How a Dated Sea Pines Kitchen Became a Dream Cooking Space

A local kitchen expert transformed her outdated Sea Pines galley with smarter storage, upgraded appliances, layered lighting and a show-stopping range hood.

Story by Alea Wilkins
Photography by Ryan Strauss

At any given moment, Brantley King is most likely in the kitchen. As the owner of Billy Wood Appliance, she spends her days assessing cooking spaces and familiarizing herself with top-of-the- line equipment to help others build the culinary havens of their dreams. In the evenings she brings that passion home. “I live in my kitchen. I love it,” she says.

When she moved into her Sea Pines residence in October 2025, the outdated interior called for a renovation. In three months the formerly dim, underutilized galley transformed into an elegant, efficient workspace. Guided by her love of cooking and design, King had a clear vision for the project.

“I love where I work, so I wanted to love where I live,” she says. “Designing kitchens is a passion of mine, so, of course I wanted to personalize my home kitchen as well.”

With upgraded cooking spaces, improved lighting and a show-stopping range hood, the finished result exemplifies her expertise and passion in every corner.

Made for cooking, ready for entertaining

To King, the kitchen doubles as a hub for both cooking and entertaining. She frequently hosts dinner parties and holiday gatherings, and the kitchen in her home wasn’t going to accommodate the crowds. Despite the floor plan’s limitations, she wanted to elevate the room as much as possible. “I felt like it could be better utilized for our lifestyle,” she says.

As a solution, King opted for cabinetry that reaches the ceiling, giving the impression of a taller, grander room. She swapped the old appliances for a high-tech, dual-fuel Wolf range, a wall oven and a convection microwave oven. Although the room wasn’t physically expanded, these changes made the most of every square inch. Now, King has options. “If I’m just cooking dinner, I’ll use the wall oven with its fast preheat, but if I’m entertaining and I need multiple dishes going in at different times, it’s really helpful to have that extra cooking space available,” she says. Overall, the redesigned kitchen improved function and flexibility for the at-home chef.

Kitchen lighting for every mood

While working on the cabinets, King had another idea: reroute the electrical work. Before, a set of recessed ceiling lights cast the room in a hazy glow, a look that, while cozy, wasn’t ideal for cooking. To brighten the space, King added LED lighting above and below the cabinets, illuminating her workspace with a clear view. A glamorous chandelier joined the overhead fixtures, and all the lighting was upgraded with adjustable settings.

“It creates a different ambiance,” King says. “If we’re having a romantic dinner at the bistro table, I’ll dim the lights, but if I’m cooking, then I keep it pretty bright.”

For extra convenience King also installed additional electrical outlets and USB ports. Tucked beneath the cabinets, they keep the kitchen looking tidy while providing a place to plug in everything from espresso machines to phones running low on battery. Combined, these upgrades help the kitchen work smarter, not harder.

Style meets performance

Beyond performance, the perfect kitchen should also wow with its beauty. For King that meant installing a custom Vent-A-Hood. Its stainless steel finish gleams above the stove, catching the light and reflecting it across its grand, sculptural surface.

“It’s a big focal point for the kitchen,” she says, noting that its looks are matched by its performance. “This one in particular has a high CFM rating, so it really takes care of any sort of smoke or smell.”

Bringing the dream home

At the intersection of cooking and design, this renovation allowed King to put her skills to the test. The project also reminded her why she loves what she does.

“I fell into this great business that’s a little bit of everything I love,” she says.

While she enjoys helping others achieve their dream kitchens, having one of her own is the icing on the cake. Her work follows her home, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It makes me happy to come home and walk right into the kitchen.”