were demolished and the ceiling vaulted. Several seating areas were created, including a pull-out countertop where her g
Kitchen Remodel Lars Remodeling & Design
4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
Project Summary: The homeowner wanted to open up the space, increase seating options for guests, bring in panoramic views of the city sprawling below, and update the finishes for a sleek, modern look. The walls separating the kitchen from the family and dining rooms were demolished and the ceiling vaulted. Several seating areas were created, including a pull-out countertop where her grandchildren can sit. White high gloss cabinets and countertops are anchored by a dark bar-height countertop and dramatic pendants. With niches perfectly aligned with the cabinets, she can display her accessories, favorite pieces of art, and love of fresh flowers.
Dream Kitchen At the urging of her grown children, the homeowner decided it was time to build her dream kitchen.
At the end of a long, cypress-lined driveway, the 2,800 square foot single family home sits on a little over an acre of land, on a hill. The homeowner lives inland, just east of San Diego, but on a clear day, she has a view of the Pacific from her family and dining rooms. In contrast, her original kitchen was choked off from this view. It had a low flat ceiling, a large 48” wide refrigerator, and upper cabinets running across the top of a pass through. In addition, her original island fit only three guests, limiting her entertaining space. The finishes were outdated: oak cabinets worn around the edges and white ceramic tile countertops with dark grout lines. The homeowner wanted to open up the space, match the bright airiness of the vaulted ceilings in the family room, bring in the panoramic views of the city sprawling below, and update the finishes to match her personal sense of style. To achieve a more open feel, the walls separating the kitchen from the family and dining rooms were demolished and replaced with structural beams. The ceiling was vaulted to match her family room ceiling. The full height appliances and wall cabinets were delegated to the rear of the kitchen, away from blocking views. Larger windows and sliding doors were installed. Opening up the space had its challenges. There was a structural post on the back wall where the floating cabinets are; it could not be moved. It also did not center on the wall or align with any other part of the space that made sense. The solution was to furr out the wall and bury the post. This created the center portion of the wall between the openings to pop-out. It became an architectural accent for displaying the homeowner’s rotating collection of artwork. Other design details sought to underscore the homeowner’s modern sensibility. One detail included pulling the built-in refrigerator and full height cabinets forward to lay flush with the existing wall for an integrated, streamlined look. The full height cabinets themselves have perfect symmetry with the wall ovens centered and the niches above aligned with the cabinets.
To ensure this alignment, a Masonite template of the cabinetry was laid on the floor so the framers could use lasers to mark on the wall where the niches should be. Another symmetrical detail: the width of the wall between the right side of the sink window and slider was determined by gas, electrical, and a structural post. This width, in turn, determined the width of the wall to the left of the sink, so that the window is centered between the two sliders. To increase her entertaining options, several guest seating areas were created in the new layout. Two bar-height seats at the end of the kitchen. Four countertop-height seats at the central island. A pull-out countertop at the end of the sink cabinets where her grandchildren can sit or to double as a buffet table. The homeowner can now easily entertain different-sized groups, combining seating areas as needed. As revealed in her existing furnishings, the homeowner has a modern sense of style. White high gloss cabinets with touch latch doors with matching PentalQuartz countertop and Silgranit sink with white walls and ceiling create a minimal, clean and simple look. The dark gray waterfall bar-height countertop with 5” thick mitered edges anchors the kitchen along with pops of color from her accessories, art, and plants. A dramatic cluster of pendants hangs over the center island, each lightbulb shining through the geometric outline of a cube, a shape that recurs in the niches above the wall cabinets. This kitchen remodel resulted in a more open, bright and airy, inviting environment. The homeowner is now happily able to take advantage of her view, to have greater flexibility when entertaining guests, and to update her finishes to reflect her personal taste. With her niches and accent wall, she has opportunities to display her accessories, favorite pieces of art, and her love of fresh flowers.
AFTER PICTURES Lars Remodeling & Design 4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
Lars Remodeling & Design 4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
• Concealing the cooktop from view is a waterfall bar-height countertop made of Dekton, a manmade solid surface material that is ultracompact and super resistant to extreme changes in temperature.
• Left: Hidden at the end of the base cabinets: additional countertop space that can be pulled out as needed. • Right: Black and white cabinet and countertop finishes to match family room fireplace and furnishings. • Vaulted ceiling to echo existing family room ceiling.
• Left: Built-in refrigerator and full height cabinets pulled forward to lay flush with existing wall. • Right: Wall with floating cabinets furred out to bury structural post. Wall also doubles as modern architectural accent for displaying homeowner’s rotating collection of artwork.
• Attention to detail: White Silgranit sink to match PentalQuartz Thassos countertop for a nearly seamless integrated look. • Sleek and minimal Blanco capflow drain cover for an unexpected modern touch.
• To frame out niches in the wall to perfectly align with the cabinets, a template of the cabinet footprint was laid on the floor during construction.
• The high gloss finishes and high ceilings—all in white—create a bright space even at night.
BEFORE PICTURES Lars Remodeling & Design
4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
The original kitchen: oak cabinets, white tile countertops with dark grout, low flat ceiling.
The original wall with pass-through between the kitchen and the family room.
Existing Floor Plan
Lars Remodeling & Design
4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
Proposed Floor Plan
Lars Remodeling & Design
4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
Lars Remodeling & Design 4703 Spring Street La Mesa, CA 91941
Before
After
