This contemporary kitchen in the Hudson Bayou spec home was staged by iStage Homes to highlight the property’s sleek finishes and open-concept layout. A spacious island with modern bar seating creates a natural gathering point, while warm wood cabinetry and clean lines reinforce the home’s contemporary style. The staging emphasizes functionality, light, and flow between the kitchen and living spaces, helping buyers envision effortless modern living in this Sarasota residence.

THE SETUP Senior Designer Diana Burton’s client loved her sixties-era home – it just needed some work. The cozy galley kitchen was narrow and mostly closed off from the family room. A pass-through window served as a limited pipeline for treats and chatter. The appliances were failing, too. It was simply time for an overhaul. Design Objectives: Remove load bearing wall and open kitchen to the family room Omit large unused fireplace in family room Increase work surfaces and overall storage solutions Dedicated small countertop appliance storage Seating for 3 or 4 at island Add pantry storage Offer solution for lack of mudroom Upgrade all appliances THE REMODEL Design Challenges: Finding a location to hide structural support for new beam Reworking awkward configuration of existing walls Adding a walk-in pantry Creating mudroom storage Allowing room for large sectional in family room Design Solutions: Add a discreet column by the fridge to hide essential support Flush out wall by bath to be even with the range wall, where the new walk in pantry exists Use void space behind new wall for large appliance garage Create combination walk in pantry/mudroom by adding bench with shoe storage and hooks Maintain island depth for comfortable seating without infringing on space for the sectional THE RENEWED SPACE This cramped, dated kitchen has a new lease on life! Opening it to the family room dramatically transformed the space. Diana’s client now has plenty of storage, a big island for food prep, and an open-concept space that’s perfect for entertaining and hanging out with friends and family.

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
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We opened up the wall to create an open space to the great room. It was tricky because all of the support and to upstairs bathrooms were in the columns. We skinned the wall to the pantry in the corner to look like cabinetry and flow together. We put flooring up on the ceiling where the hood comes out of to keep it more casual.

Our kitchen and bath designer, Danielle, worked with her clients to transform their main level into a more functional space for their young family.
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Clean lines and warm tones abound in this deliciously modern kitchen with hardworking stainless-steel appliances. Ivory walls and ceilings are trimmed with honey stained alder, a color seen again in the cabinetry. Off-white quartz countertops cap the perimeter cabinets and climb the backsplash creating a seamless look. An extra thick countertop of the same material covers the island and waterfalls to the floor on one end. The other end of the island features a raised bar supported by bronze hairpin legs. A set of Danish modern bar stools with green vinyl seats conveniently pull up to the counter. The island is punctuated by inset drawers which are clad in a durable laminate. The depth of the stained oak flooring serves to ground the space.

Our clients came to us with their vision and an ask to create a timeless family space grounded in their English roots. What resulted was just that: an open and bright English-inspired kitchen featuring custom inset-cabinetry in three painted finishes, aged brass hardware, a large range alcove with built-in shelving, oversized island with plenty of prep space with oversized brass bell pendants and a 12' floor to ceiling pantry. While carefully designed and expertly crafted, the kitchen is "no -fuss" in personality and quite livable for the family which were two must-haves characteristics for the homeowners. To achieve the look and flow, the former posts in the kitchen were removed and two 24' steel beams were installed to support the second floor. All beams, new and old, were sanded down and refinished with a custom stain. We created an opening into the dining room, letting light stream through throughout the day and creating sight lines from room-to-room for this busy family. Modifications were made to the framing of adjacent rooms to allow for the floor-to-ceiling pantry to be installed. New paint, refinished floors, new appliances, and windows were also a part of the overall scope.

To capture the window to the right and the entire island this kitchen was photographed in three images and stitched together in Autopano Giga. Copyright Carl Mayfield Photography

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New construction, completed in 2013 Photograph by Geoff Captain Studios
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**Project Overview** This new construction home is built next to a picturesque lake, and the bar adjacent to the kitchen and living areas is designed to frame the breathtaking view. This custom, curved bar creatively echoes many of the lines and finishes used in other areas of the first floor, but interprets them in a new way. **What Makes This Project Unique?** The bar connects visually to other areas of the home custom columns with leaded glass. The same design is used in the mullion detail in the furniture piece across the room. The bar is a flowing curve that lets guests face one another. Curved wainscot panels follow the same line as the stone bartop, as does the custom-designed, strategically implemented upper platform and crown that conceal recessed lighting. **Design Challenges** Designing a curved bar with rectangular cabinets is always a challenge, but the greater challenge was to incorporate a large wishlist into a compact space, including an under-counter refrigerator, sink, glassware and liquor storage, and more. The glass columns take on much of the storage, but had to be engineered to support the upper crown and provide space for lighting and wiring that would not be seen on the interior of the cabinet. Our team worked tirelessly with the trim carpenters to ensure that this was successful aesthetically and functionally. Another challenge we created for ourselves was designing the columns to be three sided glass, and the 4th side to be mirrored. Though it accomplishes our aesthetic goal and allows light to be reflected back into the space this had to be carefully engineered to be structurally sound. Photo by MIke Kaskel