The relaxation and adventure found across the Cape and Islands takes a variety of form. For some, a serene marsh view casts a zen-like vibe, for some a salt waterfront perch where boats are on parade is the definition of coastal living, and for others, the diamond glints of sunlight dancing on the region’s kettle ponds with echoes of children laughing equals the epitome of summer on Cape Cod.

For one set of homeowners that live year round on Wequaquet Lake in Centerville, the surrounding environment defines the love of their Cape home. The original design is one of the ubiquitous post-modern ‘deck houses’ that dot the Cape landscape, most often in the sun filtered woods that abound throughout the region.

Designer Barbara Darcy of Classic Kitchens and Interiors in Hyannis assumed responsibility for the project shortly after the homeowners had determined the plan. Darcy says that the homeowners wanted to keep the lake view at the forefront of the project goals, as a result, upper cabinets that might have blocked the view, were deliberately omitted from the design. In addition, they wanted a comfortable and accessible space that could be shared with family and friends with room to spare. 

The new layout also provides a nook for a small sitting area that allows comfortable interaction with all of the action, both in the kitchen and outside along the shore.  A modest-sized center island, with the kitchen’s sole sink, functions as the hub for the culinary activity, but also allows the homeowner to focus on the lake while standing at the sink—like the traditional design of a window over the sink, but so much better! “The homeowners had actually made a temporary kitchen and worked with that layout for a while. They even constructed an island that was similar to that size to see if they enjoyed living with it,” Darcy explains.

An unexpected element of the kitchen is the unique contrast achieved by a dark cherry stain and a creamy white painted finish distinguishing different parts of the kitchen. While it has become vogue to acknowledge an island in a different finish, as these homeowners did, Darcy and her team took the trend into new territory. “They knew they wanted the two tones, but they weren’t sure how to introduce it through the space. We chose the cabinetry on the wall with the tall cabinets, ovens and refrigerator to carry the dark color vertically up the wall. It lets those big pieces absorb some of the light that fills the kitchen,” Darcy says.

The bold color grounds the small space as it gives the kitchen a sense of strength and sophistication more traditional choices would have missed. The addition of a farmhouse lighting fixture over the island and the dark stain inside the glass cabinets of the hutch keeps things from getting too serious. The hutch spools off of a peninsula provides plenty of storage and three appliance garages so that the counters are kept clear of the toaster, the coffee maker and the stand-mixer.

Darcy sums up the success of the project when she says, “It was really fun to work with the homeowners because they were open to letting us explore how to make this kitchen unique to their life.”

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