2022 Kitchen Design Tip 5: Pair organic, live-edge finishes with modern materials for a beach-house modern look

Everything about this summer cabin on Mayne Island is designed to be beautiful, yes—but with a casual durability that isn’t precious. “The clients entertain a lot—they have three kids, and their kids bring friends,” says designer Jennifer Heffel of HB Design. “And they have two older dogs. They wanted it to be durable—he was much more about function over aesthetics.”

So what Heffel delivered was both beauty and resilience: the flooring is actually a vinyl product called White Oil from Duchateau, which is based on the look of the flooring company’s hardwood line, and you’d be hard pressed to spot the difference. In the kitchen itself, Heffel evoked the sea, sand and sun of cabin life with the classic pale blue beadboard cabinetry (Farrow and Ball’s Parma Gray) paired with modern Caesarstone counters in Frosty Carina. And a live-edge bar area on the island—harvested right from the site—keeps the space warm and welcoming.

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