Designed for Life: Ample Cooking, Entertaining, and Living Spaces Are Perfected with Cambria Quartz Surfaces

It’s not often a designer is given carte blanche for a project, but in the case of this stunning riverside build, it was a true “carte bleu” situation. Cambria’s Portrush design was a foundational element from the beginning.

“We always start with cabinets and countertops, and the owners absolutely fell in love with that blue color. It became a jumping-off point for the rest of the home,” says Principal Designer Terra Kerley of Luxe Interior Design, a division of Jacksonville-based Collins Builders. The slate-like hue of the veining running through the creamy white surface became the canvas on which a vision for the rest of the home was conceived.

There were just a few other nonnegotiables for the build: the clients needed zones for four generations of the family to live and gather on their own schedules. They wanted ample entertaining space that spilled outdoors, showcasing the stunning river views. They wanted a contemporary design that was seamless and thoughtful, with elegant yet easy-to-maintain materials that would be both sophisticated and kid-friendly.

The result is an 11,000-square-foot dream home that’s both upscale and approachable, with distinct yet harmonious living areas. From a courtyard entry and private guest parking that give access directly to outdoor living spaces to expansive entertaining areas, a home theater, and multiple private owner’s suites, it’s truly next-level living in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Florida. “It’s a soft contemporary, warm yet cool,” Kerley says.

A Cambria quartz design clads a floor-to-ceiling statement fireplace in the open-concept living space. And it tops a custom, 12-seat dining room table that was a special request of the owners, who love to cook and whose mealtimes include many family members and guests. And when a striking custom curved staircase became the focal point of the entryway, there was no way they were going to break up the visual flow with the landing required by local building code. So a Cambria quartz landing base became another focal feature, something unique to anchor the staircase, but that also helped the team meet building requirements.

“One thing we love about Cambria, especially for these larger-scope details, is the customer service that goes beyond color-matching,” says Kerley. She explains that thinking through the scope of a design element—how a particular quartz design will play out in a 1-foot or 10-foot or 100-foot expanse—and being able to dial in on the perfect slab size and thickness really changes the game for her multidisciplinary team and its upscale clientele. The two-story fireplace surround, for instance, used jumbo 2cm Cambria quartz slabs to create drama with less stress on the wall than a thicker stone slab. This flexibility is something other materials simply couldn’t offer, and it’s why quartz ended up nearly everywhere in the home.