Whether an aid to functionality, a casual eating spot or an element that separates living spaces from the business end of the kitchen, an island is a versatile design element. As a solid, freestanding feature it can also provide a visual anchor for an open, airy decor.
This kitchen remodel was part of a whole-house rethink by architect and designer Richard Landry of Landry Design Group and project architect Todd Riley. The interior was stripped out, including the existing kitchen. With just one small window, it was a dark, enclosed space, despite being set by an exterior wall, says Riley.
"The new kitchen is in the same sunny corner of the home, but is set back open to the extensively glazed living areas and the leafy outlooks beyond," says Landry. "The owner wanted a light, white appeal for the interior and the high-gloss reflective rear walls in the kitchen are a continuation of this."
In other areas of the home, pale tones are punctuated by colorful artworks and drapery, but here natural material accents, such as the leather upholstery and dark stone countertops, provide the balancing contrast.