In the eleven years that my heartmate and I have been together we have moved a lot – not least emigrating to a new country and our new home! I’ve written before about how special and comforting it feels to finally be settled: we both truly feel like New York City, and America, is our home. Moving our lives to a new country and starting from scratch meant selling and donating all of our furniture and most of our belongings; we survived on one income for 16+ months as my husband was only legally allowed to study here while we went through the green card process; and we both lost all of our credit history and couldn’t even open a credit card or get a phone contract when we first arrived. Was it stressful? Yes. Were there moments where we were both scared at the uncertainty? Absolutely. Was it all worth it and do feel beyond grateful? One million percent.

The first time my heartmate and I walked into our kitchen at the beach house we looked at each other – me misty eyed because I’m almost always the emotional one (if you’re surprised, you’ve clearly never seen our wedding pics!) – and both said at exactly the same time in harmony “wow, this is our home”. We were beaming, and still are. The relief and security of standing in our kitchen that we chose and designed from the ground up, within four walls that we own, after years of bouncing around from rental to rental and moving to a new country, was palpable between us. We were home and it felt euphoric. After the jump I’m sharing the full reveal of the beach house kitchen. Come take the tour with me!

*Use the slider to see the kitchen before and after*
Let’s take a moment to remember what the kitchen looked like when we moved in. Last month, in my first post in collaboration with my friends at Nespresso I wrote about our plans for the design direction of the beach house kitchen, and I included a before photo along with some snaps from during the construction. Seeing this slider with the true before and after still blows my mind. It’s such a transformation, don’t you think?! The whole space is the same footprint yet feels twice the size.In that first post I also shared the floor plans and elevations to give a sense of how the kitchen would look and function. This wide view of the beach house kitchen shows how those elevations came to life. We both treasure our morning coffee time together, so we kept that top of mind while we designed the space, ensuring the work flow and positioning made sense for how we hoped to live in the kitchen. Having space for our Nespresso VertuoPlus machine next to the farmhouse apron sink makes filling the water tank super easy and it tucks in neatly next to the refrigerator cabinet.A generous island peninsula means we can now utilize this space to make bread, relax reading the paper over coffee and pastries, while it simultaneously makes the kitchen a more substantial room in the house overall. You walk into the house and see the kitchen immediately so it’s great that it has so much visual impact. I’m so pleased I decided to have our kitchen island painted in a different color to the main cabinetry. I bought the custom cabinetry from Waterworks and I love how the cool grey pairs with the rich and intense navy. The cool grey color looks gorgeous against the texture of Colin Loom bar stools from One Kings Lane, and the navy contrasts beautifully with the European oak Stockholm Sand hardwood floor from Madera Surfaces. Oh my, the floors…I am in LOVE!As I started to style the kitchen and bring in our personal items that truly made it feel like our home – our chopping boards, favorite oils and sauces, plants and, of course, our much-loved (and used!) Nespresso VertuoPlus machine for morning espressos – my mind wondered to all the memories we’ll make in here. From winter mornings padding around in our PJs making our weekend guests breakfast, to summer days with the stable door wide open and the sea breeze blowing through the house while we make sandwiches to take to the beach. These kitchen elements, some practical and some personal, are the fabric of our life we’ll spend in the kitchen and it was as much as moment of coming home for them as it was for both of us.The kitchen before was lacking surface space, light and practicality. It was also very appliance heavy so in designing the space we knew that we wanted to opt for panel-ready appliances (refrigerator, dishwasher etc.) so that the gorgeous custom cabinetry could take centre stage without heavy visual distractions. We also moved the stove from being tucked into the corner by the side entry door, and swapped it with the placement of the refrigerator. This helped open up the space and both visual and practical flow of the space to no end.Remember how I spoke about storing my Nespresso capsules in glass canisters back in 2011 (here) and then again in 2017 (here)? Well, I needed a new way to store the capsules stylishly in the beach house kitchen. My solution was this gorgeous vintage tray that holds the capsules perfectly. They add a splash of color to the Cambria Quartz countertop, while also allowing people to easily pick their desired coffee blend.One of my favorite design elements I chose for the space is the Easton brass faucet (another option here). I love how it looks against the Cape Cod subway tile; it’s only going to get better with time as the unlacquered brass patinas and ages with use. Plus, it harmonizes effortlessly with the natural brass card file pulls and hexagon hardware knobs from Schoolhouse Electric that I paired with the cabinetry.The wonderfully tactile Titik print fabric by Caroline Cecil Textiles that I used for the window treatments adds warmth to the white shiplap walls, while the duo of bronze and brass Hicks pendants draw the eye down the island peninsula. They also pair effortlessly with the Thomas O’Brien Clark flash mount pendant over the sink. Even as I type this and look at these images I’m pinching myself that this is really our beach house kitchen – it’s still not quite sunk in, I don’t think! Thanks for following along and do let me know what you think of the space, I’d love to hear.// Interior design, styling & photography by Will Taylor | Posted as part of my on-going partnership with our blog sponsor Nespresso.

Author

Will Taylor

Will lives in NYC and is an interior design author and content creator. He's been blogging about his love of design, style and travel since 2009. His #MakeYouSmileStyle approach to decorating and dressing has inspired over one million Instagram uploads to the hashtag from followers across the world.

170 Comments

  1. O.M.G. Will!!!! I’ve been following your whole renovation over the summer and I love how the new kitchen looks!! I wouldn’t know where to start pairing colors like you have done here with the tiles and cabinets. Very inspiring! Every detail is PERFECT!! Thanks for sharing the kitchen and congratulations to you both. Lisa xo

  2. Karen Lang Reply

    It’s an absolutely stunning kitchen you’ve designed Will. You made it colorful, sophisticated and welcoming, and should be proud of your work. Enjoy it!

  3. Oh I love it! 😍😍 We are going to renovate next spring and I’m trying to convince my husband that we should do a blue kitchen…this post is going to help. Straight to Pinterest 😉 lol

    • @Patti – How exciting that you are planning your own renovation! Everyone said to us before that it would take longer than we expected and cost more than we anticipated. Well, everyone was right so I’m passing the advice along! Even so it was all totally worth it! 🙂

  4. Nespresso is my favorite ive had my machine for years but yours looks more fancy haha and the capsules are different?

    • @Jaz – Glad you are a fellow Nespresso lover! This is one of their newer machines from the VertuoPlus line, which uses the brand’s new style of capsule.

  5. Harry M. Fontenot III Reply

    Really, just WOW! Incredible transformation, such beautiful design work…expected nothing less. What makes it so touching is how you guys feel about all this. Congratulations and Cheers to many happy years in your new home.❤

    • @Harry – Thanks so much! We’re so excited to spend time in the kitchen; it feels even more special having designed it ourselves, you know? Have a great rest of your week!

  6. My hubs and I are at the opposite end of our lives together from you and your heartmate. We just finished a remodel of our last home and will be moving soon. It is such a profound experience to make choices knowing that this is the space where you will gradually become less “able.” Yet I wanted to clearly express who we are and what our lives have been about. Isn’t nesting fun!? I love what you have done and I think you would love my kitchen, too. I realized last week that it is the same colors as the kitchen in the first house we built 42 years ago….white with yellow, lime, and turquoise. I say to you what my aunt said to us back then, “Live long, love strong, and be happy.”

    • @Libbynan – Your comment has me misty-eyed as it truly shows, as cliche as it sounds, that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It sounds like you approached the design with the same zest and zeal for the project as you did your first kitchen all those years ago, and I love that! And thank you for sharing the sweetest and wise words from your aunt, I will hold onto them.

  7. Every detail is PERFECTION!! I want you to design a place for Danté and I so badly!!! You make everything you touch feel like home.

    • @Kirsten – Thank you so much, that’s such a lovely thing to say. I would love to design a place for you both! Also, your blog post on California is stunning – wow!

  8. Jack Powers Reply

    Everything about this is fabulous. However, is there a dishwasher hidden somewhere? It’s one kitchen appliance I can’t imagine not having, haha.

  9. @lovemombo Reply

    The old kitchen was nice, but the new one is exceptional! Love the brass fixture over the sink, love the sink, love that the clock hangs like the pendant lamps, love the range and hood, love that the peninsula is light and the rest of the cabinets are dark, love the grey subway tiles. Does the top of the door open separately from the bottom? My kitchen is 1980’s design – do you think if I wait long enough it will come back in style – haha?

    • @Lovemombo – So glad you are loving all the details, thanks a lot for stopping by! 🙂 Yes, it’s a stable door so the top can be opened while the bottom is left shut. We had one in our house as kids as so I always knew I’d love to have one in my own kitchen when I was an adult.

  10. Such an incredible transformation! No detail left unnoticed from the hardware, subway tile, apron sink, faucet, custom cabinetry, paint selection, counter tops… etc. I could go on and on! The best part is your story and how grateful you and your heartmate are. Cheers to many years of happiness in your beautiful kitchen together, I can’t wait to see other parts of your home come together!!!

    • @Jena – Awwww thank you so much for stopping by and taking time to read the post, too! We are so thrilled with it and can’t wait to share the other corners of our home!

  11. Love it, just so beautiful. I would love to walk into that scene everyday. Do you mind sharing the island color you used? We are currently building and it’s just what I have been searching for. Thank you!
    Victoria

  12. Oh my Will, that’s a dream! Love the color palette and all the details..I’m sure you and Toby will have a lot of great memories in this house <3

  13. I love your design of the kitchen! I especially love how you accomplished this with the same footprint as the original. I also appreciate the lack of white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter tops that seem to proliferate on the internet! You’re a very talented designer and one of my favorites!

    • @Lora – Thank you! Isn’t it incredible that it’s the exact same footprint?! The space looks and feels so much bigger. And I’m so glad you noticed the lack of stainless steel appliances – it was something we working really hard on hiding behind panels so that they wouldn’t dominate the kitchen, especially as it’s relatively small. Appreciate the kind words and support! 🙂

  14. Weird comment, but I’m impressed with the tiling quality finish around the window. The corner tile makes all the difference. Do you ever see yourselves moving there permanently?

    • @Juan – Yes, the tiling is so good. Our contractor, City & Stone found such an incredible tiler for us. Right now, we love the city too much to move out permanently.

  15. Oh my gosh Will, it is absolutely gorgeous and so very you and Toby! Love it so much, and can totally see you guys at home here. I can’t wait to enjoy breakfast at that island with you boys one day soon xx

  16. Will, I am seriously dying! This came out so incredibly well, and your post is beautifully written and photographed. I’m so happy for you two! When I saw the tile samples they looked so pretty and now seeing it actually come to life, it all works so perfectly together. You did an amazing job designing every single element of this space – it’s more functional, feels more spacious and clean and bright…it’s hard to believe this is the first time you’ve designed a kitchen! The paneled appliances, the navy cabinetry, the different-colored island…every detail is wonderful. I really like the bar stools too – they look coastal and comfortable. Also you styled the shoot beautifully. Heart eye emojiiiii 🙂

  17. The brass faucet is my most favorite element it is so stunning and unexpected against the blue grey cabinets ! And Bellport is s great spot enjoy!!

  18. Love the color pallet and the barstools especially. Never seen a blue like that used on cabinets, really looks nice. Last, what type of refrigerator is that? So low profile! P.S. Your wedding pictures are adorable 🙂

    • Jeff – I think you are referring to the stove? That’s the only visible appliance in the space. The refrigerator and dishwasher are hidden behind panels! And thanks so much re: the wedding pics.

  19. What is the color of your cabinets? It is gorgeous and what a brilliant match to the green tile!

  20. Will!! My friend this looks amaaaazing! I looooove all the choices….especially the navy cabinetry and the gorgeous backsplash tiles. I couldn’t be happier for you love. The journey is certainly not always paved in gold, but the end result is such a treasure. I can’t wait to see the rest of the house come together!!!!

  21. It’s an absolute triumph, Will! I adore the colour combination of the navy, grey and gold and those stools! My goodness. What a glorious space you’ve created – I’m so happy for both of you!! xx

  22. love this! having just upgraded my kitchens handles – the choice was agonising. I can see you’re a perfectionist, just hope you’ve got those hexagonals on super tight! loving the lighter coloured island too. inspiring!

  23. OMG. This is literally a dream. This kitchen is to die for XD <3

  24. Oh I adore it all! You’ve made such a beautiful, stylish AND homely space. I can tell you will both make so many happy memories here. I am particularly in love with the taps and the lights! 😉 xx

    • @Emily – Thank you so much, lovely! We are so thrilled with it and can’t wait to spend time there. I adore the taps and lights, too, especially the flush mount pendant over the sink! x

  25. WOW! This is beautiful ! Amazing transformation. I’ve been following your renovation of the beach house too. So excited to see more rooms. Great job!👍👏

  26. WOW! what an amazing job! i love it!
    and also hats off to not giving up when everything seemed like a struggle. i moved so often in my life i lost count so i totally feel the excitement to finally stand in a place that truly feels like you.

  27. I love what you did with the space! Especially, obsessed with the cabinetry colors and lighting fixtures 👌🏼

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  29. I love brave colours! Deep blue and coppery gold remind me of all the best front doors – deep and shining and so intriguing you just want to know what’s behind them. The chairs are also wonderful, softening the whole look because they don’t bring any harsh silver metal to the scene, and the just offset the boldness of the colours to tie the whole thing together. Not only that, but they’re beachy! It reminds you you’re not in an inner city townhouse – it’s always important to remember your exterior location in your interiors.

    • @Sarah – Yes! The bar stools are the perfect touch of texture to warm up the space while also giving a hint of the coastal locale. Thanks for the lovely comment!

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  34. Jennifer Murphy Reply

    Love it all! May ask what yr budget was for this or did you work with Waterworks specifically. I love their tile and fixtures but was not aware of their cabinetry. Do you have a ballpark number? I would love to change out my kitchen out. Maybe you can help me redesign my beach kitchen!

    • @Jennifer – Thank you so much! We bought the kitchen cabinetry from Waterworks and it was our biggest investment in the house, but I think it was worth it because it’s such a central part of the house. In terms of cost, it’s varies so much in terms of what style of cabinetry you choose, and the size of the space. Then, of course there’s the countertops, appliances, lighting, hardware, tiles etc. so there’s just a lot of elements that quickly add up! We managed to get a quick estimate from Waterworks for our cabinetry cost alone (excluding all the other kitchen design element as we bought those from elsewhere) so I’d highly recommend doing that so you can get a better understanding of how much it will cost in your specific space! 🙂

  35. This is my favorite NON-WHITE kitchen ever!!!!!! Can’t wait to check out the rest of your blog, as I am particularly interested in ideas for our master bath renovation. Absolutely gorgeous kitchen – I am blue with envy right now 🙂

  36. Hey, I found this link on Centsational Style and so glad I opened it. I Love this kitchen. You have a new fan 🙂

  37. Necolle Eimas Reply

    Will–I absolutely love your new kitchen. So glad that Emily Clark introduced me to your blog and I look forward to following your design inspiration. Can you share the paint color for your cabinets? The blue is such a rich and sophisticated tone.

    • @Necolle – Thank you so much for the kind words and stopping by my blog! Sure thing: the cabinetry is Cosmos and the island is Decoy – both are colors from Waterworks.

  38. Absolutely lovely, Will!! <3
    Also, I'm glad you're feeling better!

  39. Cinthya Bello Reply

    Hi, I love this renovation. Same size of my kitchen and you definitely made the space feel bigger which is what im struggling with. Can you tell me where you placed the refrigerator? We have a two door fridge and im just trying to figure out if we do this layout as well where would we place it? In the garage possibly?

    • @Cinthya – Thanks! The refrigerator is behind the tall panel on the right hand side by the stable door. It’s single panel. If you wanted a double door then a pantry could work really well if you have one near by the kitchen. The garage could work if it’s the same level as the kitchen and accessed directly from it.

  40. I’m so absolutely obsessed with this beautiful and fun kitchen. Every detail is so thoroughly executed. Really love the use of blue, down to the planks on the walls 😍 Awesome job!
    -Paola Arletty

  41. Dedra Horn Reply

    Oh my my!!!! I so love this fun and functional small kitchen design. Enough of the boring brown or white cabinets. I think it is amazing!

  42. What a beautiful space you have created! I absolutely love the blue. It’s perfect! Do you mind telling me where you found those stools? They are amazing!

  43. Just found your blog and so glad I did. What talent you have! Your kitchen is amazing. I especially love your story. Very inspiring.

    • @Vicki – Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving such a lovely comment. I’m glad you love the kitchen as much as we do and I’m thrilled to have you reading the blog. Welcome! 🙂

  44. Hi there!!! Love the kitchen and love the floor color!! What type of floors are those? Do you remember the exact name & price per sqft?

    • @Garance – The flooring is called ‘Sand’ and is from Madera Trade – it’s part of their Stockholm collection. You’d need to contact them for a price! 🙂

  45. Leanne Holgan Reply

    Oh my gosh! I’m so enjoying your page and so excited to have come across .. finding you! Your design totally speaks to me and I’m anxious to try some ideas in my own home in Babylon Village. We bought our home in 1986. Having been the home my husband grew up in 15 years earlier before leaving for Vietnam Nam, it was our dream to return to his old homestead that was built in 1892! Now, later in the years redoing the entire home over is not the best decision but I do want to try some of your ideas.. we need a sprucing up .. thank you for the inspiration!

  46. Garance Jones Reply

    Hi there! Love everything about that kitchen. Do you mind sharing paint names & company as well as the type of flooring y’all used. Love the bleached floor look. Beautiful!

    • @Garance – Sure thing! The cabinets are Cosmos and the island is Decoy – both Waterworks. The flooring is called ‘Sand’ and is from Madera Trade – it’s part of their Stockholm collection.

  47. Charmaine Ruppolt Reply

    Your newly renovated kitchen is perfect. I’ve saved the link with pics so I can show it to a future contractor to see, for ideas for my small kitchen. Blue is my favorite color, so of course, I love it.

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  49. Your kitchen is absolutely dreamy!!! All the heart eyes. What is the white wall paint you use thru out the beach house? It’s the perfect clean backdrop!

  50. Beautiful renovation! I’m curious about the window treatments. I’d like to do something similar in my home. Yours are clearly custom. How would I describe them to someone to have my own made? Thanks!

  51. Your kitchen is stunning! Can you share the style of the Cambria countertops that you used?

  52. Dear Will

    Thank you so much for sharing the result of your renovation. I absolutely love it and am shamelessly (☺️) copying the look! Would you mind sharing where you got the brass hinges? I have earched and searched online for something similar and I am not having much success.

    Thank you once again for sharing all of your projects — you have outstanding taste!

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  56. Gertrude Etta Reply

    Hi I love your pictures. I know you said the cabinets is Cosmos and island Devoy. Are those paint colors made by waterworks? Im trying to find info online but cant. Im in NJ and wont mind driving into the city to buy it. Can I purchase from Home Depot or Lowes.

  57. This kitchen is amazing! I love every detail! Please tell me what color your kitchen island is painted? I’m looking to paint an accent wall in our master and I love that color!

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  64. Wow! I am in love with your kitchen. You have designed a stunning, but relaxing space. This is what i dream of having some day. Happy for you that you both like the same style…wishing my fiance and i were on the same page, sigh. Let’s just say that i am beach house and he is log cabin. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us.

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  66. Paula Carr Reply

    Relax, Orlando. It’s not really the same. 🙂

    Beautiful job, and it really does seem twice as big. That dorky little pony wall in the “Before” takes up room, disrupts flow, and is pretty much useless. Adding the peninsula was perfect. And I love that you tiled the entire window surround — it’s little details like this that make a space seem intentional and special.

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  74. Your kitchen is beautiful. I know that the cupboards are Cosmos by Waterworks but was wondering if you could tell me what Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams colour that is closest to. We are repainting our kitchen and would like to paint it the same colour.
    Thanks so much, Pat

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  77. Donna Turner Reply

    Love. Love. Love! Please share the color/brand of the kitchen cabinets and the island. I. Must. Have. Thanks from New Orleans!

  78. My wife and I love looking at pictures like this. We live in Tokyo and our apartment is rather tiny. She always talks about having a kitchen like this. If we ever move back to Australia hopefully I’ll be able to get her something similar to yours (the colours are awesome!!).

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  80. Is the only place to buy the waterworks paint from their website or is there somewhere else to buy it? Thanks. Love your kitchen. I’ve been debating about having a lighter shade of island. We are building a house and I was thinking a navy color for the cabinets and debating the island color. Stay navy or a light color. I usually see it the other way around lighter cabinets and darker island.

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Hey, I'm Will

Welcome to Bright.Bazaar, my make-you-smile style corner of the internet. I’ve been sharing my love of beautiful design, feel-good homes, everyday style, inspiring travel and, pretty much everything in between, since 2009. As well as working as a content creator, I write interior design books and edit a bi-weekly e-newsletter called Smile Mail. I live in New York City with my heartmate and can often be found listening to Madonna’s Confessions album and dreaming up my next home renovation project.