{"id":256536,"date":"2026-05-03T12:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T12:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/256536\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T12:04:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T12:04:11","slug":"this-florida-kitchens-armoire-opens-to-a-hidden-fridge-and-a-secret-pantry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/256536\/","title":{"rendered":"This Florida Kitchen\u2019s Armoire Opens to a Hidden Fridge and a Secret Pantry"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When a couple relocated from London to Amelia Island, Florida, after living abroad for 10 years, they settled near a scrubby marsh reserve to build a two-story home that captured the low-country coastal design of the late 1800s. The clients reached out to Troy Spurlin Interiors<\/a> to set the tone with elements found in the Cotswolds that also nod to the Southern aesthetic.<\/p>\n

The wife, a poet, wanted a specific vibe for the house and encouraged whimsical design. \u201cShe thinks very romantically about things,\u201d says interior designer Troy Spurlin. Taking a page out of European kitchens that embraced the architecture of separate rooms\u2014as opposed to an open plan<\/a>\u2014the clients were drawn to DeVOL Kitchens<\/a> for its collected feel. The goal was to cultivate warmth through sundry textures and classic elements, while incorporating the comforts of modern living.<\/p>\n

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Challenged by the parameters of necessary contemporary appliances, an idea was formulated to place the fridge within a cabinet design that encompassed a hidden passageway to the pantry\u2014that\u2019s where the three doors came into play. Contrasting with the flat front cabinets, the armoire would be the extravagant piece of the room. \u201cIt really became our compass,\u201d says Spurlin.<\/p>\n

The intent was to create the look of an antique English cottage kitchen of the time when people had furniture-type pieces like food safes, which were used to store and refrigerate food. \u201cIcebox proportions are minuscule. We began to think, if we were building a cupboard for this room, what might that have looked like in the 1920s,\u201d says creative director Alex Gebicke. \u201cIs it possible that within this imaginary storyline we repurposed an armoire for the storage of food?\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only did the team want to hide the Sub-Zero refrigeration system, but accessing the \u201cweird, funky gap\u201d to the hidden pantry was tricky. \u201cIt was difficult to take our conception of this piece of furniture from what appeared on paper to an installation that incorporated a hallway to a pantry in addition to accommodating a refrigerator and freezer columns,\u201d explains Gebicke. \u201cWe wanted the armoire to look completely furniture-like, so it took a lot of on-site measuring, CAD redraws, and careful selection of trims, moldings, and hardware.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The team did their homework by scouring images of vintage armoires, playing around with carved moulding appliques from Van Dyke\u2019s Restorers<\/a>, and custom hardware from Classic Brass<\/a>\u2014all in an effort to make the piece as historically accurate as possible. \u201cIt is straight out of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe\u2014complete with antique mirrors and keyholes,\u201d adds project photographer Polina Pigulevsky.<\/p>\n

A local furniture maker worked out the math puzzles to create a custom surround of stained oak panels that complemented the custom island with Calacatta Gold marble and the adjustable pendant, harkening to cottage style. The golden hue of the natural wood warmed up the deep, almost blackish green, Benjamin Moore Salamander<\/a> paint on the walls and beadboard.<\/p>\n

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It was all part of a narrative to give the kitchen a nostalgic feel. The clients wanted no modern convenience, not even the red kitchen scale has a cord or buttons. \u201cThey wanted to bring this historical feel, not only in the design aspect of it, but in the day-to-day use of the kitchen,\u201d Spurlin says.<\/p>\n

A new construction home doesn\u2019t have to be predictable. Seeing the armoire in person, you\u2019d never know that it is anything but a piece of furniture. \u201cFriends are always shocked that this American oak armoire conceals a series of clever surprises that add a touch of whimsy to this very European and elegant space.\u201d<\/p>\n

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