Designing To Scale

With an eye on scale, designers Doug Walsh and Dan Guano set out to create a space that marries traditional elegance with transitional simplicity. The result is an uberchic design exhibiting the precise restraint and charm their Oyster Bay clients envisioned.

"The room is large, tall and perfectly square", recalls Dan Guano. "The challenge was filling the space proportionally with out loosing a sense of intimacy."

Rather than using taller cabinets to punctuate the rooms' height, they opted for a linear row of glass cabinets nested atop of the storage cabinets. The glass cabinets seem to anchor the room while creating an understated focal point and a casual distinction the home owners were looking for.

Using the height of the window as a guide, Doug Walsh, CKD, selected a 15" custom glass cabinet to ribbon the kitchens cooking and preparation areas. To keep an uninterrupted linear flow, all large appliances were housed in one wall where larger glass cabinets were used to compensate for their scale. Keeping the larger appliances together also allowed for a tremendous amount of countertop space.

To achieve an elegant yet clean look the designers borrowed elements from traditional and transitional styles that could work together. The kitchens massive island, which serves as both a preparation and eating area, is outfitted with a classic Carrera marble top. The honed finish, eased edge and 2" thickness give it a magnificently subtle presence and work seamlessly with the overall rhythm of the room. Inset shaker door cabinets in a Harbor finish with flush toe kicks by Signature Custom Cabinetry mimic the rooms linear detailing while adding furniture caliber sophistication. The island also houses a cookbook library, 6 working drawers for storage and a sink for preparation.

For variation, the color scheme was inverted on the rooms' perimeter walls with earthy, warm granite on the counter tops and a light Oyster finish on the cabinets. The back splash features glass tile banded horizontally in on offset pattern.

To add drama careful attention was given to the lighting effects. High hats and pendant lighting provide functional light while under cabinet and invisible cabinet lighting give cadence to the room's lateral focal points. Overall, the architectural effects artfully bring your eye around the room.