Morningside sanctuary an oasis of neutrals, nature

Can you say spa?

It’s no wonder designer Chip Cheatham and realtor Ken Covers don’t need a place on the beach or in the mountains. “What we did is create an escape within our home,” Cheatham says.

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Sean Drakes/Special

Realtor Ken Covers and furniture designer Chip Cheatham sought a palette that would let their artwork and their friends provide the color.

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Sean Drakes/Special

Kitchen cabinets are constructed from crushed bamboo. The utility countertop is made of concrete, and the island countertop is crafted from a marble block that blends several hues of mocha.

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Sean Drakes/Special

The pool retained its original design, but the Morningside home was gutted and updated to convey the homeowners’ admiration for contemporary design and Asian art and heritage.

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And so, a sense of restfulness washes through the couple’s Morningside home, starting with the neutral color scheme and clean design and flourishing in thoughtful details like the pitter-patter of a backyard waterfall and the mix of natural materials and soothing background music that suggests it’s time to exhale.

Among the best examples of the 3,500-square-foot home’s ethos is its kitchen.

Here, Cheatham, president and creative director of PierceMartin, created a highly functional cooking and entertaining area that makes the most of the environs.

For the backsplash, Cheatham used a seamless, sage-colored, 15-foot glass piece to reflect the backyard and bring it indoors. He didn’t want to use a mirror — too cold and harsh, he said. Also warming up the space are the dark bamboo cabinets that meld with the deep stain of the floors.

But the real ingenuity is in the details. There are refrigerated drawers beneath the marble-topped island — one for beer, another for vegetables — and a camouflaged door that gives way to the pantry. A stacked set of roll-back cabinets conceals potential mess like the dog dish and the mail (but even stowed, these look Zen and tidy).

And the sinks: The long, narrow one formed inside the island is used both for food preparation, where friends can “help chop,” and for display, when it’s loaded with ice to chill drinks or oysters, Cheatham says. The other one, integrated into concrete, benefits from a sloped countertop for drainage.

This kitchen rises from a range of materials, including modern elements like stainless steel and concrete — 800 pounds of it. Still, the effect feels almost outdoorsy. Sure, there’s the organic decor — on this day, a stalk of brussels sprouts crowns one countertop — but the space, the physical center of the home, connects deeply to nature by its hues, natural light and link to the backyard.

The kitchen faces glass doors that showcase the poolside. Framing the pathway, there is a plush nook anchored by a towering lime tree sprouting from an organic wooden bowl carved from a coconut tree that’s so sumptuous it “makes you want to feel it,” Cheatham says.

The “doors are always open,” and often, “people sit here and have cocktails,” Cheatham says.

At night, one can perch and watch the stars.

Or just lie back on those cushions.

It’s a fusion of Asian design and natural materials with what Cheatham calls “a modern twist.”

How they did it

Covers, who heads the luxury home division of Fourteen West Realty, considers finding one’s home a matchmaking process.

“It’s not just brick and mortar,” he says. “It’s a background to live your life.”

In their case, they’ve created a sanctuary.

The use of light and space evoked that sensibility, and the use of Buddhas enhances and symbolizes it, Cheatham says.

They chose a “neutral palette,” leaving “punches of color” to the artwork — and their friends. “I believe in creating a backdrop for our guests and allowing them to be as colorful as they want to be,” he says.

Coolest features

Among many, the front door. Stainless steel and embossed with raised dots, it was the couple’s Christmas gift to each other.

“I had enough sweaters,” Cheatham jokes.

Also, the entire master suite.

Preceding the area is a tranquil nook that seems like a spa waiting room. Past a terra-cotta Buddha head and through Chinese latticework screens lies a cradle of pampered bliss. More specifically, the travertine floors can be heated.

Heart of the home

Clearly, that kitchen.