URRUTIA DESIGN Photography by Matt Sartain
Expansive transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, subway tile splashback, brown splashback, shaker cabinets, marble benchtops, an undermount sink, white benchtop, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and vaulted.

Full Kitchen Remodel, New Custom Frameless Cabinetry, Duo-tone cabinets, LVP (Luxury Vinyl Flooring) throughout, Tile Backsplash, Lighting & Electrical, Appliance Installation, Painting, Doors & Trim

Open kitchen to family room with granite countertops, shaker style cabinets and windows.
This is an example of an arts and crafts galley eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and grey benchtop.

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

THE SETUP “You have to figure out how to rebuild a life worth living,” Basia Kozub’s client says. Her husband passed away suddenly three years ago. Holidays with family became more important, and she found herself struggling with a 37-year old kitchen that was falling apart. “I made a decision to move forward,” she says. “I went, ‘You know what? I’m redoing the kitchen.'” The big task of getting started was as easy as having a conversation – literally. Basia was on the job, helping the client sort through priorities, wishes and ideas. Basia’s client is 5′ 4″, likes keeping an eye on the kiddoes in the backyard and wanted certain things to have their own place. THE REMODEL The objectives were: Enlarge and open the space Find a classic look that incorporates blues Upgrade to easy-to-use appliances Hide an office space within the space Ample storage for dishes Design challenges: Uneven window alignment on the back wall Original kitchen smaller than desired, stuctural concerns if walls to be moved Keep folks close – figure out seating for entertaining Main sink in corner is ideal, but windows are hard to reach Lots of storage needed for dishes, glass collection, pantry items, bar bottles and office supplies Specific storage needs for oft-used spices and utensils THE RENEWED SPACE Design solutions: Replace back wall windows, establish window size continuity Take out two walls to open up the space, tall shallow cabinet and a tall filler added to conceal a new header Large island that seats six easily Custom corner sink cabinet with recessed edge allows vertically challenged homeowner to reach the windows Mindful storage planning features: plenty of cabinets, pull-out bar bottle storage, file drawers & cubbies with pocket doors for office appliances, magic corner pullouts, and appliance garages with pocket doors Shelf behind range for easy access to daily-use spices and oils. Also: spice and utensil pullouts on either side of range The clients says every priority and wish box got checked. The highly functional design absorbed everything that used to be in that area of the house, but now those things are out of the way. “In the past, we were all spread out when we gathered for the holidays, because we had to spread out. Now, we’re all in here together, including my 92-year old mother. We’re visiting, cooking, laughing… everyone is here. And I’m really learning how to use these appliances. This kitchen has given me a whole new life.”

The kitchen-diner in this Victorian semi-detached property in south-west London was designed to meet the functional and lifestyle needs of the client, as well as being ergonomically efficient. Being avid entertainers, the couple wanted their new room to accommodate seating for up to 8 people, a traditional-style dresser and a bar area for making cocktails. ‘Holkham’ shaker-style cabinetry was chosen for its simplicity and pared-back feel. The uncomplicated design and focus on proportion make it a perfect fit for smaller kitchens. Using the space either side of the original fireplace, the kitchen accommodates a large semi-glazed dresser as well as a small bar area which is topped with the same natural stone worktop, and is within easy reach of the fridge and dining table. A banquette on the opposite side of the room was designed to provide additional space-saving seating and helps to balance the amount of furniture in the room without it feeling overcrowded. The banquette seating is hand painted in the same colour as the kitchen cabinetry to help make the room appear longer, whilst also providing additional seating around the large family dining table. A dresser unit with bi-folding cabinet doors also maximises the amount of storage in this smaller room: designed and made to fit perfectly inside the alcove alongside the original Victorian fireplace. Hand painted in calming Little Greene’s Sage Green, the room scheme combines natural stone, glass and oak elements which evoke a feeling of nature and space, helping the room flow seamlessly into the outdoor area beyond the traditional-style French doors.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

Step into a kitchen that exudes both modern sophistication and inviting warmth. The space is anchored by a stunning natural quartzite countertop, its veined patterns reminiscent of a sun-drenched landscape. The countertop stretches across the kitchen, gracing both the perimeter cabinetry and the curved island, its gentle curves adding a touch of dynamism to the layout. White oak cabinetry provides a grounding contrast to the cool quartzite. The rich, natural grain of the wood, paired with a crisp white paint, create a sense of airiness and visual lightness. This interplay of textures and tones adds depth and dimension to the space. Breaking away from the traditional rectilinear lines, the island features curved panels that echo the countertop's gentle sweep. This unexpected detail adds a touch of whimsy and softens the overall aesthetic. The warm vinyl flooring complements the wood cabinetry, creating a sense of continuity underfoot.

Modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and floating countertop. View of floating staircase.
Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and beige benchtop.

Large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Our Austin studio decided to go bold with this project by ensuring that each space had a unique identity in the Mid-Century Modern style bathroom, butler's pantry, and mudroom. We covered the bathroom walls and flooring with stylish beige and yellow tile that was cleverly installed to look like two different patterns. The mint cabinet and pink vanity reflect the mid-century color palette. The stylish knobs and fittings add an extra splash of fun to the bathroom. The butler's pantry is located right behind the kitchen and serves multiple functions like storage, a study area, and a bar. We went with a moody blue color for the cabinets and included a raw wood open shelf to give depth and warmth to the space. We went with some gorgeous artistic tiles that create a bold, intriguing look in the space. In the mudroom, we used siding materials to create a shiplap effect to create warmth and texture – a homage to the classic Mid-Century Modern design. We used the same blue from the butler's pantry to create a cohesive effect. The large mint cabinets add a lighter touch to the space. --- Project designed by the Atomic Ranch featured modern designers at Breathe Design Studio. From their Austin design studio, they serve an eclectic and accomplished nationwide clientele including in Palm Springs, LA, and the San Francisco Bay Area. For more about Breathe Design Studio, see here: https://www.breathedesignstudio.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.breathedesignstudio.com/atomic-ranch

Inspiration for a small scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Inspiration for a transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Palmetto Bluff kitchen renovation, Cambria quartz countertops, new backsplash, new sinks, faucets, project management, coastal design
Inspiration for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

We designed a custom hutch which has a multitude of storage options and functionality – open display shelves, roll-outs, drawers, extra counter/serving space, as well as a beverage fridge and appliance garage/coffee center. On the opposite side of the kitchen, we replaced a small pantry closet with a furniture style built-in that took advantage of underutilized space. Anticipating issues with supply chain, we opted to use a local cabinet maker on this project which allowed us to fully customize the cabinets for optimal functionality.

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Fully renovated kitchen design. We moved the refrigerator, dishwasher and sink to create more space and a better workflow. Gorgeous subway tile backsplash keeps the space light and bright!

Inspiration for a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and timber.

Decor kitchen cabinets with custom color: Peale Green HC 121 By Benjamin Moore, GE Induction Range, Blanco sink and Stream White granite counters, new red oak floors, white hexagon tiles on the backsplash complement the hexagonal brushed brass hardware.