Tatiana Moreira StyleHaus Design Photo by: Emilio Collavino

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. Credits: Custom cabinetry by Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry Contracting by Michael Pezzato of Lost Coast Construction Stone counters by Pyramid M.T.M.

James Kruger, LandMark Photography Interior Design: Martha O'Hara Interiors Architect: Sharratt Design & Company

Painted and glazed raised panel French cabinets with stained alder sink cabinet. Limestone countertops with handmade subway tiles. Flooring is grey stranded bamboo. Built in dog bed and cookbook shelf. GE Monogram appliances. Cast iron door behind cooktop is from an old French stove. Restoration Hardware pulls and knobs. Large 2 level sink. Cabinet front dishwasher.

Source : Ancient Surfaces Product : Antique Stone Kitchen Hood & Stone Flooring. Phone#: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com For the past few years the trend in kitchen decor has been to completely remodel your entire kitchen in stainless steel. Stainless steel counter-tops and appliances, back-splashes even stainless steel cookware and utensils. Some kitchens are so loaded with stainless that you feel like you're walking into one of those big walk-in coolers like you see in a restaurant or a sterile operating room. They're cold and so... uninviting. Who wants to spend time in a room that reminds you of the frozen isle of a supermarket? One of the basic concepts of interior design focuses on using natural elements in your home. Things like woods and green plants and soft fabrics make your home feel more warm and welcoming. In most homes the kitchen is where everyone congregates whether it's for family mealtimes or entertaining. Get rid of that stainless steel and add some warmth to your kitchen with one of our antique stone kitchen hoods that were at first especially deep antique fireplaces retrofitted to accommodate a fully functional metal vent inside of them.

Guest house kitchen remodel Los Feliz, CA Photographer: Casey Hale

This kitchen is reflective of the period style of our clients' home and accentuates their entertaining lifestyle. White, beaded inset, shaker style cabinetry provides the space with traditional elements. The central island houses a fireclay, apron front sink, and satin nickel faucet, soap pump, and vacuum disposal switch. The island is constructed of Pennsylvania cherry and features integral wainscot paneling and hand-turned legs. The narrow space that was originally the butler's pantry is now a spacious bar area that features white, shaker style cabinetry with antique restoration glass inserts and blue painted interiors, a Rohl faucet, and a Linkasink copper sink. The range area is a major feature of the kitchen due to its mantle style hood, handcrafted tile backsplash set in a herringbone pattern, and decorative tile feature over the cooking surface. The honed Belgium bluestone countertops contrast against the lighter elements in the kitchen, and the reclaimed, white and red oak flooring provides warmth to the space. Commercial grade appliances were installed, including a Wolf Professional Series range, a Meile steam oven, and a Meile refrigerator with fully integrated, wood panels. A cottage style window located next to the range allows access to the exterior herb garden, and the removal of a laundry and storage closet created space for a casual dining area.

Kitchen-Family Fare Kitchen features 10’ ceilings, limestone counters, and a cutting/work surface of African bubinga wood. The Venetian plaster range hood, simple cabinets and floating shelves evoke an Earthy English cottage. The easy-care “green” floor is renewable cork covered with polyurethane. “We need more green awareness. If it’s a product that holds up in my house, I feel comfortable recommending it to clients,” she says.

Naturstein hat eine besondere Wirkung, wenn er eine gewisse, massive Stärke zeigt. Auch bei Küchenarbeitsplatten ist dies möglich. Ist es technisch nicht möglich, massive Stücke einzubauen, kann die massive Optik durch Verkleben dünnerer Platten erreicht werden. Hier wurde die Wirkung des Blocks noch durch den flächenbündigen Einsatz von Spüle, Kochfeld und Steckdoseneinsatz unterstützt. Das Material Bateig Azul, einen spanischen Kalksandstein, könnte man fast für Beton halten, wenn nicht die fein geschliffene Oberfläche diesen speziellen warme Sandstein-Touch hätte.

Awesome shot by Steve Schwartz from AVT Marketing in Fort Mill.

Proyecto realizado por Meritxell Ribé - The Room Studio Construcción: The Room Work Fotografías: Mauricio Fuertes

An open and inviting kitchen featuring a beautiful thick pietra del cardosa countertop. Island offers plenty of open space for cooking and preparation as well as seating.

Shane Johnson Photography

'Industry Standards' call for particleboard shelving and fake PERGO flooring. Double pane Anderson Windows with PHONY PLASTIC muntins. Yuk! We strive for authenticity at all costs...and it usually costs less to be authentic. 100 year floor. Floor boards pictured are over an inch and a half thick. They came from a barn on the property. The floor can be sanded and refinished every couple years for the next 100 years. The windows are like 60 years old. No need for FAKE PLASTIC SHIT, we had them reglazed. Photo: Michael J. Kirk

This Victorian old house from the beginning of the previous century had to keep its exterior look, but the interior went through a dramatic change and brought it into our era. The first floor of the house was completely transformed into a huge open space, which by doing that already gave it a modern feeling around. The use of modern laminate door style in different colors had emphasized the contemporary style that was brought in with so much elegancy together with the light wood floors and light counter tops. The island was given a sculpture look to create a nice focal point for the kitchen where the cooking preparation is mostly taking place at. Door Style Finish: Alno Look, laminate door style, in the graphite, yellow and magnolia white colors finish.