BEFORE & AFTER
The Wow Factor
After the makeover of a vintage Figure Eight Island
cottage, daylight pours into the spacious fanny
kitchen that shimmers with jewel-toned finishes.
With so many married to the now ubiquitous all-white
kitchen, Liz Carroll of Liz Carroll Interiors,
and her clients spun the color wheel landing on a
bold combination of vibrant green backsplash tiles
paired with classic navy cabinets.
The handmade Clé tile, Carroll says, is actually very thick. She
and Jerry Sellers’ team, from Sellers Tile Company, examined each
piece to match color variations and crackling before installing the
rectangles into an arresting
herringbone grid. The big-gest
challenge was cutting
the turns and mitering the
tiles around the oversized
window box above the sink.
Sellers worked closely with
master cabinetmaker Mike
Powell of Coastal Cabinets,
while Dustin Broadhurst
of Bluewater Surfaces sup-plied
the natural quartzite
counters — white and gray
with hints of blue-green veining to echo the high contrast green and
navy palette.
Quartzite delivers a marble look, but its very dense composition,
Carroll says, is ideal for surfaces that see a lot of traffic because it’s
more resilient, more forgiving.
Enjoyed as a second home, the beach house hosts weekend guests;
and with three children — ranging in age from middle to high
school – the family is always entertaining friends. The renovation of
the 20- by 7-foot galley kitchen was central to the plan.
The existing peninsula island remained intact with a few modest
changes. Fronting board and batten paneling to match the adjacent
wall, the original pickled finish was painted white.
New gold, or brass, hardware and lighting fixtures, paired with
open shelves dish up a timeless quality harkening back to classic
Hamptons beach homes. Collectible pieces are displayed while most
of the day-to-day items are stored in the lower cabinets, beneath the
peninsula, and inside the pantry.
Appointed with swiveling Maguire barstools with footrests, the
cushions resist wet bathing suits, and the oak floors sandy feet. An
oriental runner adds a twist of global tradition carried through-out
the home sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the
Intracoastal Waterway.
ALLISON POTTER
66
WBM april 2019