Stickybeak of the Week: Ocean View Inspires Coastal-Modern Kitchen
Dinner parties in this bachelor pad now celebrate a fabulous beachfront location
This bachelor had lived in his Manhattan Beach, California, pad about a year when he sold his company. “He had something to celebrate,” interior designer Veerta Motiani says. The home is right on the ocean, and he loves to entertain. “He was ready for a home that reflected all of these things,” Motiani says. The tech entrepreneur presented her with a PowerPoint presentation to show her his likes and dislikes. “I could see that he liked modern style, and he loved being by the beach,” the designer says. “It was clear he needed a coastal-modern feel.”
The new cabinets have grey thermofoil doors that appear to have a wood grain without all of the find-the-perfect-stain tests and maintenance.
The sun shines so brightly in here that the upper cabinets appear to be wearing sunglasses indoors. Motiani chose smoked glass for the doors because it hides clutter and not-so-perfectly-put-away dishes. Automated window treatments in cool grey silk coordinate with the cabinets.
Window treatments: House of Blinds
The sun shines so brightly in here that the upper cabinets appear to be wearing sunglasses indoors. Motiani chose smoked glass for the doors because it hides clutter and not-so-perfectly-put-away dishes. Automated window treatments in cool grey silk coordinate with the cabinets.
Window treatments: House of Blinds
The pipe-like brackets are from a local hardware store.
Shelf planks and lighting: Restoration Hardware; most accessories: Crate & Barrel
Shelf planks and lighting: Restoration Hardware; most accessories: Crate & Barrel
This view from the adjacent deck gives you a taste of the ocean vistas from the kitchen windows.
Motiani clustered the stove, microwave and refrigerator on an interior wall. This way they are conveniently located but don’t block those ocean views.
A dual-temperature wine refrigerator was on the owner’s wish list, so the designer created this nook to the left of the refrigerator for a bar and wine storage.
He also really wanted a white marble benchtop, “but I knew that this was not the right environment for marble,” Motiani says. Instead, she used Cambria Tourquay quartz, which has the soft, veined look of marble but is much better at resisting stains from red wine and other spills.
Motiani took the slab up the walls for a seamless look. “It’s high drama, high impact, yet really softly done because of the veining,” she says.
He also really wanted a white marble benchtop, “but I knew that this was not the right environment for marble,” Motiani says. Instead, she used Cambria Tourquay quartz, which has the soft, veined look of marble but is much better at resisting stains from red wine and other spills.
Motiani took the slab up the walls for a seamless look. “It’s high drama, high impact, yet really softly done because of the veining,” she says.
AFTER: Just off the kitchen, deep indigo upholstered chairs met the owner’s request for a comfortable dining area that was also modern and cool. The slipcovers are particularly durable, made with outdoor fabric. The dining table has a washed driftwood look, while the clean-lined glass industrial light fixture overhead reinforces the look with a modern, rectangular shape.
“At first we were going to stain the floors grey, but once we chose the grey thermofoil cabinets and the grey silk window treatments, I realised we needed something more sandy to balance in some warmth to all of that cool,” Motiani says. After a week’s worth of stain trials on the floor, they settled on this custom result, which combines rich brown and soft sand and many hues in between.
Chairs: custom with Perennials fabric in Indigo; light fixture: Restoration Hardware
“At first we were going to stain the floors grey, but once we chose the grey thermofoil cabinets and the grey silk window treatments, I realised we needed something more sandy to balance in some warmth to all of that cool,” Motiani says. After a week’s worth of stain trials on the floor, they settled on this custom result, which combines rich brown and soft sand and many hues in between.
Chairs: custom with Perennials fabric in Indigo; light fixture: Restoration Hardware
The same floors, window treatments and shade of indigo continue from one end of the open plan to the other. Motiani designed these custom benches with cubbies to make the most of the corner. The deck we saw earlier is completely open to this space, thanks to new doors, and is just out of view to the left. Now the home truly celebrates the sea and the owner’s California modern style.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A tech entrepreneur
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Size: 3.6 by 3.9 metres; 14.5 square metres, dining area not included
The epicentre of every party wound up being the kitchen, so Motiani removed the old kitchen’s island, which had blocked the flow. She then created a waterfall benchtop that offered a less imposing separation between the kitchen and dining area. She also removed some upper cabinets and added open shelves. Clear glass globe lights float overhead.
Torquay quartz benchtops: Cambria; stools: Noir