Essential Elements Bring A Coastal Vibe - Kansas City Homes & Style

Through intentional color and furniture selections, this luxury Loch Lloyd residence effortlessly captures the persona of a gorgeous seaside retreat.

Story by Ann Butenas | Photos by Samantha Ward Photography

With a second home in Florida, the homeowners of this Loch Lloyd beauty, designed by award-winning builder Don Julian, wanted to bring some of that coastal style and flair to this home, leaning towards a contemporary, modern look with an abundance of clean lines, light colors and a fresh, relaxed ambiance.

Having worked with designer Kristen Ridler, Associate ASID of Kristen Ridler Design, on their former metro area home, owners Eric and Angie Baker partnered with her once again to bring their unique vision for their newest abode to life. With a color palette foundation of gray, white and blue, the goal was to integrate copious amounts of warmth, complemented by a soft cream color on all of the walls.

Ridler focused on interior schemes that felt light, open and airy, taking advantage of abundant lighting from both interior and exterior sources to create the feeling as if there are no boundaries between the outdoors and the indoors. Throughout the home, Ridler relied on neutral and vibrant colors to form the foundation of the homeowners’ style while also incorporating texture-rich elements such as stone and hardwood to enhance its natural aesthetic.

This reverse floor plan offers the master suite, home office, living area, powder room and kitchen on the main floor, with a grand entertainment space on the lower level.

“Throughout the house, I tried to bring in a bluish gray hue, accenting with creams and soft white,” said Ridler.

Playing off all brand new furniture, this home presented as a clean slate for Ridler. The kitchen quickly became a favored area.

“The homeowners wanted those navy blue cabinets, which complement the whole pantry and side kitchen, which is outfitted in navy while the white in the main kitchen fulfills the desire for a clean, fresh and bright atmosphere,” stated Ridler.

The decorative backsplash against the perimeter cabinets is comprised of sculpted, handblown glass of varying colors to give the illusion of a 3-D format. The opaque glass cabinets work in conjunction with the marble-like quartz countertops. The range hood, painted white to match the cabinets, is both functional and visually appealing. The back splash behind the range is the same material as the island countertop, creating a seamless integration within the design.

“We went with this for a timeless, seamless look,” explained Ridler. “Plus, it is super easy to clean.”

The kitchen flooring is comprised of an engineered pre-finished wood, comprised of wide, wire brushed planks.

The linear fireplace in the great room is framed with a dry stacked, linear cut 3-D natural stone, further enhanced by flooring, which was taken all the way up the wall.

“When the flooring is on the wall, you can see the variation and uniqueness of it,” said Ridler.

One cannot escape the attention the stately chandelier demands that hangs in prominence above the open stairwell.

“This piece has about 32 individual square glass LED illuminated lights,” noted Ridler. “We tiered them all the way down. The entire chandelier can hang at 22 feet, but we ended up hanging it at 17 feet.”

The master bedroom walls showcase a re-emerging style: wallpaper. More specifically, this room generates a layer of brilliance with the metallic wallpaper, which is a great choice for reflecting light.

The en suite chandelier steals the show, mimicking the one in the entry of the home, except it is created with long, glass rods. The floor tiles are made to look like marble but are actually porcelain with a polished finish. The modern LED lights on the mirror play an integral role in the design of the bathroom.

“With these types of lights, you see the light source but not the fixtures,” emphasized Ridler, who incorporated various forms of light enhancements throughout the home, most notably in the form of under cabinet and toe kick lighting.

Other highlights of the bathroom include a floating vanity with two vessel sinks, a soaker tub, an open shower encased with an all glass wall, and a glass-blown tile backsplash comprised of mixed colors for additional artistic flair.

Not to be outdone by the bathroom, the master closet plays a strong role in form and function.

“The homeowner loves fashion, so we custom-sized every shelf to perfectly accommodate the length of her dresses and shirts. Some of the shelves are backlit to highlight her accessories,” said Ridler.

In keeping pace with the elements of navy, the home office is beautifully adorned with a navy textured accent wall. The Lucite and chrome light fixture above the desk provides added drama and interest while the cowhide area rug adds a subtle rustic charm.

The powder room on this level continues to promote the luxurious navy color scheme, accented with a white quartz countertop, adorned with a marble vessel sink. The floating vanity and artistic wallpaper add yet another layer of style.

The excitement continues on the lower level with its expansive entertainment area, where the curved island/bar area holds court, along with a few gaming tables.

“This half circle shape of the bar is a signature design element of Julian,” expressed Ridler.

The large format tile flooring creates a crisp, seamless and elegant look. Smoked, paneled mirrors flank both sides of the shelves and cabinets. The mixed brush brass pendants above the bar pair exquisitely with the deep black stain of the wood.

“We used a lot of brass elements down here while opting for more chrome finishes upstairs,” noted Ridler. The black and brass touches continue into the guest bath, where wallpaper once again makes a pivotal statement.

Ridler enjoyed working with the homeowners to create this unique showcase of a home.

“I definitely worked with the owners on all of the details and gave them as many options as possible,” expressed Ridler. “And this was definitely the perfect place to be during the pandemic.”