Coastal Dream Kitchen

In this spacious, Nantucket-style kitchen, style and function merge elegantly to create the perfect beachside space for hosting family and friends.

- By Laura Shimko

Forgiving flooring. With a predominately white palette, Marnie made sure to bring in design elements that would add warmth to the space. “At the beach people like white kitchens, so to offset the white, it is important to use softer textures like wood as well as mix metals in,” she says. The flooring here is not hardwood but a luxury vinyl with a hickory pattern. “At the beach we use lots of luxury vinyl because you don’t have to worry about maintenance, unlike real hardwood,” she says. “It is much more forgiving with kids, water, wear and tear.”

As a fifth-generation home builder,