Kitchen is the heart of every house but it’s especially true in a beach house where togetherness, entertaining and casual cooking take center stage. Although in a Bahamian or West Indies style beach house the cabinets are most likely to be dark, beach house kitchen cabinets are most often white (although light wood tones are becoming more and more popular, and the mix of both is definitely the most prevalent trend right now).
In modern style beach houses (think Miami waterfront) and ocean view condos (imagine the high rises of Highland Beach) the cabinet style will most often be flat slab doors and drawers in super glossy white finish. In more traditional settings such as beach cottages, Cape Cod style or Key West style beach homes, the cabinet style will often be shaker. Those crisp white cabinets tend to be accompanied by white countertops – we prefer quartz for practical reasons. Our favorite material for a beach house kitchen backsplash is glass tile, often mosaic.
Designing a beach house means taking nature into consideration first and foremost in one’s design process. The views, the natural light and, the cross breezes – all of these elements will inform the kitchen layout, lighting plan, the durability of materials and finishes used throughout and, of course, the color scheme.
In beach house kitchens you will often find island stools and dining chairs made out of natural materials such as teak, raffia or rattan. They might be paired with white cushions for added comfort. To let the views in but keep the sun out solar shades, often motorized, act beautifully to protect not only you but also your cabinets and furnishings from the sun’s harmful rays.
The beach house kitchen floors are typically natural stone or tile – practical not only for spills and typical kitchen messes but also for the sand-covered bare foot experience.
As always, dramatic ceiling light fixture are a must! We love using chandeliers and pendants made out of natural materials such as glass, capiz or coconut shells.
