Every year, the Orlando Parade of Homes celebrates Central Florida’s most inspiring homebuilders, remodelers and interior designers. At Phil Kean Kitchens, and our sister firm Phil Kean Design Group, we are no strangers to participating in this brilliant showcase of homes. This year, we are proud to enter the Bianca at Keene’s Point in Windermere, Florida as a showcase of a whole-home remodel and modern kitchen design.
While our entry is not open to the public during the Parade, our team invites you to explore the Bianca home in this article, the inspiration behind the interior and kitchen design, and the unique features we incorporated within this home.
Bringing Our Clients’ Dream Kitchen to Life
Every home and kitchen remodel project begins with getting to know our clients’ objectives—their vision of what a perfect space would look and feel like. With the Bianca, that vision revolved around infusing our clients’ culture within the home to give them a taste of their native Brazil in Central Florida.
“Our clients are from Brazil, so they’re used to contemporary architecture,” shares Phil Kean, founder of Phil Kean Kitchens. “They wanted to bring a little bit of that architecture to their home in Keene’s Point.”
Making the Outdoors a Focal Point
Our penchant for blending indoor and outdoor living spaces has become a signature in our interior and custom kitchen designs. With this project, our main source of inspiration was rooted in nature—the spectacular scenery surrounding the home.
“The best part of that kitchen is the view,” says Jessica Napolitano, architectural associate with Phil Kean Kitchens. Looking out over the home’s breathtaking outdoor space, including a sparkling, heated pool and magnificent landscaping, every moment spent in the kitchen feels like a treat thanks to the panoramic views.
Photography by: Uneek Image
Warming Up an All-White Kitchen
While the all-white kitchen remains a staple in kitchen design, the natural surroundings of this home inspired the fusion of wood within an otherwise ultra-modern, minimal kitchen. Our designers selected a beautiful white oak stain to complement white, glass-front cabinetry from Brazil, as well as onyx accents, to create a blend of light, warm and dark tones.
“The hood and floating open shelving were all custom built. All of the cabinets have a beautiful glass front and a linear finger pull that’s unique to this line. It keeps all the lines consistent and clean,” details Katie Kennerknecht, showroom manager and interior designer at Phil Kean Kitchens.
The contrast of dark and light was carried through to the kitchen’s multi-level island. “The countertop on the island goes up and comes around then goes back down,” Phil points out. “It’s not a typical countertop, it has movement to it.”
Functionality First: Kitchen Appliances, Fixtures and Storage
“This was a very thoughtful kitchen design,” Katie remarks of the Bianca kitchen remodel.
“It’s a very simple layout and the challenge when you get really simple is everything has to be flawless. Every little detail was worked and reworked,” adds Phil.
As with every kitchen design or remodel our team takes on, function must match form. That is, spaces must not only be visually striking, but also offer residents of these spaces easy access to key features, high-quality appliances, and ample prep areas. The Bianca kitchen features top-of-the-line Subzero refrigeration and Wolf cooking appliances to ensure every part of the kitchen experience feels as great as it looks.
Another show-stopping feature within the space is the extra long sink with double faucets. This unique sink allows the homeowners to switch out accessories, from colanders to cutting boards, throughout the cooking process, depending on their needs.
“The large island is great for gathering with family for meals but also the pocketing doors, so if you are prepping for a larger dinner party, you can close the door for some privacy,” Jessica points out.
Photography by: Uneek Image
Designing a Summer Kitchen
As the scope of this project grew, our team had the opportunity to carry out a whole-home remodel and infuse the inspiration behind the Bianca kitchen design throughout the rest of the home. One such space was the summer kitchen. “It’s an extension of the kitchen,” Phil recounts. “We bring the inside and outside together so they have those similarities and cohesiveness.”
Functioning as a traditional Florida room, the summer kitchen features the same Brazilian glass-front cabinetry, seamless transition from countertop to backsplash and large-format floor tiles. “The space has accordion doors across the back so it is truly flexible indoor outdoor living,” adds Jessica.
To view additional photos and details on the Bianca, click through to our Parade of Homes Orlando entry.