OVERVIEW

The kitchen in this lovely Carlsbad tract home was no longer sufficient for this family of five and was in dire need of an update. The builder-grade oak cabinetry was an eyesore amidst the rest of the already-remodeled home. The pantry was in the busiest thoroughfare of the kitchen and needed to be relocated. 

It was time to bring the beauty into the most used room of the home — the kitchen — and create a larger, more functional space within the current footprint while adhering to a strict budget. 

FUNCTIONALITY

Increasing the size of the upper cabinets and topping them with a large crown molding emphasized the height of the room and gave the kitchen a more expansive feel. The abundance of 3” x 6” tumbled travertine from a previous remodeling effort was incorporated into the backsplash to minimize cost. And running angled power strips at the base of the cabinets created the uninterrupted look that the client desired.

A butler’s pantry, which sat in between the kitchen and the formal dining room, was rarely used and a waste of valuable space. Removing two small walls and relocating the pantry into that reclaimed area opened up the kitchen to provide a place for the kids to gather without blocking the side of the island, and allowed the installation of five rollouts to make the pantry more functional. 

The clients entertain frequently, so they needed a small entertaining area within the kitchen that didn’t scream “bar” and would serve to showcase their beautiful stemware. Installing a base pullout cabinet with two shelves created a concealed place for liquor and mixers, and the large upper cabinet featured glass doors, glass shelves, and internal lighting to put the stemware on display.
Since the flooring was to remain in place, it was essential to stay within the existing footprint. Eliminating the dining table allowed for better traffic flow between the kitchen and family room. 

One of the challenges was to create an island large enough to provide more storage, generous countertop work space, and five comfortable places to eat without compromising navigability — and all using just a single granite slab. Diligent searching at local slab yards finally turned up a slab of granite that was large enough to provide adequate countertop space along with the desired eating area.
The lighting was updated throughout the kitchen and improved above the island. Using a monorail system made it easy to incorporate the needed directional spotlights as well as the gorgeous pendants. And increasing the depth of cabinetry and installing full-extension deep drawers on one side of the island created more usable storage for the new design.