Mid-century Influenced Kitchen

The homeowner has a passion for cooking, so much so that he drives from San Diego to Orange County to attend a Culinary Arts program. The kitchen of his 1980’s ranch style home definitely did not meet his needs and was outdated and didn’t suit his contemporary aesthetic.

The first goal was to enlarge the kitchen to add the necessary space for appliances, cabinetry and counter top surface. It made sense to steal a few feet from the adjacent family room which opened on to the kitchen as it would not require walls to be removed.

A peninsula was created at an angle to the sink run which opened up the kitchen, gave the necessary storage and still allowed for passage through the slider. It functions as a counter with seating for two and creates the impression of an open arm extending into the family room.

Now the sink wall can easily contain a large range cooktop with a sleek glass and stainless steel vent hood above, a huge professional stainless sink with a pull down faucet that would be at home in the best restaurant kitchen.

The client’s love of modern, sleek design was reflected in the choice of contemporary slab doors in a natural quarter sawn teak veneer with simple finger pulls as hardware. The tall bank of cabinetry is constructed of maple in a graphite stain. To keep the kitchen light and bright, the upper cabinets on either side of the window have aluminum doors frames inset with reeded glass.

The large format 24”x24” porcelain floor tile in a linen color provide a fresh contrast to the cabinetry and make for easy care.

The light grey glass backsplash in a brick pattern reinforces the strong horizontal lines in the kitchen and adds sparkle. And the Ceasarstone counter top ties everything together. Its hardy white quartz contains pieces of recycled material in black, grey, tan and the accent color of the kitchen…..orange. The small appliances and stools chosen in this vibrant color makes everything pop.

Now it’s a fun and functional place to cook.