For James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst, an island came first in their thinking — a kitchen island where they could chop and mix ingredients for their latest culinary creations. It would be a place where guests would gather and kids would do homework, and it would provide the ideal vantage point for watching the Blue Angels streak across the sky.
Briscione is the executive chef and Parkhurst is the wine director at their restaurant, Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano in Pensacola. The couple has published four cookbooks together, and they regularly contribute content to The Food Network. Given their extensive backgrounds in the culinary realm, they made the kitchen the focal point of their home. It encompasses 60% of the main floor.
“Our lives and careers revolve around food, making the kitchen of our dreams an essential feature of the home,” said Briscione.
Previously, the couple lived in apartments in New York City and Pensacola.
“We’ve built so many things together — a company, cookbooks, restaurants — and we knew building our first home would be no different,” Parkhurst said. “We enjoy the process of creating together.”
A grand entrance indeed. The home’s entryway features a statement-making spiral staircase and a wine wall that equates to art. Photo by Steven Gray
Together, they looked for an expert builder who would help them make decisions about the house and could be relied upon to be a good communicator. They found one in East Hill Building & Design and its contractor Steven Shelley.
“We loved our builder because they made a process that could have been stressful, seamless and enjoyable,” Briscione said. “We talked with them every day and came to see the progress on the house almost every day. We cannot imagine what it would have been like to embark on this without East Hill Building & Design.”
The couple worked with Shelley, owner of East Hill Building & Design along with designer and owner of DUH for Garden and Home, Quinn Stinson, and trusted brands to make selections that were aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.
They hand-selected a 5-centimeter Olympian White Classico marble slab from Vermont Danby Quarry, one of the largest single slabs for a kitchen that the company has cut. Monogram appliances created a chef’s dream kitchen, from the brass-accented professional range to custom panel refrigerators and an indoor pizza oven that fits perfectly in the Italian-influenced home.
It’s all about island life — the kitchen island that is. The kitchen is the home’s most frequented room with the island by Vermont Danby Quarry as its centerpiece for cooking and connecting with one another. Photo by Steven Gray
“Seeing the process of building a home unfold was a unique and exciting experience that we couldn’t have done without the help of so many wonderful people,” Briscione said.
The couple’s 7-year-old son, August, is a Lego enthusiast who delighted in watching the house come together from its early stages to the stunning façade. Thirteen-year-old daughter, Parker, who enjoys fashion and art, provided suggestions during the design process.
The couple was certain that they wanted to reside and raise their family on Pensacola Bay. They wanted each room to provide expansive panoramic views, therefore, they enlisted the expertise of McNeill Palm to provide versatile window coverings that could admit maximum natural light or softly filter, depending on the time of day.
Parkhurst’s favorite area of the home is the porch, which is an extension of the living room where the family relaxes, dines and entertains. McNeill Palm designed soft sheer columns of linen fabric that frame the bay view to perfection, creating a serene outdoor space. The home is a haven providing a respite and igniting enthusiasm for living.
“We get to be in a beautiful environment every day, and beauty is often associated with an escape, a paradise,” Parkhurst said. “It’s our dream family beach house that we get to live in every day.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
Builder
East Hill Building & Design
Window Treatments
McNeill Palm
1191 N. Eglin Pkwy Ste. C, Shalimar | (850) 613-6228 | McNeillPalmLLC.com
Windows and Doors
Southeastern Sash & Door
450 E. Heinbery St., Pensacola | (850) 469-9002 | SoutheasternSashAndDoor.com
Outdoor Grill
Bay Breeze Patio
32 Forest Shore Drive, Destin | (850) 269-4666 | BayBreezePatio.com
Makeup
Glam On The Go Pensacola
(850) 490-9517 | GlamOnTheGoPensacola.com
Hair
Volume ONE Salon
7 W. Main St., Pensacola | (850) 434-5409 | VolumeOneSalon.com
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As a wine expert, Parkhurst has the perfect palate pairing for the meal Briscione is serving the family during an al fresco meal on the patio.
Photo by Steven Gray
As a wine expert, Parkhurst has the perfect palate pairing for the meal Briscione is serving the family during an al fresco meal on the patio.
Photo by Steven Gray
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Quinn Stinson of DUH for Garden and Home visualized a living room space of serenity complimented by the eye-catching mantle by Francois & Co. and the floating shelves by CDC Woodworking.
Photo by Steven Gray
Quinn Stinson of DUH for Garden and Home visualized a living room space of serenity complimented by the eye-catching mantle by Francois & Co. and the floating shelves by CDC Woodworking.
Photo by Steven Gray
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Sleek sophistication has never looked so effortless. McNeill Palm added Hunter Douglas window coverings that are versatile and allow for expansive views or soft filtered light for this dining room space. The view through those very windows is what inspired the custom waterscape artwork by artist Sarah Otts.
Photo by Steven Gray
Sleek sophistication has never looked so effortless. McNeill Palm added Hunter Douglas window coverings that are versatile and allow for expansive views or soft filtered light for this dining room space. The view through those very windows is what inspired the custom waterscape artwork by artist Sarah Otts.
Photo by Steven Gray
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The couple created the kitchen of their dreams complete with custom mixed-metal Monogram appliances and custom Francois & Co. range hood, which is equal parts art and function. CDC Woodworking beautifully designed all of the cabinetry, keeping the pots and pans safely tucked away.
Photo by Steven Gray
The couple created the kitchen of their dreams complete with custom mixed-metal Monogram appliances and custom Francois & Co. range hood, which is equal parts art and function. CDC Woodworking beautifully designed all of the cabinetry, keeping the pots and pans safely tucked away.
Photo by Steven Gray
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The final touches of the scullery include a window treatment by McNeill Palm that serves fashion as
well as function, merging seamlessly with the selected dark cabinets and stunning wall mural. McNeill Palm offers the full range of products to fit your space with an array of design and finer fabric choices.
Photo by Steven Gray
The final touches of the scullery include a window treatment by McNeill Palm that serves fashion as
well as function, merging seamlessly with the selected dark cabinets and stunning wall mural. McNeill Palm offers the full range of products to fit your space with an array of design and finer fabric choices.
Photo by Steven Gray
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The bathroom is an oasis of calm and privacy. McNeill Palm selected window treatments that allow for privacy through sheer panels that beautifully diffuse sunlight and enhance
the mood.
Photo by Steven Gray
The bathroom is an oasis of calm and privacy. McNeill Palm selected window treatments that allow for privacy through sheer panels that beautifully diffuse sunlight and enhance
the mood.
Photo by Steven Gray
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The outdoor kitchen is a year-round hangout spot for the family with the grill from Bay Breeze Patio and a Monogram appliances minifridge as staples for these outdoor chefs.
Photo by Steven Gray
The outdoor kitchen is a year-round hangout spot for the family with the grill from Bay Breeze Patio and a Monogram appliances minifridge as staples for these outdoor chefs.
Photo by Steven Gray
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For a Florida home located near water, quality doors and windows were essential. Southeastern Sash & Door ensured the home’s safety with Windsor aluminum clad, Florida approved windows and doors.
Photo by Steven Gray
For a Florida home located near water, quality doors and windows were essential. Southeastern Sash & Door ensured the home’s safety with Windsor aluminum clad, Florida approved windows and doors.
Photo by Steven Gray
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Glam on the Go Pensacola and VolumeONE Salon were responsible for emphasizing Brooke’s natural beauty by forming a color palette of Brooke’s favorite shades, creating a customized lip color and using hair products for volume and texture.
Photo by Steven Gray
Glam on the Go Pensacola and VolumeONE Salon were responsible for emphasizing Brooke’s natural beauty by forming a color palette of Brooke’s favorite shades, creating a customized lip color and using hair products for volume and texture.
Photo by Steven Gray
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Glam on the Go Pensacola and VolumeONE Salon were responsible for emphasizing Brooke’s natural beauty by forming a color palette of Brooke’s favorite shades, creating a customized lip color and using hair products for volume and texture.
Photo by Steven Gray
Glam on the Go Pensacola and VolumeONE Salon were responsible for emphasizing Brooke’s natural beauty by forming a color palette of Brooke’s favorite shades, creating a customized lip color and using hair products for volume and texture.
Photo by Steven Gray
