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Moving from San Diego to Maine is a pretty big change. But when your new home sits on a lake and your idea of fun involves bikes, kayaks, and hiking boots, it’s a change worth making.
This couple’s new home needed some updating before moving in. They brought in MGM Builders, with most of the attention going to the first floor where these new empty nesters planned to spend nearly all of their time. I joined the project to design the kitchen, bar, and pantry.
We started with MGM’s preliminary floorplan. Then we started asking questions.
One of the bigger ones involved the bar. The original plan had a window at the bar to preserve a view of the water. But the clients wanted something that felt like a modern, upscale pub. And the window kept making it feel like a kitchenette.
Giving the bar the presence it needed meant giving up a water view, which made the views from the kitchen matter even more. The kitchen’s prep area moved to face the dining area window. And the rest of the island became a place for people to pull up a stool or pitch in to help when the husband's family visited.
Other pieces moved around too, eventually producing a cooking wall framed by windows and bookended by a fridge and freezer.
Aesthetically, the clients wanted the open spaces where they spent most of their time to be compatible with the lake views. So we kept the palette natural and restrained in the kitchen — soft whites, deep blue, and warm wood.
The island's warm wood reappears in the dining bench, complete with integrated outlets and storage drawers. The table, chairs and upholstered cushions were selected by Tyler Karu, whom the clients brought in to help with furnishings.
The ancillary spaces, like the pantry, are more playful. The result is like opening a beautifully tailored coat to discover a bold lining. From the outside, composed and restrained. Open it up and — well, hello! And yet, the lining still belongs to the coat. The contrast makes both more interesting.
BUILDER: MGM BuildersPHOTOGRAPHY: Alice + Chris PhotographySTYLING: Danielle McGee
