Living on the water is all about the view, but the original layout of this home located on the river near Carter Creek completely hid its best asset. For this waterfront home near Carter Creek, the original kitchen was completely cut off from its beautiful surroundings. The kitchen window was half its current size, and a monster of a bush outside blocked what little view was left. An odd layout featured a clunky peninsula with a cooktop, a strange closet setup with accordion doors, and a standard three-foot doorway leading into the back room. Standing in the kitchen, you barely even knew the river was there.
By removing the restrictive closets, widening the entryways, and doubling the window space, we completed a breathtaking kitchen remodel that brings the outdoor scenery right to the countertops.
A Kitchen Remodel Designed for Panoramic Water Views
One of our main goals in this kitchen remodel was to remove the walls separating the cooking space from the water views. We tore out the inconvenient pantry closet and completely opened the entryway into the den. Now, the homeowners can enjoy panoramic views of the river while prepping meals. Even better, the newly expanded kitchen window offers a clear view of the backyard pool, making it easy to watch the grandkids play outside.
To ground the spacious new layout, we introduced a striking multi-surface countertop design:
- Rich Walnut Island: The center island is topped with warm, rich walnut, creating an inviting focal point for family gatherings.
- Crisp White Quartz: The perimeter countertops feature beautiful white quartz, reflecting natural light around the room.
Timeless Style with Crystal Cabinetry in a Kitchen Remodel
For the cabinetry, we utilized inset doors from Crystal Cabinetry to capture a timeless and vintage style. The finish is an off-white paint featuring a custom brown glaze. To achieve this look, the doors are first painted with the base coat, covered entirely in the glaze, and then carefully wiped down. The beautiful dimension left behind in the grooves is known as hang off.
Because the refrigerator couldn’t be placed completely flush to the wall without restricting the doors from swinging open, we engineered a brilliant space-saving solution next to it. We utilized that extra clearance gap to install a slim, slide-out pantry cabinet, making it the perfect pull-out spot for canned goods, oils, and spices.
A Custom Buffet Designed to Do It All
To ensure this kitchen remodel blended seamlessly with the other rooms of the home, we removed a closet that used to sit near the dining room entrance and replaced it with a custom, dual-purpose buffet built directly into the wall partition. The homeowners needed a serving station but also required a dedicated space to house their den TV components on the other side of the shared wall.
Our solution was a structural pass-through cabinet design: the deep base cabinets actually go directly through the wall framing. The kitchen side offers seamless drawer and cabinet storage, while the wall cabinets neatly tuck away electronics on the den side under a matching walnut top. Combined with deep, custom-organized dish drawers, every single item has a functional home.