Words by Adrienne Dyer. Photos by Jody Beck.
Sweeping views of the Sidney waterfront called for clean, bright millwork in this newly built family home. Thomas Philips Woodworking co-owners, Derrick Paas and Eric Gummer, finished the home’s modern style with sleek cabinetry featuring thoughtfully planned storage compartments hidden behind elegantly simple doors. “The open kitchen and living room are perfect for family life, and the clean-lined cabinetry allows the views to remain the focus,” says Gummer.
Crisp white cabinetry in a high-gloss acrylic finish achieves the kind of durability necessary for a busy family, with details like under-cabinet lighting, birch interiors and soft-close drawers to maximize functionality.
Quartz countertops and range backsplash gleam in the light-filled space, highlighting stainless elements like the dual wall oven, range, and chimney hood. Handleless upper cabinetry pair with linear drawer pulls below and integrated appliances for a seamless appearance.
“In every kitchen, it’s important to factor in a space for things like recycling centres, composting, and pantry storage,” says Gummer, who adds that a great deal of planning went into the pantry cabinet that spans the entire back kitchen wall. Inside are storage drawers, little boxes for spices, a wine and coffee bar, and a handy hidden food cart. “The homeowners like to use the food cart to take meals up to their rooftop patio, which is easily accessible by an interior elevator,” Gummer says. When not in use, the cart rolls cleverly out of sight.
A bi-fold window above the sink serves as a convenient pass-through area to the patio living space from the kitchen, a handy feature for a family whose lives revolve around enjoyment of their proximity to the ocean.
The foyer closet features similar functionality, with built-in storage for shoes, and space to house a computer, printer and file drawers. Everything remains organized and invisible behind nine-foot doors designed to match the living room cabinets.
In the living room, sand coloured cabinets finished in grain-matched white oak warm and soften the charcoal fireplace, and pale grey tile floors installed throughout the house. Integrated handles provide child-friendly access to toy storage in the bottom shelves, with visual simplicity to maintain the room’s serene aesthetic. Throughout the house, Paas and Gummer finished the interior passage doors with the same horizontal grain white oak for uniformity, as seen in the door that leads to the master ensuite bath.
A floating double vanity contributes to the room’s airy feel, with the same attention to minimalist practicality evident in the generous drawers and simple lines. The medicine cabinets provide plenty of storage, with recessed LED lighting for added convenience. Underneath the large picture window, the freestanding tub seems to simply float above the sea. With unobtrusive cabinetry styled for durability, thoughtfully planned built-in storage, and crisp elegance within a soft and beachy palette, there is nothing in this home to compete with the glorious views.
