Island in the Stream

Herrington Residence, Port Austin, Mich.

Grand, best kitchen in a single-family detached custom home—less than 3,000 square feet

When architect Shelley Herrington tore down her family’s lakefront “shack with a view” and built a new cottage in its place, she wanted a communal area that could comfortably accommodate a party of two or 50, depending on the season. But the 40-foot lot (which limited the house width to 30 feet) didn’t afford much clearance for large family gatherings.

Herrington’s response: a galley kitchen that spills into a casual living room at one end and a dining room at the other. Its generous 13-foot island (the length of which aligns perfectly with a parallel staircase) hyphenates the two realms and provides additional seating with tuck-under bar stools. Crisp custom cabinets and a paneled veneer fridge possess a furniture-type feel, so the kitchen feels part of the extended ­living space when the appliances are off. As a bonus, having the cabinets tailor-made for the space allowed for a raised sink counter height of 37 ½ inches (Herrington and her husband are both tall).

Budget concerns factored into other choices such as the sink-side Formica countertop, the sturdy Lyptus island top (which cost $3,000, compared to $8,000 for teak), custom pendant lights that were fabricated for $100 a piece, and MDF walls dressed up with poplar battens to look like authentic wood paneling.

But some of the most price-conscious finishes also proved to be functionally and aesthetically adept. Take the subdued linoleum flooring, which not only promises easy maintenance in this multigenerational beach house, but helps to frame the home’s spectacular view of Lake Huron. “When you have a view, it helps to keep your middle plane clear and do your accessorizing high or low,” Herrington explains. “That’s why I spent more on ceiling beams to define the space, but opted for a black linoleum that recedes seamlessly and doesn’t distract the eye. Had it been a patterned floor, you would be looking at it rather than looking outside.”

Entrant/Architect/Kitchen and bath designer: Shelley Herrington Architect, Bad Axe, Mich.; Builder: K&B Carpentry, Harbor Beach, Mich.