Kitchen of the Week: Curated, Light and Bright in 130 Square Feet
A designer updates a Florida kitchen to work well and look attractive in an open-plan space
Nice Views From Every Angle
The designer carefully planned out the walls in the kitchen space with views from other areas in mind. Extending the marble chevron backsplash from the counter all the way to the ceiling lends a seamless look that makes the ceilings feel higher. “From the living room, the subtle pattern in the tile almost looks like wallpaper,” Floyd says. She topped it off with coved crown molding, which continues throughout all the spaces.
The shelves are 14 inches deep to accommodate dinner plates with a few inches left over. While there’s plenty of room for china and glassware on the open shelves, Floyd gave them a curated look by including wooden vases, plants, books and some of the homeowner’s other favorite items. There’s contrast in shapes, sizes and color. This was a big part of making the view into the kitchen pleasing, whether from the front door, the living room or the dining room.
The designer carefully planned out the walls in the kitchen space with views from other areas in mind. Extending the marble chevron backsplash from the counter all the way to the ceiling lends a seamless look that makes the ceilings feel higher. “From the living room, the subtle pattern in the tile almost looks like wallpaper,” Floyd says. She topped it off with coved crown molding, which continues throughout all the spaces.
The shelves are 14 inches deep to accommodate dinner plates with a few inches left over. While there’s plenty of room for china and glassware on the open shelves, Floyd gave them a curated look by including wooden vases, plants, books and some of the homeowner’s other favorite items. There’s contrast in shapes, sizes and color. This was a big part of making the view into the kitchen pleasing, whether from the front door, the living room or the dining room.
Floyd took out the upper cabinets and turned the new island 90 degrees to create a galley layout and to anchor the kitchen in the corner. This helped create a work triangle with added counter space directly across from the range and fridge. The existing layout of the sink, range and fridge functioned well, so she left those in place. This also saved money in the budget for other things, such as the extensive marble backsplash.
“The kitchen is the first thing you see from the front door, so it needed to provide a nice view,” Floyd says. “And my client wanted a place to put the wine he collects on trips to California, but he didn’t want a wine fridge.” She came up with an X-shaped rack integrated into the end of the island. It’s the first thing seen from the front door and it provides a nice view from the dining area into the kitchen.
The island measures 7 by 3½ feet. Having the long side of it parallel to the range gives the homeowner a more usable work surface. It’s also a better setup for socializing with guests. “My client also had potential resale in mind — this setup would work well for a family,” Floyd says. There’s a microwave/convection oven and trash pullout hidden on the range-facing side of the island.
The island also gives the kitchen a sense of separation from the other spaces; instead of a view of the range from the living room, there’s now a view of Shaker-style millwork and counter stools with black metal legs and warm wooden seats. These elements are echoed in the new living room design.
“The kitchen is the first thing you see from the front door, so it needed to provide a nice view,” Floyd says. “And my client wanted a place to put the wine he collects on trips to California, but he didn’t want a wine fridge.” She came up with an X-shaped rack integrated into the end of the island. It’s the first thing seen from the front door and it provides a nice view from the dining area into the kitchen.
The island measures 7 by 3½ feet. Having the long side of it parallel to the range gives the homeowner a more usable work surface. It’s also a better setup for socializing with guests. “My client also had potential resale in mind — this setup would work well for a family,” Floyd says. There’s a microwave/convection oven and trash pullout hidden on the range-facing side of the island.
The island also gives the kitchen a sense of separation from the other spaces; instead of a view of the range from the living room, there’s now a view of Shaker-style millwork and counter stools with black metal legs and warm wooden seats. These elements are echoed in the new living room design.
Cohesive Style Within an Open Plan
The pendant light in front of the window marks the dining area. Floyd repeated some of the same colors and materials for a seamless look. For example, the side table and counter stools are similar, and the throw pillows on the sofa coordinate with the pillows on the dining bench. The open shelves and extensive backsplash in the kitchen make it look less “kitchen-y” from this view.
Porcelain tiles that look like wide oak planks cover the floor throughout the entire space. “This flooring is great — it’s warm and it’s so durable,” Floyd says. “My client has two German shepherds that are hard on floors.” The tile is also a smart choice for Florida’s humid weather and for easy cleanup of sand.
Browse wood-look porcelain tile
The pendant light in front of the window marks the dining area. Floyd repeated some of the same colors and materials for a seamless look. For example, the side table and counter stools are similar, and the throw pillows on the sofa coordinate with the pillows on the dining bench. The open shelves and extensive backsplash in the kitchen make it look less “kitchen-y” from this view.
Porcelain tiles that look like wide oak planks cover the floor throughout the entire space. “This flooring is great — it’s warm and it’s so durable,” Floyd says. “My client has two German shepherds that are hard on floors.” The tile is also a smart choice for Florida’s humid weather and for easy cleanup of sand.
Browse wood-look porcelain tile
Now the well-curated shelves keep the eye interested and make the kitchen feel larger. To make up for the lost upper cabinet space, Floyd used space-saving, ergonomic drawers instead of cabinet doors on the bottom.
To the left of the sink, she set up a coffee station for her java-loving client, with cups on the open shelves and a drawer for brewing supplies. (The coffee machine was replaced with the jar of neatly stacked cookies for the photo shoot.)
A Mix of Lighting
Lighting was also important, and Floyd chose an eclectic range of materials for the fixtures. In addition to the new recessed lights, she used large globe pendants for the island. “I wanted them to be big and make a statement, but I did not want them to block the view,” she says. The polished chrome library sconce over the sink illuminates dishwashing time, fills what would otherwise be an oddly empty spot and plays off the polished chrome cabinet hardware and faucet. And over the dining table is a concrete pendant. “I tried to stick with organic materials whenever I could,” Floyd says.
Find globe pendants in the Houzz Shop
To the left of the sink, she set up a coffee station for her java-loving client, with cups on the open shelves and a drawer for brewing supplies. (The coffee machine was replaced with the jar of neatly stacked cookies for the photo shoot.)
A Mix of Lighting
Lighting was also important, and Floyd chose an eclectic range of materials for the fixtures. In addition to the new recessed lights, she used large globe pendants for the island. “I wanted them to be big and make a statement, but I did not want them to block the view,” she says. The polished chrome library sconce over the sink illuminates dishwashing time, fills what would otherwise be an oddly empty spot and plays off the polished chrome cabinet hardware and faucet. And over the dining table is a concrete pendant. “I tried to stick with organic materials whenever I could,” Floyd says.
Find globe pendants in the Houzz Shop
In the dining area, Floyd centered the aforementioned concrete pendant over a round table. With potential resale down the road, her client wanted versatility and didn’t want anything permanent built here. So rather than a built-in bench or banquette, Floyd found a freestanding bench that fit the space. Layers of throw pillows in shades of tan and off-white bring in pattern and personality.
Shop for throw pillows with Scandinavian style
Shop for throw pillows with Scandinavian style
View to the Living Room
Now that the big TV wall is gone, this is the view from the dining area into the living room. Placing a console table and leather stools that repeat the kitchen island’s X shape behind the sofa makes it pleasing, and it’s a smart way to incorporate extra seating in a small space. As for what we don’t see: Floyd hid the TV in a wooden cabinet, a great improvement over the giant media wall. The new millwork wall relates to the Shaker millwork on the kitchen island.
If you’d like to see a little more of Floyd’s design for the living room, bathroom and front entry, check out more photos of this project.
Takeaways
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Now that the big TV wall is gone, this is the view from the dining area into the living room. Placing a console table and leather stools that repeat the kitchen island’s X shape behind the sofa makes it pleasing, and it’s a smart way to incorporate extra seating in a small space. As for what we don’t see: Floyd hid the TV in a wooden cabinet, a great improvement over the giant media wall. The new millwork wall relates to the Shaker millwork on the kitchen island.
If you’d like to see a little more of Floyd’s design for the living room, bathroom and front entry, check out more photos of this project.
Takeaways
- Consider all the views into and from a kitchen when working within an open floor plan.
- Extend backsplash tile to the ceiling to make low ceilings feel higher.
- Open shelves in a kitchen should be at least 12 inches deep if they’re going to accommodate dinner plates.
- Give open shelves a collected look by mixing in artwork and other interesting objects.
- Porcelain floor tile that looks like wood is a good option when there are wet feet, sand and large dogs involved.
- Repeat colors and materials throughout an open floor plan for a cohesive look.
See more Kitchens of the Week
Find kitchen designers
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A single man and his two German shepherds
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Size: 130 square feet (12 square meters); 13 by 10 feet
Designer: Baylee Floyd of Baylee Deyon Design
When this homeowner purchased his Palm Beach, Florida, house, he wanted to remodel it to suit his lifestyle but also keep it enticing to future buyers. He searched Houzz for a local interior designer and found Baylee Floyd, whom he hired to make his home comfortable, homey and chic.
The style is transitional with eclectic touches and a Scandinavian bent. The textural palette is layered, blending lots of crisp white with warm organic touches. Floyd helped her client find a porcelain tile with a convincing oak look to provide warm contrast with the white walls.
The designer also removed a cumbersome TV wall that was chopping up the space and created one large open plan between the kitchen, dining and living room areas. This design is a good example of how to connect rooms within an open plan and of how to create a kitchen that’s a design asset to the entire space.