LAKE SPACES

Tide of Light

by Bek Mitchell-Kidd photography by Tiffany Ringwald Photography

Artful use of white key to this living and kitchen renovation

With three young children a dog and a cat, one Cornelius family was looking for a more open concept for their two most high-traffic areas: the kitchen and great room.

Ally Whalen, principal and lead designer of Ally Whalen Design, worked with Tony Pescho, founder and owner of Sterling Construction, to produce a renovation featuring a transitional, coastal style. Everything feels fresh; there are a lot of natural elements, with mixed tones and textures from woven bar stools, a beaded chandelier over the breakfast nook, and hints of blue throughout the space.

a Neutral BleNd

The great room walls are painted with Benjamin Moore’s “Sea pearl.” To produce a cohesive look the trim and built-ins pull in the kitchen’s “Snowbound” by SherwinWilliams. The result is light and bright, a winsome victory given that two windows were removed.

“In order to accommodate the new layout, it was necessary to remove some windows. But as you can see, there is still an abundance of natural light flooding the space. By lightening everything up and opening it up, we actually increased the overall brightness,” says Whalen.

flooriNG + ruGs

There’s always a way. Unhappy with the darkness of the Brazilian cherry in the current flooring, Whalen had the floors bleached six times to get a color that complements the lakeside feel.

“It was a lengthy process, but we saved the clients thousands of dollars by repurposing their current floors,” she says.

Whalen also used rugs to tie together the now open-concept space saying, “When possible, I try to incorporate all of the pieces of furniture onto the rug. At a minimum you should not have smaller than an 8 x 10’ rug in a living area.”

Before the liGht

The home originally had plenty of windows to provide natural light, but staining the floor to a lighter shade, plus incorporating white furniture, walls, and different pops of color with accessories completely transformed the space.

PerformaNce Pieces

Parents take note: according to Whalen there is hope and it is possible to own a white couch that stays white. Like the Rowe Furniture sofa she used in the great room that can withstand a red-wine spill, she says today’s performance fabrics make light-colored fabrics family friendly.

And what if you’re ready for a little green? Whalen feels faux is still a little no-go. “I have yet to find tall faux plants that look real,” she says. “I personally prefer real, but when you are doing bookshelves and there is limited light, it’s best to go faux.”

Perfectly-Placed PeNdaNts

The height of the clients (both over six feet tall) presented a fun design challenge. Whalen sourced kitchen island pendants that were low profile—so the owners can see what they are doing, but are not looking directly into large chunky light fixtures.

order uP

Like having your own drive-thru coffee shop in the kitchen; the newly created coffee hutch allows for much needed caffeine, conveniently located at the entry of the kitchen near the garage access and drop zone.

“Initially we were going to try to incorporate the clients’ coffee needs into the bar area, but I suggested doing a separate hutch style piece that houses the built-in coffeemaker so it was part of the overall design of the kitchen,” says Whalen.

kitcheN mixer

“When I decided to do the coffee hutch in white oak, it was important to carry that element throughout the space by continuing the same wood on the range hood and the open shelving,” says Whalen.

Glass doors on some of the kitchen cabinets save the space from feeling closed off. White cabinets in the Sherwin-Williams color “Snowbound” and the island’s quartzite countertop with walls in Sherwin-Williams “Silver Strand” offer depth in a sea of white.

Whalen says, “I am big into mixing materials, I think it brings interest to a space and allows the eye to flow around the room.”

A recipe of what dreams are made of: a pot filler is anchored to a marble backsplash and sits above a 60” Wolf range, which was a must-have for the client.

One of the decadent cookies from Red’s Scratch Made in Mooresville.

Dine + Wine

Eating, drinking, cooking and fun

Hidden treasures at The Hidden Bin p. 64 Stay active at breweries this winter p. 68 Flourless Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake p. 72 Red’s Scratch Made p. 74