Maiden Voyage
When Cynthia J. Hoffman made her initial voyage to a Portage Lakes home for a design consultation, she was instantly captivated by the lake view.
“I told the client I felt like I was on a yacht,” says the president of Cynthia J. Hoffman Interior Design. “They hadn’t thought of that. They said, Surprise us, at the beginning of the project, and we felt very open-minded.”
What started as a potential kitchen renovation took on a broader scope, removing decorative columns from the dining area and removing and replacing the stairs in the foyer, as well as adding a new 96-inch-wide fireplace faced with white gloss undulating wave tile and a white-enameled shiplap, mahogany-capped half wall to define the seating area. Now, the 1,000-square-foot open space of the kitchen, dining area, living area, foyer and work-from-home study area are designed with a nautical theme — “luxe yacht,” Hoffman calls it. There are bright pops of teal like in a custom L-shaped teal leather sectional and more rich mahogany features throughout, including oiled wide plank floors. But it’s the details that anchor the nautical feel.
STAIRS: A new custom mahogany plank floating staircase with stainless-steel accents transforms the space. The back wall behind the old foyer staircase extended 9 inches, which was farther than necessary, so they removed it to make room for the new stairway. “The extra space let us cantilever the stairs into the wall, and we didn’t need any kind of support post or anything,” says Hoffman. “The new staircase really opens it up.”
ACCESSORIES: A demi-lune table behind the sectional and a dining room table were both custom-built and feature mahogany inlaid with teak and holly, reminiscent of an antique yacht. The demi-lune also features a Virgil Villers sculpture of an ibis. The front door was replaced with a custom mahogany one with stainless-steel portholes, and buoys hanging in nets and antique brass marine lamps add to the yacht feel. There’s also a commissioned piece of fiber artwork on a teal-painted wall over the staircase, featuring a ship’s wheel, anchor and some rope made by Kris Kapenekas. “It sort of gives a compass effect,” Hoffman says.
CABINETS: White enamel and mahogany kitchen cabinets with custom stainless-steel icebox hinges simulate brightwork that might be seen in a ship’s galley, and there’s a mosaic glass tile kitchen backsplash made in Italy that evokes thoughts of ocean waves. They added a window at the end of the kitchen, and cabinets against the back wall were replaced with a NanaWall folding glass door. “The client said it was a game changer,” Hoffman says. “You could see the lake, and it brought in a lot more light.”