June 3, 2021

One of the main reasons to renovate an oceanfront property is to open up the kitchen to the view. This was the case for a project done by lead designer Gwynite van Tuyl Weswick of Emerge Design in Sechelt, British Columbia, who was brought in to not only change the direction of the kitchen but also create a bright and welcoming space throughout the whole main level.

Designing an Open and Efficient Floor Plan

The original layout of this home facing the Pacific Ocean had the kitchen cabinetry almost entirely blocking the view outside. There was a small window above the sink, but the ocean was otherwise hidden. The living area was also obscured by cabinets, and the odd-shaped island did not contribute much to the flow.

“The space was quite dark and needed a modern overhaul,” said van Tuyl Weswick, who used Sketchup and Vectorworks to complete this design. “The floor plan was laid out with a separate kitchen and dining room experience.”

To turn this kitchen around, the team first moved the location of the kitchen, stretching it to the far back corner of the original kitchen area – a space mostly used as a side entry with a small desk. The new redesign moved the kitchen from the exterior wall to the interior wall, with a new curved island in the center. Now the exterior wall could be streamlined and converted into a wall of windows overlooking the ocean view.

“We wanted to have an open floor plan that would allow the light and the surplus of the location’s natural beauty in, the ocean being at the clients’ fingertips,” said the designer.

According to van Tuyl Weswick, the team focused on creating a kitchen that could comfortably have more than one person cooking at a time. This included mindfully placing the fridge, prep sink and wine refrigerator within everyone’s reach near the end of the island, on the side closer to the living area. A second sink is on the other end of the kitchen, closer to the stovetop and dishwasher. Along with the prep sink and stovetop, the island features storage on one side and bar-height seating for three on the curved side. These elements are all spaced out enough so that more than one chef can work comfortably together while entertaining guests and admiring the view.

Creating a Timeless Design for an Ocean View

The ocean view kitchen needed to have enough functionality to work for the homeowners for years to come. The interior cabinetry offers high-quality storage systems, including sliding drawers, corner sliding baskets and a sliding pantry system. The upper cabinets feature undercabinet lights, and the wine refrigerator is dual zone for storing different varietals.

For this seaside home, it was also important to create a lasting appeal that related to the surrounding environment without seeming thematic. The main palette is bright white – established by the simple, white and light gray-painted cabinetry – for a light and airy look next to the wall of windows. White quartz countertops and marble-look tile flooring continue this trend.

The white in the space is broken up by the island, where the bar side facing the ocean is painted a soft gray-blue. The glass pendants above the island echo this blue tone, and the backsplash offers another take on it with a geometric pattern in a deeper gray-blue hue.

“My favorite part of this design is how much larger the space feels and how evident the outdoor environment is inside,” said van Tuyl Weswick. “The simplicity of the color palette doesn’t overtake nature and is picturesque during any time of day.”