In a Martha’s Vineyard beach house, the hue of Nikko hydrangeas becomes a bold accent color. The dining room of this spacious, open plan house shows how two approaches to home decor can be combined. First there is the type of all over wood-plank paneling often associated with the interiors of boats. Then there is the intense blue painted furniture with its cottage-on-steroids … [Read more...]
Bathrooms for Couples
Double vanity bathrooms offer twice the personal space in a variety of styles. Double vanity bathrooms are designed for two. Presently, in our master bath, we have a pair of elegant pedestals with wonderfully large bowls. But we both might enjoy a little more “setting down” space which a double-size vanity with one or two sinks provides. One of my fixations is oversize cast … [Read more...]
Milk Baths
Mainly white master baths are peaceful, spa like retreats and modern classics. The term “antiseptic” is a favorite snub applied to an all-white bathroom. “Boring” is another term that finds disfavor. Not to me. I find much to admire in milky paint and tile tones unsullied by a need for color -- particularly that airy, clean atmosphere that only white provides. Modern + … [Read more...]
Big Bathroom Sinks
Big bathroom sinks may be luxuriously customized for two or more users. The luxuries of space can be expressed in many different ways, including big bathroom sinks. I find big sinks especially appealing. Cast concrete and solid surface materials are popular materials for big bathroom sinks because they can be fabricated to specification and they have sleek, modern looks. In a … [Read more...]
Informal Banquettes
Informal banquettes help make kitchens cozier and transform corners into easy eating spaces. Whether you call an informal banquette a banquette or a booth, built-in seating has become a popular way to maximize kitchen corners as breakfast areas or small dining rooms. In any style house, a built in cushion-covered bench can be tweaked to coordinate with the basic scheme and … [Read more...]
Wood Plank Master Bath
A tropical wood plank master bath goes for sustainable modernity in a beach house. In a beach house, it makes sense to create a tropical wood plank master bath -- one that stands up well to water. In this Mr.-and-Mrs. bath, the planks take on the added role of a motif worked in several ways. Wood slats, installed on aluminum supports like fencing, help screen off to a … [Read more...]
Interior Barn Doors
Sliding interior barn doors offer clever space-saving solutions in any room. Mention barn doors to anyone not devoted to interior design and they will assume you are speaking of doors on real barns. Mounted on hardware placed outside the door frame, sliding indoor barn door versions offer a decorative and functional alternative to standard swing and pocket doors. A country … [Read more...]
Neutral Contemporary Kitchens
Caramel, café au lait and taupe are joining gray as colors for neutral contemporary kitchens. In a search for alternatives to white or black-and-white as color schemes, neutral contemporary kitchens in caramel and taupe are looking especially fresh. In truth, they have always been around but the sleek surfaces of contemporary kitchen designs make them ideal for use on walls … [Read more...]
Stone and Maroon Kitchen
From ceiling to the floor, gray is pitched like an architectural symphony with a maroon accent. A modern gray kitchen with a maroon accent wall feels a bit urban for a house at the Massachusetts shore. But that's precisely what makes this kitchen interesting. A sense of place doesn't always trump the style the home owner desires. Here it is strictly architectural, Bulthaup … [Read more...]
Seafoam Island Kitchen
This seafoam blue island is built like a deep table with plumbing for a prep sink shielded by the legs The heart of this white kitchen is the seafoam blue island-on-legs which helps maximizes the look of the central space since it doesn't sit solidly on the floor. A different counter material on each end helps break up the island visually. The small prep sink is set under a … [Read more...]
Concrete Powder Room Sink
In an architect's house, expect a powder room with a concrete sink, right? In a powder room, a concrete sink is a statement of sorts. It weighs in as modern or contemporary in an uncompromising way. In the home of prominent Massachusetts architect Mark Hutker, the sea-green powder room is consistent with the minimalist aesthetic of the house. The cast concrete sink with one … [Read more...]
Cobalt and White Kitchen
A beloved color on china and dishware, cobalt blue moves to kitchen cabinets. Cobalt blue seems a logical choice for kitchen cabinets in a beach house kitchen. Yet this dark blue hue is not often seen. In this kitchen cobalt blue goes high gloss on the sink wall cabinets and on the island. With a white backsplash and farm sink and light gray counters the color makes this … [Read more...]
Mission Style Kitchen
Mission style oak cabinets offer a natural look for a beach house kitchen. The four square motif, typical of 20th century Mission style, appears on the raised eating bar that divides the monochromatic natural oak kitchen from the adjacent great room. Awning windows, industrial pendant lights, an English-style work table/island with turned legs and tiles set into the ends help … [Read more...]
Corner Farm Sink Kitchen
A unusual corner farm sink has takes advantage of light from greenhouse style kitchen windows. The most interesting feature in this Massachusetts country kitchen centers on the white farm sink installed in the corner. It’s an unusual placement but one that gives the user maximum light and views since the corner is all windows. The base cabinets are likely 30-inches deep … [Read more...]
