “We like the live edge look of wood so Dave suggested a wood shop in Saanich that had walnut slabs from eastern Canada and we chose three slabs right then.” Turner designed the leg shape for both the live edge table and the island.
The hardworking island seats four comfortably and enjoys a smooth countertop transition from natural white quartzite to live edge walnut. Considering the warm tones of the fir, the owner knew she wanted to rely on neutral finishes like white walls and ceramic backsplash in order to allow the wood grain in the fir to take centre stage. Hand-blown glass pendant lights in smokey grey add warmth to the home’s airy feel.
To complete this chef’s kitchen, the homeowner requested a 48″ Wolf rangetop with charbroiler and griddle.
“I really like the classic look of marble but felt a durable stain resistant countertop would work best for our family,” says the homeowner. She chose a white Macaubus Quartzite with lineal veining in hues of taupe and grey.
