BALBOA ISLAND, NEWPORT BEACH
This expansive ocean front home has spectacular views of the Newport Harbor. In a Louisiana French Creole style of architecture, the open airy breezeways and kid, pet, and sand friendly materials enable the owners to really “live” in the house without worrying about constant maintenance.
Our mission was to open up the spaces and breathe life into the moody, dark rooms. The family has children, dogs, cats, a turtle… and needed all materials to be durable with easy maintenance. The cook in the family felt trapped in the dark, closed off kitchen and wanted to see the ocean view while cooking. They wanted a lighter feeling with a timeless, transitional feeling to the space.
We removed the wall separating the kitchen from the great room (and the ocean view). The dark green marble gave way to pale gray and cream quartz. The orange toned maple cabinets were faux finished in an antiqued cream on the perimeter and warm gray for the island. The intense pumpkin wall color became pale beige. A new custom stainless cook top hood adds a bright pop of light reflectance to the room. The counter at the new cut out wall extends into the great room to allow guests to converse with the cook while entertaining.
Photos by Ken Henry.