The owners of a charming home in the hills west of Paso Robles recently decided to remodel their not-so-charming kitchen. Referred to San Luis Kitchen by several of their friends, the homeowners visited our showroom and soon decided we were the best people to design a kitchen fitting the style of their home. We were delighted to get to work on the project right away. When we arrived at the house, we found a small, cramped and out-dated kitchen. The ceiling was low, the cabinets old fashioned and painted a stark dead white, and the best view in the house was neglected in a seldom-used breakfast nook (sequestered behind the kitchen peninsula). This kitchen was also handicapped by white tile counters with dark grout, odd-sized and cluttered cabinets, and small ‘desk’ tacked on to the side of the oven cabinet. Due to a marked lack of counter space & inadequate storage the homeowner had resorted to keeping her small appliances on a little cart parked in the corner and the garbage was just sitting by the wall in full view of everything! On the plus side, the kitchen opened into a nice dining room and had beautiful saltillo tile floors. Mrs. Homeowner loves to entertain and often hosts dinner parties for her friends. She enjoys visiting with her guests in the kitchen while putting the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. Sadly, her small kitchen really limited her interactions with her guests – she often felt left out of the mix at her own parties! This savvy homeowner dreamed big – a new kitchen that would accommodate multiple workstations, have space for guests to gather but not be in the way, and maybe a prettier transition from the kitchen to the dining (wine service area or hutch?) – while managing the remodel budget by reusing some of her major appliances and keeping (patching as needed) her existing floors. Responding to the homeowner’s stated wish list and the opportunities presented by the home's setting and existing architecture, the designers at San Luis Kitchen decided to expand the kitchen into the breakfast nook. This change allowed the work area to be reoriented to take advantage of the great view – we replaced the existing window and added another while moving the door to gain space. A second sink and set of refrigerator drawers (housing fresh fruits & veggies) were included for the convenience of this mainly vegetarian cook – her prep station. The clean-up area now boasts a farmhouse style single bowl sink – adding to the ‘cottage’ charm. We located a new gas cook-top between the two workstations for easy access from each. Also tucked in here is a pullout trash/recycle cabinet for convenience and additional drawers for storage. Running parallel to the work counter we added a long butcher-block island with easy-to-access open shelves for the avid cook and seating for friendly guests placed just right to take in the view. A counter-top garage is used to hide excess small appliances. Glass door cabinets and open shelves are now available to display the owners beautiful dishware. The microwave was placed inconspicuously on the end of the island facing the refrigerator – easy access for guests (and extraneous family members) to help themselves to drinks and snacks while staying out of the cook’s way. We also moved the pantry storage away from the dining room (putting it on the far wall and closer to the work triangle) and added a furniture-like hutch in its place allowing the more formal dining area to flow seamlessly into the up-beat work area of the kitchen. This space is now also home (opposite wall) to an under counter wine refrigerator, a liquor cabinet and pretty glass door wall cabinet for stemware storage – meeting Mr. Homeowner’s desire for a bar service area. And then the aesthetic: an old-world style country cottage theme. The homeowners wanted the kitchen to have a warm feel while still loving the look of white cabinetry. San Luis Kitchen melded country-casual knotty pine base cabinets with vintage hand-brushed creamy white wall cabinets to create the desired cottage look. We also added bead board and mullioned glass doors for charm, used an inset doorstyle on the cabinets for authenticity, and mixed stone and wood counters to create an eclectic nuance in the space. All in all, the happy homeowners now boast a charming county cottage kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining their guests while creating gourmet meals to feed them.

Catherine Trautes

cucina dopo restyling

This gorgeous Award-Winning custom built home was designed for its views of the Ohio River, but what makes it even more unique is the contemporary, white-out interior. On entering the home, a 19' ceiling greets you and then opens up again as you travel down the entry hall into the large open living space. The back wall is largely made of windows on the house's curve, which follows the river's bend and leads to a wrap-around IPE-deck with glass railings. The master suite offers a mounted fireplace on a glass ceramic wall, an accent wall of mirrors with contemporary sconces, and a wall of sliding glass doors that open up to the wrap around deck that overlooks the Ohio River. The Master-bathroom includes an over-sized shower with offset heads, a dry sauna, and a two-sided mirror for double vanities. On the second floor, you will find a large balcony with glass railings that overlooks the large open living space on the first floor. Two bedrooms are connected by a bathroom suite, are pierced by natural light from openings to the foyer. This home also has a bourbon bar room, a finished bonus room over the garage, custom corbel overhangs and limestone accents on the exterior and many other modern finishes. Photos by Grupenhof Photography

The oversized dining table was custom made of solid oak to seat 10. The outdoor dining setting iis n solid teak and woven chairs.

© Laetitia Jourdan Photography

While this dining room may seem minimalistic, the walnut dining table with modern dining chairs create a sophisticated design. The vintage teak buffet is a center piece of the sleek open concept dining room. Bright white walls keep the space feeling clean and crisp.

Aina Vives Escandell (Home Staging Mallorca)

Dimitri Ganas

Des clients expatriés charmants qui m'ont fait confiance à 100% dès la première rencontre. Dans ce grand 2 pièces d'environ 60 m2 destiné à la location meublée, on a gardé tout ce qui faisait son charme : les poutres au plafond, les tomettes et le beau parquet au sol, et les portes. Mais on a revu l'organisation des espaces, en ouvrant la cuisine, et en agrandissant la salle de bain et le dressing. Un air de déco a par ailleurs géré clé en main l'ameublement et la décoration complète de l'appartement.

Jim Bartsch Photography

Photographer: Steve Chenn

Dining area and kitchen.